THE "GLAD EYE"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2388, 18 February 1915, Page 7

THE "GLAD EYE"

'A MERRY PARISIAN FAROE,

"Tho Glad Eve," ft farcical oomody in throe act®, adapted bv Jo.w (1. Levy from tho French 11 1Siobro" of Milt. Armont and Nancy. Cast:— (}.'iHlou Uociud lom SVioHorij Maurice I'ollitnno .Henry J. I'oru (Itulpaux V innk llniulcy Ohausetto ISthvonl Junior 'l'mcnsiln RoitltiflM Kennel" Comtu <lo la llouvo Olamlo Vortton Frtvncols' (lllliwl itoiivy Jl. Floquot Jinny Hwenm-y Police SorKon.nt l'\ 'lVtUililii lilKiiomio llixwrcl Alloo Hamilton Huwimo jtfolltrimo Hhvyn llni'voy .tiiltoMe ...... HUmki SU Glair Kiki Ethel It is so long since tho thoiitro-going public havo boon given good fnroitml comedy that ono would ho forgiven for anticipating that local aiidicneos had forgotten how tfl laugh. This idea was, liowover, uttorly dispelled lust evening, when tho sparkling fnreo from tho Freuch, "The Glud liyo," was presented at tho Grand Opera Llouso by (ho Boaumont Smith Company. Flaaliinglv Parisian in character, bubbling with tickling ropartoo, and chock lull of wildly amusing situations, whicli almost foil over one another in the raeo for laughs, tho now comedy caught tho fancy of a largo audience onrly, and kopt tho houso rocking with tho heartiest laughter until tho curtain was rung down.' Being Parisian and domestic, the theme quite naturally deals with conjugal frailty, but overy incident is so wildly humorous and so vital in tho natural way things porsist in happening that one roars at it as a burlesque to the preclusion of loss palatablo thought. It' is a trifle, or a maze of trifles, as _ light as air. It is not possible in tho compass of tho 6pace evailable. nor is it desirable, to dotail tho vastly amusing plot. It relates to the peccadilloes of two married men, Mm. Polignno and Bocard. who seek diversion in other directions'from a (juiot life in the country, and have to invent a varioty of excuses to account for their absonce from their wives, one very trusting and iutiocent. and the other far-seeing and world-ly-wiso. Their crowning effort in this direction is tho invention of a friendship for the Comte do la Beuve, a noted airman, and a devotion to the aerial profession, of which both are profoundly ignorant. They leave homo to make an alleged trip in the "Zebra" dirigible, and after a gay time in Paris return home when all the others are out. to ascertain'that the "Zebra" really had gone up, but owing to the vagaries of the elements had not come down again. Just as they are about to escape again to await news of the airship's return, they are blocked by tho arrival back of their wives, old Galipaus (Polignac's father-in-law), and the adorable Kiki, Polignac's flame in Paris, who has. innocently enough, been sent to the house with a set of furs ordered by Madame Brocard. The husbauds beat a retreat to a landing, and from that point of vantage witness a succession of comical scenes, concerning themselves, their wives, and other amusing people. This formß a brilliant second act. which is a scream of rapid-fire farce, from beginning to end. The final 'act discloses the fact that the pseudo Comte de la Beuve is no other than a private detective engaged by the knowing wife, -that the erring husbands have never met the real Comte, with whom they are finally confronted, and that they are just as_ erratic a pair as could Be imagined. Kiki gets out .of the scrape [ by allying herself to a comic waiter, who has been imposing on old Galipaux [ as a spiritualistic medium, .md the wife of Pohgnao shakes herself free from the exuberantly amorous idiocies of M. Flo- | quet with virtuous scorn. This utterly | bald outline does not pretend to embody anything like an adequate idea of the merriment with which the farce shimmers. It is one of those rare comedies which must be seen to be appreciated.' The company" is a highly-talented ona Miss Ethel Dane, the London creator of Kiki, is charming in the role, and gets every ounce out of the waywardness of tie pretty mannequin. She is vivacious without blaring, bold as brass in the' moßt demure fashion, and always chic and arresting in' her perfectly effortless acting. Mr. Tom Shelford as Gaston Bocard is limber and vital in every scene, and has a fine gift of pantomime. The work he and IVIr. Henry Ford (as M. Polignac) accomplish in'the second act should qualify' them as firstrate knock-about artists in any show. Another capital bit of character work is Mr. Edward Lander's impersonation as Chansette, the faded waiter who' is posing as a spirit medium for the benefit of his pocket, and whose promises of revelation are measured by the money doled out to him by old Galipaux (opart admirably played by Mr. Frank Bradley). Mr. Reginald Kenneth was well castas Tracassin, the detective, and Mr. Harry Sweeney was comically effusive and gushing as M. Floqnet. Miss Alice Hamilton, who played Madame Bocard, should hardly bo judged on her' performance last evening, as she was indisposed. Miss Elwyn Harvey was quite charming as the Madame Polignac. The whole of the comedy is enacted in the one scene—a handsome interior. "Tho Glad Eye" is destined to makemany laugh during its peregrinations in this country. It did so for fifteen months in London.