"THE TRAVELLING SALESMAN"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 9

"THE TRAVELLING SALESMAN"

A RACY COMEDY-DRAMA "Tho Travelling Salesman," a comedydrama," by James Forbes. Cast:— Mrs. : Babbitt...Miss Marion Mareus-Clarko Mrs.'William Henry Dawson Mrs. Charles Holloway Bill Crabb. Harold Moran 'William Hoiiry Dawson :.. Clivo'Farnham, Pierce Gill'.. Raymond Lawrence' Beth Elliott Beatrice Holloway Franklyn Royce „.. Guy Hastings Martin Drury'.. '. Herbert Leigh Bob Blako Robert Greig Ted -Watte' Kenneth Brampton Julius J. B. Atholwood John 'Kimball Edwin Lester Bon. Cobb :.................. T. W. Lloyd "Tho Travelling. Sidesman," produced by Mr. Robert Greig and breezily performed last evening by. tho'Williamson Comedy' Company, of which ho is the head and front, sets the seal.'_ of. an affirmed success oil tho' organisation concerned. .The cxcellont performances tho company gave in "Tho Seven Keys to Baldpate" and "A Pair of Sixes," were, if anything, enhanced by the racy performance of tho' 'comedy-drama staged last evening. "The Travelling Salesman" is a Simon pure' American play, for tho most part live quick-moving comedy, sparkling with American quips and similes, which make: ono perk up to catchv at the meaning they shoot out. solidified by a touch of dranie, and sweetened by those obvious dashes of sentiment' so: dear to,the Yankee heart. It calls for prestissimo tempo, bright characterisation, and naturalness,, which qualities were all present last evening. "The Travelling Salesman" is Bob Blake, who alights by accident at a wayside station on Christmas Day to be. smitten to the':core:of.his big heart'by the charms of .the littlo gii'l who is .selling the tickets anil looking- after the "ticker" _at the railway statipn. , They become friends in the speedy manner peculiar to such plays, and in the' course of- their Christmas -dinner she tells him that her only possession 'on earth—a:-rough bit of stony ground near-a -neighbouring junction—is to be sold next day owing to her inability to' pay"the "taxes., .. That' evening . a quintet of jolly commercial travellers assemble in Bob's sample room, and celebrate'Christmas'with 'tea and a poker 'game. A., sixth- is. a local man, Rovce, who. having ..drunk freely, lew out tho news'.that he is'.going to make a pile by. buying up Beth Elliott's,land, on behalf of one Drury, who knows that the railway coinnany must have it. • Bob proceeds to make Roye very drunk,, and succeeding, whips out to the sale early in the morning and secures the land by paying the 'taxes. By the time he gets back Royce- • has recovered, ; and he and'Drury have Bucceeded in'persuading Beth that, Blake is an. unscrupulous fellow, who had only made love to her to rob her. The scene following* Bob's return 'is a capital one. ■Ho begs the girl to see.the position his way, but firmly.convinced that he is a trickster, she, in a ringing speech, shows .that "hell,hath no fury like a woman scorned,", and her exit on a sob-laden, hysterical laugh was the cue for a storm of applause. The final, act sees, the silver lining. Bob finds a medium to convey, his' intentions, to. the girl he is crazy about in. time to defeat the crooked ends of Messrs. Drury and Royco, and the curtain finds them cosily in one another's arms. -.' ■ S-, ■'.'■'

: Mr. Robert Greig may docket the role of Bob Blake as one of his very'best performances. Aided by his natural geniality and . abounding vitality, ,h© jumped, right into the skin of the sen- ■ timental, bagman and the, affections of the audience-at once, and never relaxed a jot in the interest his breezy acting, jolly, laughter; and original love-making created. Miss Beatrice Holloway had much, better chances as Beth Elliott than in either of the other two. comedies, and made the little railway clerk a fresh and charming young lady throughout.' Her spirited elocution-and gritty manner in the serious scene, ; where she misdoubts her heart and takes up' Bob "all wrong,". showed her; possessed'of a good stock of dramatic fire and the address'to direct it 'iii the most effective manner. Another capital bit of broad character work was the Mrs. Babbitt of Miss^Marion' Marcus Clarke, who drew : a consistently comical portrait 'of a shabby-genteel .widow, with' a. big heart behind, a buckram exterior. Mr. ..Guy Hastings did : clean-cut good work as Royce, and Mr. Herbert Leigh suggested cleverly the shrewd schemer Drury. Messrs. K. Brampton, 'T. W. Lloyd, and Edwin Lester presented an ingratiating trio of drummers, and' the poker game they-play is-a great ten minutes' entertainment. Mr. J. B. Atholwood as Julius, the coloured "staff"- of the hotel, was a convincing son of Ham. The comedy ran along on well-oiled wheels, and as' a first performance by a' new company, reflected the spirit and enthusiasm, which must have marked its preparation. Two more performances of "The Travelling Salesman" are to be' given. •.■■ :■;■"' .:•"■'