"JEDBURY, JUNIOR."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1533, 31 August 1912, Page 6

"JEDBURY, JUNIOR."

A CAPITAL BENEFir PERFORMANCE. "Jodbuiy, Junior." a comedy .in four a«ts, by Lucett© Riley. Cast- . : Christopher Jedbury,' sen, " Mr. Norman Aitkon Jedbury Miss Iris Lennox Christopher Jedbury. jun...:Mr. 11. F. Wood ,„ c j' lo Miss Kate Davis Whimper ...Mr. D.- Kelly Job ••••••••••• Jtr, N, J. Watßon Major Hedway ...Mr. s. U'Williama ?S iss Scott Mr. flhbb Mr. E. B. Shorlt ?n i n Irene Maeon Pom Jlcllaby ....'. Ml-. Franli El , er Sir, Simpson Nr. Edward C. Bourne Time .was \rh<sn ; AVelHiigfon relied- on its amateurs to fill in* the' big gaps'ljehreon tho visitsof professional shows, ajid sow© very excellent performances stand tothei* credit both in the spheres of comedy and jUfht °pera, but tlio wheels of time and the stress of competition, has relegated most of tho amateur performances to tho suburbs, which is in a measure regrettable. Tlio performance of Lucetto liiloy's comedy, "Jedbury, Junior," at the Optra House last evening by tho Wellington Dramatic .Society endorsed that regret, in that it was one which could bo enjoyed by casc-liardoned playgoers not easily pleased. There were faults—what performance is faultless?—inseparable from a hurried "ono night season," mostly of technique and lack of footlight expjrionce, but they woto outweighed to a great extent by capitally-sustained action and several excellent examples in character work. The comedy itself is a good one —a very prctty.entanglemeiit of amusing incident with a dramatis touch here and there to givo' it body. Jedbury, junior, is a well-meaning young man, who' is quite apt in tho practieo of spending what his wealthy self-mado father has accumulated. In ono of his jaunts abroad h« has been forced into a marriage with a woman whom ho never saw through an incident on shipboard- which tho young lady's fafher chose to interpret as a serious compromise to his daughter's honouiv On tho knowledge of this unhappy affair becoming known to his father, Jedbury, junior, is exiled by being given a clerkship in the Bombay branch of Jedbury, senior's business, not, however, before ho Ims fallen desperately in love with Dora Hedway, who is unawaro.of his identity, and continues so on account of tlio young man having taken another name. Dora, is tho niece of Major Hedway, a retired Indian officer, and as she decides to accompany her uncle back to India, she and Jedbury, jun., reo much' of each other and go the way of all flesh to their mutual embarrassment, for both are victims of the ludicrous marriage be-fore-mentioned. In India young Jedbury does a great service to the firm by discovering huge defalcations on the part of the manager. This takes the elder Jedbury and everyone elso interested in tho story to Bombay, and tliero the knots are untangled by laughable. gradations', and Jedbury, jun., is hailed as a benefactor even by his irascible father and is accepted with, joy by the girl he. .had married years before. ' , The comedy was well cast. Mr. H. F. Wood, as Jedbury, jun., exhibited a pleasing personalty and acted tho many breezy comedy scenes with an easo and facility alike commendable. Mr. Norman Aitken had a part well within his scope as Jedbury, sen., whom he mods a sharp-teni-pored old chap with a dignity born of money-bags, and an exaggerated sense of the importance they gavo him.' Ho was at his best tho conversations carried on with his wife (with whom he was at continual variance) through tho medium of Whimper, tho footman. Ho was inclined to be rather melodramatic in the scene in which lie drives out his son. Miss Ruby Scott invested the rolo of Dora with a dainty airiness that was unite charming, and acted with lively intelligence throughout. Her performance would liavo been improved had she spoken her lines less, quickly and with greater-point. Miss Irene Mason, a gifted-amateur, was quite admirable as Mrs. Glibb, .a modern gorgon, forever sounding the praises of her. worm-liko husband,- who sho crushes on every possible occasion. As the crushed one who' speaks bur. one word through the piece, Mr. K. B. Shortt, was most amusing, and many of t.lie scenes were enlivened by his wbrdless bv-play. Miss Kate Davis as Kellie •Jedbiiry hardly -realised her opportunities; and. Miss l'ris Lennox was rather subdued in speech and habit as a very combative Mrs. Jedbury. Mr. S. M'WiUiams v as Major Heciwa'v, Mr. D. Kelly as Whimper, Mr. E. C. Bourne as Mr. Simpson (tho dofaulter), Mr. N. J.' Watson- as Job (a, valet), and Jtr. Frank Kllor as Tom Bellabv were fairly Adequate., The performance was given in aid of tho widows of Messrs.- Hancock and M'Kay, recently killed in tramway accidents' The fairly largo audience oresent should result in a substantial addition to the fund.