THE PRINCESS THEATRE.

Evening Star, Issue 3876, 27 July 1875, Page 2

THE PRINCESS THEATRE.

At the Princess’s last night a novelty was produced in the shape of an original drama from the pen of Mr George Darrell. It is named “ The Struggle for Freedom,” and is of a historical nature, the action taking place daring the eventful times of the uprising of a great part of Scotland in favor of the Young Pretender. Sir Ronald Eversleigh, the hero, is loyal to King George of England, but his wife Blanche is daughter of a staunch Jacobite, Lord Marsden. In the opening scene orders have just come for Eonald to join his regiment and march north against the Scottish invaders; but while preparing for his departure, Marsdon, in disguise, enters the house and has an interview with his daughter, endeavoring to persuade her to influence Ronald in the rebels’ cause. Blanche, compelled to choose between father and husband, decides in favor of the litter, and he just then entering the room, she hides Marsden in the library adjoining. Here Ronald had left his despatches, containing instructions to follow in marching against the enemy, and on going for them, he finds the window open and the important papers gone. Blanche is compelled to tell him who stole them, and he writes to his superiors, confessing and explaining his loss; but on being arrested declines, for his wife’s sake, to name the thief. _ His arrest is taken in hand by Colonel Riley, a rejected suitor for Blanche’s hand, who sees his opportunity for revenge. In the second act we find Ronald imprisoned on board a man-of-war, from which, by the aid of an attached friend—Dr Blair—he after an exciting scene manages to escape. The next raising of the curtain discloses the Royalist camp and Ronald—who was supposed to have been shot dead in his flight from the vessel—in the garb of a corporal and under an assumed name, he having to lie perdu till his innocence might be discovered, Here the action of the play gets a little mixed, Ronald and Marsden both appearing in the same camp and getting into trouble alternately, but in the meantime Colonel Riley is prosecuting his suit vigorously with the—as he imagines —widowed Blanche. In the final act Ronald discloses himself to his rival and is again arrested, but just at the right moment Marsden appears and admits that be stole the despatches at the instigation of Colonel Riley, and also that the latter has all along been a traitor to the English cause and in the pay of the rebels. Sir Ronald Eversleigh is then pardoned and released, and to the treacherous Colonel is awarded a fitting doom—all ending happily for the rest of the dramatis personce, Of Mr Darrell’s production we can speak highly—there is no lack of life and incident, there are very effective situations, and the language is generally suitable and not too highflown, The scenery and mountings were good, and every member of the company engaged last eveuiug appeared to do his best to make the piece pass off well Of the characters themselves we may say that Mrs Darrell in Blanche had a pleasing part and played it admirably; Mr Darrell as Sir Ronald Eversleigh acted naturally and unaffectedly; while Mr Musgrave gave as good a representation of the genial Dr Blair as could be expected, considering that he had to struggle with the unaccustomed Scotch dialect in which the worthy doctor clothes his language. Mr Clinton was, of course, cast for the traitorous Colonel Riley, and acted the character creditably; and Mr Hooper and Miss Follande deserve praise for the spirit which they threw into the parts of Sergeant Sweeney and Biddy Mahoney respectively. At the conclusion Mr and Mrs Darrell were loudly called for, and on appearing before the curtain the former explained that any slight hitches that might have been noticeable were unavoidable on the first night of a new piece of such a nature as “ The Struggle for Freedom,” To-night the same piece will be repeated.