“ELIZA COMES TO STAY”

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 50, 23 November 1926, Page 6

“ELIZA COMES TO STAY”

MR. JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM’S ENGLISH COMEDY COY. “Eliza Comes to Stay.” a farcical comedy in three acts by 11. V. Esmond. Herbert Aloncrieff McCallum A Porter Jack Pnmipo 'rue turn. Sandy Verrail vampbell Copelin Mrs. P.Hanay Beryl liarracmugli Alexander niuop" Venal ... Korman carter nady penny b.uae ... Henrietta L-aveudish Miss Vera Lawrence oyvia Cnltou Montague jonjau Frank Bradley Uurotay Zillah Bateman

"Eliza Couies to Stay,” a rather impossiuie tareteuj couieuy that siuaeKs ot jesieryear, uas the Change ot uul preseuteu oy the Joseph cuuuiugliaiu louiedy Luuipany at tue Grand Upeiu House mot c'emiig. Tins comedy v.as written by the law Henry V. Esmond, who scored ere«ilui>ic successes witn such plays as "Uno summers way,’ "\\iien (i e Were Twemy-one,” ami Billy s Little i.oie Allan,” at the beginning oi tho century. ”Lhza Comes to stay” provides u lather eondoriul pail tor a clever comeuy actress, loi when tliu nun. .Sandy terran is “willed” Eliza by a man w-iio once saved his life, lie inherits something iu the raw iti tlie way uf girls. Lurrespondence leads him to believe that Eliza is but a blue-eyed L'olden-baiied child-one of the bright lexicon uf c-iierubuus that only live in fairy tales—and it is Ills delight to prepare fur her coming by peopling Ins Hat with all mannei ol nursery idols. But Eliza proves to be. au awkward gawky young woman who lavours Prunella bpots. bhick-rinimed spectacles, and has ber hair screwed back into a tight little bun nt the hack. She is, in short, an apparition Verrall. who is engaged to a mercenary actress, is at a loss how Io deal with the situation, and takes the advice of his friend Montague Jordan, and leaves for the Continent. Thru for no particular reason, Miss Vera Lawrence, an' aspirant to honours in serious drama., takes the girl in hand from the purely womanly standpoint, whilst Mr Jordan teaches her music. Together < hey effect such a metamorphosis that “Montv” falls desperately in love with her. and with the aid of Eadv Penny, broke is reluctantly accepted, whilst the Indy franklv avows her preference for the absent Verrall. \ crisis arrives when “Montv" proposes to lake liis hrideelcef to luncheon at the Cn’lton, and tlm later, in disgust nt tho w' kings of fate, throws hack to her ori-'itial state and had <’r:immnr. much to the horror of poor “Montv." who is moreilcsslv nl'affcd bv Verrall. who has unexneci, odlv arrived back from (ho Continent. 'Such is Montv’s chagrin flint’ ho dis. -nl'-pc fHo en o, n"oincnt and loaves the flat in a state of neititod indie nation Eliza f.vvnro flmf Miss Taw roneo bis married VcrreH’s wealthy "m-10l then reverts L> a ravishing toilet. and vorv quieklv brings down tier quarry In view of the fact that it was the f’-rst norforiiianco of tho co.nodv bv (he eomnanv one has n f, ' , o°"'’"i , v tn temnor '■•stice with merer, bnf there was more than oil" s-roiin ih-'* ro'""''o.- .|«sid"o>'srolioarsiil if |.\..nnn'l’s li"inrr.r tn lie :>deo"->t<-’'- r-nnv<-'-o-t. Mi«s ’Till.>l. tlnlrnmn -bowed "" nl-nnn-’ : ’V- coinodv sensr, nc (fir. w->ir T’li-z-.. -.n.l was vivariniis -nd r-l.ni niin" "1,-n ' .-,„ (i for , ’..><t ■ into )I>r nw.ro «tvlis|, '|'|. r sonn<lnst norl’ornm n-o nmo" 1 - the n'or was (lie Mnuto""" .Tor-tan Mr l-’i-nn 1 T’radh'r. ,r ho made a onnrinrin.< hnnv" linin'- of that dear, timid hos’lant. o’d Bachelor. '*r Cnn">bo’t Conolin n« the iron Cnndr Vorra 11 d' ' ’’o* .always “roui-’ler” the humnn.r o<* his lines, nrd Ifio silnnfions. as he did m-t tn speak his lin"s ns Irinnin-t,- ns fl.ensp deinnndod Miss C.-t.-i., (’t.l’ton wn not n corn interestin'- ' T m-n ’ a wren ’.'.f rnm net onnr. was 'lisnln.-n.l Iw Xt,.r Vanrintfn Cavond’sli n c T ndy 'Pon"--l'.-nl;o and Mr x'ni-nmn Carter c:. 1 invandor Varr-lt. "t?i;.,a f'nmoc 1,ctav” ”-ill bo nlaved nn<'l t l '" o"'1 ■ Tvnf'V,