THE SECOND MRS. TANQUERAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2517, 19 July 1915, Page 6

THE SECOND MRS. TANQUERAY

' 'A SO'OND PERFORMANCE. "Tho Second Mrs. Tauqueray," a play in four acts, by Sir A. ,AV. Pinero. Cast:— Aubrey Tnnqueray Harry Plimmer Cay Icy Drummle Winter Hall. Captain Ardnle Vivian Edwards Sir Geo. Orreyd Gilbert Emery. Prank Misquith, I£.C W. A. Brydono Dr. Jayuo Vivian Edwards Morse Paul Latham Mrs. Cortelyon Alice Holroyd Ellcan Ena Shauahan Lady Orreyd : Jlarjorie Soper l J aula Beatrice llay

In descanting over the virtues of the recently-drowned Charles Klein as a dramatist, one American writer recently endeavoured to make ont a case in favour of the elevatiou of the American writer for the stage of to-day above all others. In so doing ho unfortunately, made the error of mentioning somewhat slightingly the diminution of the public devotion, to Pinero and Henry Arthur Jones, who bavo rightly been- classed as the foremost English playwrights of the last generation. No living American writer has produced a play which can be compared in its originality of argument, literary polish, and subtlety, dramatic ingenuity, and-flair as "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," with which we had the. pleasure of renowing acquaintance oil Saturday evening at the Grand Opera House.

. Of .the performance on Saturday evening Miss Beatrice Day deserves first mention. ' Mrs. Brough was perhaps the moro fiercely dramatic exponent of the famous role, and her appeal would perhaps even to-day be the more popular on that account. Mrs. Brough was mi uncompromisingly melodramatic Paula, and on those lines hers was a notable study, but Miss Day refrains from lapsing . into' the obvious. She hides the flame' of her hysteria under a. cloak of restraint, her cynicism burns none the less deeply for the ,flippant manner in which it is spoken, and this provides strong'relief, to the occasional display of high explosives she has at her command. Now and again the audience laughed in the wrong places, through a lack of perception of the subtlety of Pinero's lines, ■ and Miss Day's admirablo expression of them, but on the' whole the play held the audience. Mr. Harry Plimmer has been seen ill Wellington before as Aubrey, Tanqueray, and his performance was forceful and clean cut. Cayjey, Drummle was delightfully played by Mr. AVinter Hall—a grateful role almost perfectly realised. EUean was sweetly and. demurely suggested by Bliss Ena Shanahan, and' Mr. Vivian Edwards was excellent in the brief sketch he gives' of Captain Ardale. . Miss Marjorie Soper hardly extracted all the humour that lies in the lines of Lady, Orreyd, whilst Mr. Gilbert Emery was mildly amusing as Sir George. Mrs. Cortelyou was played with admirable ease and naturalness by Miss Alice Holro.yd. The play was produced by Mr. Plimmer with his usual regard' for stage verities, and was well mounted.