THEATRE ROYAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3241, 19 November 1881, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

EABT LTNNE. The sensational drama of East Lvnne appears to have the power of drawing many from retirement who seldom or ever go to a theatre uDon other occasions. We suppose that so long as the emotional part of our nature has such influence on our daily life, so long will such pieces as East Lynne find crowds of admirers, and the sufferings of Lady Isabel find sympathisers. Last night the Theatre Royal wa3 crowded to excess with au audience prepared to revel in all the shame and suffering depicted in one

of the most emotional dramas of modern times. If the large crowd had assembled to witness tbe marvellous acting of Miss Pomeroy and Mr Fleming, even in a piece which failed to bring out all their powers, we could have understood tbe matter, but for six nights we had put upon the Napier stage some of the grandest creations of the human mind in modern times, and they have been produced with a power, and with an attention to dressing and stage effects, which have never been equalled on the Napier stage, yet they were played to comparatively small houses. We may add that by far the greater portion of last night's audience belonged to the female portion of the community. The Lady Isabel of Miss Pomeroy was undoubtedly one of the finest we have seen on the stage. In the earlier portions of the drama all the changeful moods of a loving, capricious, and jealous woman were depicted with a realism that was most charming. The scene between Lady Isabel and her husband, vthere the " green-eyed monster" first begins to take possession of the wife's breast, was a wonderfully quiet subtle piece of acting. Afterwards, when the abandoned mistress of Sir Francis Levison, she gives expression to all the anguish of her misery and sense of loss, there was a power of expressing strong emotion that took the audience by storm. The last act appeared to have the full desired effect, but the situations can not be congenial to an artiste of such startling merit as Miss Pomeroy. Mr Fleming as Archibald Carlyle acted throughout with a quiet power which was effective. He personated the suffering and deserted husband, bearing all the foibles of his ancient sister with all the kindly dignity and forbearance of a true gentleman, with wonderful consistency. Miss Jessie Grey made a moet charming and effective Barbara Hare. Dressed to perfection she was a study of quite self-possession and intelligent appreciation of the character. Miss Kate Arden depicted all the eccentricities of the formidable Cornelia with a force and humour which drew many a laugh from the audience. Mr Holloway as the villian "of the piece was all that could be deeired, acting with care, and giving due effect to the marvellous amount of villainy he represented. Mr Wallace made made a good representative of Lord Severn. All the smaller parts were well filled. To-night Macbeth will be presented, and with such a Lady Macbeth as Miss Pomeroy should draw a large house. (