NOBODY'S DAUGHTER'

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1553, 24 September 1912, Page 6

NOBODY'S DAUGHTER'

PLIMMER-DENNISTON COMPANY. \ "Nobody's Daughter,", a comedy drama, in four acts, by "Geo. Fastnn." Ca>t— Jlr. Frampton Harry Plimmcr Jlns. Frampton 3lrs. Solicit Broiigh • Col. Torrcns George S. Titheradge 51 rs. Torrcns Beatrice Day Tony (their Sou) Oyril Bell Honora May Lizette Parke* Christene Grant Tcmpe Piprott Teresa Holroyd .'. Beatrice Usher, Sir Jasper Marchmont ... A. E. Orcc'naway Will Lennaril Harry Sweeney Jtaid Ena Collins After an absence from New Zealand of nearly two years, the l'liinmer-Dennistoii Company returned to the Opera House to rrceivo a welcome which at once implied a pleasant remembrance of past perform--anc?s and something of anticipatory gratification in those to come. It could notwell be otherwise With such a combination as Messrs. Harry Plimmcr ana Reynolds Denniston have been fortunate enough to assemble for the performance of plays which, whilst satisfying the appetite 'for pure theatrics, make a distinct appeal to tho intellect. With such players as Mrs. Robert Brough, .Miss Beatrice Day, Jliss Lizette Parkes, and Messrs. G. S. Titheradge and 'it. Plimmcr, almost any logically and technically sound play would be,safe. Indeed, there is an all-round artistic security in the. personnel of this company which goes a long way towards guaranteeing the performance. It was interesting, too, to see Mrs. Brough and Mr. Titheradge—protagonists in so many worthy plays during the past quarter of a century—once ' more asso-, ciated, and it was. happily noted that both of these distinguished artists had lost little of that magnetic polish and restraint which illumined their work so brilliantly in the dimming past. All were given a warm welcome, and at onco that indefinable sympathy between players and audience was established which means so much to both.

"Nobody's Daughter," by "Geo. Paston" (the pseudonym of Miss Symons) is a play which makes no pretence to intellectual eminence, but is one which has • in its make-up those qualities which appeal to a wide public. It strikes the happy mean between the .ultra-smart comedy and popular drama, and wins approval by the natural simplicity of its very human story. The chief motif is a delicate one, but thanks to the deftness with which it is handled it neve.- approaches the sordid. Indeed, there is a certain naivete in the somewhat blunt manner in which Miss Symons takes off the gloves to deal in a new way with an old-theme—a clever co-mingling of sincere truth-speaking and sparkling comedy with one big dramatic situation to givj a "tang" to the whole, Pretty Honora May is the daughter of Colonel Torrcns and Mrs. Frampton, who twenty years before the'curtain rises have loved and erred, and in middle life have come 1.-gether as next-door, neighbours, mellowing in . perfect respectability, as Honora, who only knows, them as her "guardians," ripens from the bud to tho blossom of womanhood. All these years Honora has been cared for by Christine Grant, a dour but lovable old Scotch woman, ..who winks at nothing offensive to her principles. At rare intervals it is the custom of the guardians to visit Honora together, and on one of these visits it is divulged that Honora is in love with a young mechanic. Here is a situation which neither parent had anticipated. Mrs. Frampton, who dearly loves her child, is tragically upset at the discovery, and Christine is eriunlly determined that "her lamb" should bo given a chance of marrying in her- own . class. Xbw that love and the spring of the year had come knnd-in-hand, the old nurse says bluntly that she cann-it. bo responsible for anything that may happen. Finallv she throws a bomb by. insisting that Mrs. Framnton should take her daughter home. At first regarded as preposterous, it finally become? the cnly thing to do, and Honora and her lover agree, on certain conditions, to part for six months, aud the girl enters her mother's home as her ward* There sho is loved and petted by all, particularly by good-natured Mr. Frampton, who idolises her. Indeed, it is whilst lie is rigging her out with a millinery outfit that tha thought strikes him: What'a shame it is that Honora should have neither kith nor kin of her own, and after a question cr two, declares his intention of silting' the whole matter. To the. sunlit garden of ' Jhe Framp.tons comes one day the staid person of Christine Grant, bent on seeing her onetime charge, Frampton, seeks the opportunity to learn more of Honora's parentage, and in the presence' of the guardians cross-questions so persistently .that hj becomes interested, then suspicious, and finally in a scene'-of fiuo dramatic intensity he alights upon the truth, and half strangles Colonel Torrens as his wife falls senseless to the ground., .What happens 'subsequently is reconciliatory. Mrs. Torrens, who has more than half suspected Honora's parentage, comes out as a bighearted womin of the world, and helps Mr. and Mrs. Frampton to a better understanding of themselves, and poor, pale scared little Honora, who is shocked at the revelations respecting herself, is finally folded in her lover's arms, and together they-sail away for. Sydney to a new life. The all-round excellence of the cast made the performance of this pretty emotional comedv-drama particularly enjoyable throughout. Mrs. Brough brought tho weight of her matured art to b«ir upon the difficult role of Mrs. Frampton. In the first act she cleverly represented the woman torn between the love of her child aud that of the husband to whom ehe is deeply attached. Her trepidrtion at the discovery of her secret and the hsaue of tremulous lies, she forges under hsr husband's searching cross-examination exhibited the clever actress .at her best. Her emotion in the final scene was verv real.and affecting, as a flutter of handkerchiefs in the audience bore witness. Mr. Harry Plimmcr as' Mr. Frampton gave an interesting and admirably contrasted study. His high-spirited jocuhrity and infectious laughter as the sunnytempered merchant who enjoys every min ute of his life showed Mr. Plimmer's facility in the sphere of light comedy, as tho big dramatic scene in the third act found him dramatically effective. A charming picture of Honora May was presented by Miss Lizette Parkes, perhaps the daintiest of ingenue actresses in this part of the world. Miss Parkes is sweet and winsome in all she does. There is a bright spark of comedy in her vivacious roguishness in the earlier scenes, a fine degree of tenderness in her scenes with the dour old nurse, and when the action of tho play deepens Miss Parkes's acting was natural to a degree. Mr. G. S. Titheradge had little to do as Colonel Torrens, but that little showed the perfect repose and poise of the cultured actor. One of the best-played parts in the play is the Christine Grant of Miss Tempo Pigott, who limns the stem old Scotch woman on broad strokes' with strength and. certitude. As Mrs. Torrens, Miss Beatrice Day had onlv one scene which counts, and in it sho displayed a distinct charm—vocally and artisfically. Mr. Harry Sweeney made a manly and handsome' Will Lennard. whose final lines are pure bathos. Mr. A..E. Greenaway made a likeable Sir Jasper Mnrchmont and Mk« Beatrice Usher an acidulated Teresa Holroyd. "Nobody's Daughter" is prettily mounted, the scenery bcinsr from the clever brush of Mr. Harry Whaite. The mu'ic is under the capable direction of Mr. George Leopold. His Kxrellnncy the Governor is to be present at this "evening's nerformance. "Nobody's Daughter" will lie staged for three more nights, and will give way on Fridav next, Kentember 2".-to a rspreseutntion of Oscar Wilde's brilliant and scintillnthi!? remedy. "A Woman of 7?n Importance." ' In ibis production ?.Tr. G. S. Titheradge will lie seen in .his original creation of the cynical Lord Illingworth, nnd -Mrs. Brough. a.s Mr* Arbvthnot. nlso her original creation. Tuesday and Wednesday, October 1 mid 2. the last two niehts of tho season will be devntoil to Svdner Grundy's drama "A Village Priest." The box plans are at the Dresden,