Opera house.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1842, 30 August 1913, Page 6

Opera house.

. " BELLA DONNA," A play in foitf acts, adapted by James Bernard Fagan, from the novel by Robert Eicliens. Dr. Meyer Isaacson Mr. Julius Ktright Hon. ftigcl Armine ilr. .Martin; Lewis i 'tlaihimouri flaroaidi Sir. I/oon&rd W alloy i)r. Hartley Mr. Arthur (.Ireciiaway Bir Henry Grebe Mr. Roderick Mtilyoii Ibrahim Ahmed Mr. LctMie Victor iiauiaa Sir. J. Fiumptoii' Wilson All Mr. Koutald ST Leo d 110/jsvni lien, Achmed Sir. Victor T;vtmll Monks Sir. Charles Slotec Sliss Msiruhniont Sites Grace A. Noble Slairie SLiss Doro-thy Oumminp Sirs. Chepstow ..Miss Irene Browne That portion of the public which likos its .dramatic .food highly seasoned will lind full, measure of thrill and excitement in "Bella Donna." The play grips from tlio outset, and the suspenso increases from act- to act until, before tho final climax, it becomes almost painful. It would be difficult to imagine a more violent contrast from "Milestones" than this second piece, of the Julius Knight season. It is like, the change from the frosty but kindly sunlight of an English winter's day to tho burning glare of tho tropics, and the threo marriages'of "Milestones" are humdrum affairs indeed besides tho whirling catastrophe in which tho Hon. Nigel Armino involves himself by marrying Mrs. Chepstow. Mrs. Chepstow, to make no bones about it, is a thoroughly bad lot, and Mr. Aniline is young enough to believe that you can make ba<l people good by thinking good about them. Not that ho thinks Mrs. Chepstow bad, hp is far too deeply bitten for that, and though, it is obvious to everybody elso what the lady is, ho can see in her 110 more than rt wronged—and very beautiful—victim of circumstances. ' Mrs. Chepstow, at tho opening of tho play, has reached that point in her very varied carcor when sho is 110 longer young, and a safcT anchorago scorns for the moment tho most desirablo tiling in life. She soon tires of matrimony,, and three nionths after her marriage is violently in love with Malimoud Baroudi, ail Egytian mutli-mil-lionairc, and is poisoning her husband at tho bidding of her lover. The play, which is splendidly mounted, gave another fine opportunity to Mr. Julius Knight as Dr. Meyer Isaacson, tho London specialist, who follows Armino to Egypt, and there saves his lifo and exposes tho villainy of 'his wife. As Mrs. Armine, Miss Irono Browne revealed herself as an emotional actress of tho highest order, and was given a most enthusiastic reception by tho largo audlcnco present. Tho first act takes place in tho luxurious consulting room of Dr. Isaacson, a fashionable Jewish physician. Among tho patients , passing through tho room comes Mrs. Chepstow, complaining of a "goneral malaise," and qvidently very much afraid that she is growing old. The doctor is, however, unablo to supply the l secret of perpetual youth. Mrs. Marchmoiit lias preceded the demi-mon-daino beauty, and lias appealed to tho doctor as an old friend to prevent her young relative. Nigel Armine, from entangling himself with the woman. • Finally, Armino himself appears, and tho scene ends with his announcement that he is departing for Egypt, and that . Mrs. Chepstow will accompany him as his wife. , . The audience is then transported to a beautiful villa, through tlio open windows of which may bo seen tho Nile gleaming in tho moonlight. Three nionths have elapsed since the marriage, and Mrs. Armino is already in the midst of an intriguo with Baroudi. j3he is ; onl.y too anxious to abiindon hc-r'hus-band, and fling herself into tho Egyptian's arms, but Baroudi will have none ol' this. It will be bad for business. He. is on tho best of terms with tho English, and ho intends to have 110 ooen scandal. Finally he produces a packet of powder, and leaves it with tho lady. .The scene shifts to tho deck of a houseboat on the' Nile, where Armino lies ill from "sunstroke," attended solely by his wife, and a not particularly widcawako American doctor. It is into this scene ( as tho sun is setting, and the moonlight flooding tlio river, that Dr. Isaacson unexpectedly reappears. Vague and disquieting reports have brought him from England on h, hurried visit to 6eo how life' has fared with his friend. Tho doctor's keen eyo soon detects tho mysterious nature of the malady from which Armine is suffering,- and thero is a long and tenso passage when he defies the wife's demand that ho shall leavo tho boat and not interfere in tho case. 'Finally lie' compels Mrs. Armino to order the 'return of tho dahabeeyah down tlio river to tho villa of tho sccond act. It is in the garden of the villa, ■ amid tho palms and the moonlight, that tlio play closes.: Armino is almost himself again, ■ thanks to Dr. Isaacson's unremitting care, and is still infatuated with his wife, of whoso villainy he still knows nothing. Although Mrs. Armino is even at tho moment planning to fly with Baroudi, her doting husband indignantly .refuses to believo Isaacson's horrible revelation of tlio lead-poisoning, and orders his friend out of the house. ' A few minutes later tho wife defiantly admits her guilt and her lovo for Baroudi.' Then comes tho swift end when tho Egyptian flings her off as a bungler, and, scorned alike by husband and lover, sho is left alone in the night. It will bo seen that the part of the . .wifo is oiiq that makes tlio most exacting demands, and Miss Browne responded magnificently. ■ Sho ran tho whole gamut of the passions, and hardly once throughout a long and exhausting part lost for a moment her hold upon the audience. Mr. Julius Knight was excellently made up as tho successful doctor and was at liis very best in the scene on tho daliabeyah on tho Nilo in his two long duels, one with Mrs. Armine and the other with Dr. Hartley. Mr. Martin Lewis imbued his Nigel Armino with tho necessary enthusiasm, and was a most convincing invalid. The Malimoud Baroudi of Mr. Leonard AVillcy was an excellent bit of work, as was the Dr. Hartley of Mr. Arthur. Greenaway. Miss Noble was a charming Mrs. Marchmont, Mr. Leslie Victor made the most of tho amusing Ibrahim, and tho other parts wcro canablr filled.