"NOBODY'S WIDOW."

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2659, 3 January 1916, Page 3

"NOBODY'S WIDOW."

e — WILLIAMSON DRAMATIC CO. "Nobody's Widow," a farcical comedy in three acts, by Avery Hopwood. Cast: R-oxana Clayton Muriel Starr Betty Jackson. Dorothy Davies Countess Manuella Valencia Gertrude Boswell Fanny Owens Florenco Heston Sadie Clarice Buckman Ned Stevens Sydney Stirling Baron Alexius Austin Milroy Peter Frank Harcourt Duke of Moreland ... Charles A. Millward "Nobody's Widow" was received by an overwhelmingly large holiday audience at the Grand Opera House on Saturday evening. It was a very good thing for Mr. Avery Hopwood's reputation tliat "NoIwdy's Widow" was not hi§ first production. Had it been so tho chances would "be that we would never have seen, the comedy, but the author also wrote "Seven Days" and several good laughter producers whilst still a young man, and so "Nobody's Widow" received a hearing beyond its deserts. In reality tho comedy lias the drag and tiresome reiterativeness of a twenty-minutes' sketch extended into a three-act comedy, and the theme—apart from its suggestiveness—is too frail, jjn brief, it iB the case of Uoxana Clayton, who sliortlj after marrying the Duke of Moreland (whom she only knows as .plain Mr. Clayvon) discovers him in the arms of another lady, and, naturally incensed, leaves him and announces to her friends that her husband has died, and she is a widow—has been to for six months when the curtain rises. When wintering at Palm Beach, the inevitable happens. Moreland is there in his true colours, protesting that he is more in love nith her than ever, and it is easy to perceive that Eoxana is not indifferent to her former husband. Moreland is so much in love with Roxana that he resolves to stay with her, but she wil! have no scandal. Her husband is dead and buried. Moreland isainsistent. As a last resource Roxana him that not- only, has she killed and buried her husband, but has divorced him; whereupon Moreland urges another, marriage, and it happens rigxt away, ail unknown to even their most intimate friends. Then .comes the thrill—a poor anaemic little thrill—provided by ,the husband wishing to remain with his wife, and she protesting, protesting, always protesting, against anything so nearly approaching the dearest desire of her heart. Finally she wears him down with her protests, and he goes somewhere else. There are, here ana there ideas reminiscent of other and better comedies, but in the main the comedy is weak on its iegs. Both Miss Muriel Starr and Mr. Charles Millward are, on the performances in "Nobody's Widow," seen to better advantage in drama than farce-comedy. Miss', Starr has an ingratiating person ility. and is always subtle, clever, and natural, but her histrionic talent expands most effectively in the sphere of emotional drama. Her soft fluty voice lacks the range of bright tones, necessary for the raciest realisation of the merry widow in farcecomedy. Mr. Millward as the Duke of Moreland displayed finished drawingroom manners, but his reserved, almost constrained, methods were scarcely the ebullition of a young man with a reputation, such as Clayton is supposed to possess. It was, perhaps, moro the fault of the comedy than the actor that his polished persistency became a trifle tedious as the evening wore on. Mi6s Dorothy Davis as Betty Jackson (the role played by Miss Grace Palotta in Sydney, extracted some good hearty laughs from the audience, in the scene where she, invades,,. Roxana's bedroom, cold-creamed for the night,' and Mr. Sidney Stirling did all that was possible with the poorly-written part of J<ed Stevens. Miss Gertrude Boswell, Miss Florence Heston, Messrs. A. Milroy, and Frank Harcourt appeared satisfactorily enough in minor roles, which the author had not given much attention. The comedy is exquisitely mounted, the Palm Beach, interiors being furnished very beautifully, the colour schemes being worked out m the daintiest/pinks an ( l blues imaginable. .The lighting, too, receives skilful treatment. "Nobody's Widow" will be played again this and to.-morrow evening. ; "UNDER COVER." . Inventiveness is a characteristic of the American, and it is abundantly manifested in their dramatic creations, especially in those dealing with the detection of crime. "The Third Degree" was an example, but "Under Cover,' by R. C. Meagrue, is held to be more ingenious and complicated. It deals with evasion of Customs duties in America and'- a system of "graft" or blackmail which has grown up amongst the American Customs officials. It is said that millions-of dollars of dutiable goods are annually smuggled into the States. In "Under. Cover' Miss Muriel Starr will be seen in the last role of "her farewell season.