THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1386, 25 July 1878, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

Presumably the splendid comedy of " The Serious Family " was placed on the boards of the Theatre Royal last night for the purpose of displaying Mr Hoskins and Mies Florence Colville's special ability in pouriraying the characters of Mrs Ormsby Del mum and Mr Aminadab Sleek. As far as they were individually concerned the experiment was successful, especially in the case of Miss Colville, for, although Mr Hoskirs succeeded in amusing the audience by bis somewhat extravagant rendering of the peculiarities of the canting hypocrite Sleek, still it is far from being a part in which he especially shines. In the hands of an actor of ordinary merit the grotesque situations, and twang of the conventicle which belong to the part are sufficient to make it, in theatrical parlance, " go," and it is therefore scarcely to bo -wondered at that Mr Hoskins should include it in his repertoire. Miss Florence Colville was thoroughly at home as the gay, warm-hearted dashing widow, and her vivacity and spirit went for to redeem what otherwise would have been one of the most unsatisfactory representations of the season. Further praise it is impossible to beßtow; the entire oast was a mistake, each actor and actress, with the exception of Miss Tilly Andrews as Mrs Torrens, being thoroughly out of their element. Mr Graham energetically, too much so indeed, endeavoured to make up by a superabundance of action and gesticulation for his total absence of an Irish brogue, and failed to give even a faint reflex of tbe Murphy Maguire that James Wallack, G. V. Brooke and James Hudson rendered so famous. Mr Jerrames •was equally overweighted in the character of Charles Torrens, appearing to think that the essence of comedy consists in " washing his hands with invisible soap." Perhaps this gentleman had no option but to accept the part, and, if so, to a certain extent, criticism is disarmed. The same remarks apply equally to Miss Marie Wilton, who endeavored, i.s far as lay in her power, to realise for the audience a character of which she had no conception, and, as a matter of course, the result waß failure. The piece is unsuited to the company. Each character demands special qualifications, and if these are not possessed bv the artistes to whom they are allotted, the blame rests rather with the management than with the company. With tbe principals so over-weighted, it is no wonder if the remainder of the characters proved so uninteresting as to fail to redeem the general dreariness of the performance. " The Serious Family " never was more seriously performed, and it speaks volumes for the intrinsic merit of this famous comedy that it went as well aa it did, considering the weakness of the cast. The performance terminated with the burlesque of " 111-Treated Trovatore." To-night, " The Jeolous Wife " will be produced.