“UNDER THE BAN,” AT THE QUEEN’S THEATRE.

Evening Star, Issue 3894, 17 August 1875, Page 2

“UNDER THE BAN,” AT THE QUEEN’S THEATRE.

The management at this theatre might reasonably have anticipated a larger attendance last evening when “ Under the Ban,” a wellwritten drama in five acts, by Mr Darrell, was presented. The scene is laid in England, and the plot is well-conceived, there being a total absence of that maudlin sentiment which is too often to be found in dramas of the present day, while th® dialogue is sufficiently humorous and the^ story so well-connected throughout as to enlist the thorough interest of the audience. Perhaps the greatest fault that can be touna with the drama is that the clhnax is reached at the close of the second act, thus destroying the effect of the later scenes. The first scene was well-painted by Mr Willis, and there was an effective tableau at the close of the play. “Under the Ban” is undoubtedly a more meritorious dramatic production than Mr Darrell’s first play, and the plot may be thus t dd:— The heroine (Mrs Darrell), when we first became acquainted with her, is a guest under the assumed name of Ruth Forest, of Sir James Vansittart (Mr Musgrave), of. Chipoombe. Sir James’s family consists of two children, the daughter, Mabel (Miss Willis), being engaged to a barrister named Devore, while the son, Charles (Mr Saville), is passionately in love with the guest. Devore (Mr Darrell) visits Sir James, and at a party is presented to Ruth, whom he immediately recognises as Ann Fielding, a woman whom he had prosecuted at the York assizes for the murder of her husband, but was acquitted by a slight anomaly of the law. Conditionally on Ruth’s leaving Chipcombe Devore promises not to betray her, but this she declines to do, and defies her persecutor to do his worst. Devore then denounces her, but her firmness secures her the thorough confidence of the two younger Vansittarts. In the second act we find Devore and the Vansittarts at Ruth’s house, and the former continuing to hunt down the supposed murderess, and accusing her of destroying her husband’s will iu order to prevent ms property passing into the hands of a nephew. A detective is then called in, and on his arresting her, Ann Blake (Miss Vivian) asserts her mistress’s innocence end confesses to

1 her own guilt, stating that she poisoned Fielding on account of his cruelty to his wife, and made away with the will so that her mistress should not be left penniless. Blake is then arrested, and thus ends the second act. Devore afterwards reproaches himself for his cruelty to his persecuted Ruth, and his former bitter hatred having turned to the deepest love, at a private interview he offers her his hand in marriage. In this ho is overheard by Charles, whoso jealousy he has consequently aroused, and who taunts him with tampering with his sister’s affection. A quarrel ensues and Charles shoots his rival, but not fatally. In Devore’s lingering illness he is constantly attended by Ruth, and, on his recovery, ha again offers to forego everything if she will but marry him. While admitting that she is really in love with him, Ruth points out that she could never be happy with the man who had so unceasingly hunted her down; and on her deathbed informs him that although she did not poison her husband she was accountable'for his death, inasmuch as she- strongly suspected he was being slowly poisoned ; but as she was about to tell him of this, he struck her to the ground, before she had another opportunity dpspeaking to him, he was poisoned. The drama ends by Mabel ami Devore being re united and the death of Ruth. The various characters were suitably filhd. Of course no one could have a better conception of the author’s meaning than Mr Darrell himself; while the bare mention that Mrs Darrell ap-’ peared in her original character should ho a sufficient guarantee that nothing was wanting in her part. Her acting throughout wus exceedingly passionate, and in the scenes calling for the deepest emotion she was truly

effective. Miss Willis and Mr Seville played fairly in their respective characters, and what, little Mr Musgrave and Miss Vivian had to do was well done. The comic element was capi tally supplied by Mias Leake {a servant of the upper class, with a penchant for using language compatible with her situation); by Mi Hooper (the pompous butler, who aspired to the hand of the servant before mentioned); and by Mr Stoneham (an oul-door clerk to an eminent lawyer’s firm and the rival of the butler). Mr Darrell is to be congratulated on the success of his play, which should have a lengthened .run. It will be repeated this evening.