THE ALLEN DOONE SEASON

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 312, 21 September 1918, Page 9

THE ALLEN DOONE SEASON

"MOLLY BAWN." "Holly IJawn," a melodramatic comedy, in four acts. Oast:— Eitholbert von Eithcll ... Onslow Edgcworth Ted Luttroll Allen Doone Plantagcnct Potts Jack 0. Docney Lord Amlier6t Frank Cullcmino Marcia Amherst Ethel Bashford Phillip Shndwell Geo. Hewlett Dimotri Tom Buckley Eleanor Masscrcene Edna, Kceley Sarah Ethel Grist. Cecil Darley Connie KytrMaude Darley Aline Dunn Loiiiso Marsden Oladya Bancroft Prissy Lawrence Eileen O'fleilly "Molly Bawn," the play revived by Mr. Allen Doone at the Grand Opera House last evening, may best bo described as a melodrama in a'comedy setting. Tho plot is distinctly ingenious, but thero arc exuberant touches in tho writing of the play which tend at times to weaken its dramatic intention to all savo perhaps tho unsophisticated. Tho play concerns tho family affairs of Lord Amherst, a cantakerous old gentleman, who has a disconcerting trick of blurting out the truth with confusing effect. Ho has had a son and two daughters, and bad luck ■with them all. Ono daughter, Eleanor, ran away with an impoverished Irishman, Massereene by namo; another married a spendthrift named Shndwell, and the son contracted a mesallianco with an Italian actress. It is the children of these peoplo who provl'do the melodramatio tangle. Young Phillip Shad well, like his father a gambler, and his cousin (daughter' of the Italian actress) are comfortably placed at Horst Koyal, and on tho high road lo matrimony and their grandpapa's goldbugs, when Amherst takes it into his freakish- head to invito Hie daughter of tho Massereouo's to stay at. Hcrst Royal With her prety ways and independent manner Eleanor (Molly Dawn) strikes ft new note. .Phillip rather likes the girl, and begins 'to cool off with Marcia, but it is young Tod Luttrell who makes the running, and helps gencr/illy to a clearer undorutandim: of tfi". intrinsic merit of all concerned. Lord Amherst flnds out th:> designing and hypocritical characters of both Marcia and Phillip, and cuts them out of his will in favour of Meaner, but Maroia, not knowing this, givo3 the old man an overdooo uteoplng draught, a murderous act which is observed by Shadwell, and it is at the fancy dress ball given on the night of the crime that Luttrell hears Shadwell telling Marcia that he knows her guilty secret, and it is, bo' who forces an open confession from

the. wretched woman at tlio reading; of the -will, and so clears tho way Xor Eleanor, -who becomes laistrcsH ot He>>V Jloyal and the prospective Jlrs. Ijuttrcll. It is in the ballroom scene tlint, Mr. Uoone (Ijuttrcll) appears in the gaudily-accoutred person of Robert Emmet, the Irish patriot, and posing .in a rostrum in tho limelight the actor rocitcß the famous speech made from the dock subsequent to his being sentcncM to death. ■ The next moment, he ■was gaily singing "A Toast to Erin" to the immense delight of the audienre. Whether he was Binglng of Molly's eyes of Irish blue, or making violent love to her before a lot of people (who seemed to tnlte such liconse ns n matter of course), Mr. Koone ivaß always engaging. Miss Ethel Bashford acts convincingly as Marcia, and Miss Edna Keeley is winsome enough as Eleanor. Mr. Frank Gullinane n'ade Lord Amherst a prettv rough, coarse, old man, and Mr. Geo. Hewlett gave a Vsll-balanced yorformance as Phillip Shadwell. "Holly Dawn" Trill be played again ibis evening, -when the season will end.