"MADAME X."

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2933, 20 November 1916, Page 3

"MADAME X."

ROYAL DRAMATIC COMPANY'S DEBUT

"Madame X," a drama in four acta, by Alexandre Bisson. Adapted by John Raphael. CastRose Miss Beatrice Esmond Dr. Chesnel Mr. Harcourt Hare Louis Floriot Mr. Eonald Riley Jacqueline Miss Margaret Linden Noel Mr. Colvilto Dunn Laroque Mr. Gerald Harcourt Victor Mr. Reginald Collins Perissard Mr. Fred. Coape Mer-ivel Mr. C. W. Throsby Marie Miss Madge Surtees Helena Miss Mildred Carlton Kaymond Floriot Mr. Geo. Hewlett President or Court...Mr. Percival Turner. Valmorin ............. Mr. Robert Hathersby For a play to gam the complete ap ; proval of tho public its author must, in a measure at least, see that his moral viewpoint coincides with that of those for whom he caters.' A murder as tho result of a vendetta may be quite a commonplace incident in Sicily, but it would bo regarded as something quite horribly abnormal here. In the case of "Madame X," performed by the Royal Dramatic Co. for the first time in New Zealand, before a large audience -1 at tho Grand Opera House on Saturday evening, wo have a sample of the drama, of the Grand Guignol Theatre (of Paris) in extended form, one in which the very fibre of the play depends upon sympathy.. being created for a woman who has deliberately and grossly violated her marriage vow. The author, M. Bisson, sets out to prove that the husband was wrong in turning herefrom the door when she returns penitents-after the death of her lover. This quixotic thesis is the very life-hlood of the play, but _it failed to awaken any sympathetic response from tho 'audience. One can easily imagine the play being strongly staged by a vital intense pourtrayal of the title role, as must have, been the case when Bernhardt played" the part on her last American tour, but she would have the immeasurable advantage of the original French, instead of the somewhat crude translation that was given on Saturday evening. The play has one big scone—tho trial scene at the end —but oven in that the element of surprise on which dramatic thrills usually depend, was missing, as the bare bones of tho denouement lay exposed before the audience long before the climax. Madame Xis really Madame Floriot, wife of Louis Floriot, a French District Attorney. In the prologue she returns to beg pardon for having lived with another man until his death. Floriot orders her out of the house. Twenty years elapse. She returns from South America, a drug-afflicted wreck of humanity, in company with a Parisian bandit named Laroque. In an ether dream, she has told her paramour about the 120,000 franc dowry she had when she married Floriot, which dowry had never been returned to her after she broke with her husband. This money Laroque, and two comic scamps, rosolve to get from Floriot. Laroquo tells the woman this, and she, furious that her slianio should become known to her son, shoots Laroque dead, after a heated ._ altercation. She is arrested and tried for murder. To her own son Raymond-Floriot is assigned the task of defending her—the woman - fP 0W « as. "Madame X," and as it is Ins first case his father, now a Judge is allowed to occupy a seat : on the Bench, though not concerned otherthe trial. In this scene Raymond makes a long and impassioned • appeal on behalf of'his client, blamingthe attitude of the man who had first caused her downfall, an appeal more emotional than sensible or logical, and m tho end a hypnotised jury find thewoman "not guilty" of tho'crime she admits having performed. At the conclusion of the trial there is a tcarhil and rather long drawn-out reconciliatory scene between mother and son but when tho husband enters, truly penitent for his conduct, Madame Xis found to bo dead. The final scene is not written skilfully enough to convince, the trial itself "being an anti-climax, robbing the last passage of any dramatio significance. The company is one of fair average quality, with here and there a gleam of something a little- better. The play largely depends on the capacity of tho leading woman, and for Miss Margaret Lindon Madame X was too ambitious a role. It i s a part that demands magnetism, grip, delicacy of touoii, and charm to win that sympathy so essential to success. Miss London possesses these qualities only in a minor degree, and consequently only interested to that extent. Sho has the consolation of knowing that tho part has been a trying one for the best actresses to carry conviction in, owmg chiefly to the queer inversion of the moral law involved. ! Mr. Ronald Riley was intense, reserved, and polished as Louis Floriot, a. capital performance by an experienced actor. The youth and buoyancy or Raymond were very nicely conveyed by Mr. Geo. Hewlett, who delivered the long, trying speech at the ■trial very effectively. Mr. Colvillo Dunn showed snap and verve as M. Wool, and Mr. H. flare was reasonable as a tall jputhful medico. .As Laroque,, Mr. Gerald Harcourt was too staccato, and monosyllabic in his speech to cut any deep impression. He has allowed a strong character part to slip through his fingers. Mr Jred Coape burlesqued the part of Perissard. Such a patent fraud could never deceive a Judgo of tho Court in a million years. Miss Madge bin-tees, as Mane, made a bright 'littlo chambermaid of tho soubrettc order • Miss Mildred Carlton was artificially charming as. Heleno (Raymond's nancce), and Miss Beatrice Osmond is ~a ? M to bottor P arfcs than that allotted to her. The- plav is splendidly mounted. Tho garden set in the last act is a very beautiful stage picture, and no detail was missing from the Court, scene (except the Judge's omission to swear the two comic witnesses). Mr. Gilchrist is in charge of tho orchestra. It was a rare treat to bear his delicato treatment of Dvorak's "Humoresquo." "Madame X" will continue until further notioe.