THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1634, 16 May 1879, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

A once popular play by Tom Taylor, ontitled “Retribution,” was produced at the Theatre Royal last night under the new name of “ Lex Talionis, or the Husband’s Revenge.” In construction, tone, and sentiment the play smacks strongly of French origin, and has very little to commend it to the taste of an English audience The plot briefly described is us follows : RodolpbedoMornac,after an absence of two years from his home, returns to find his young wife dying; the victim to the perfidy of one Oscar do Beaupre, who had been introduced to her by Yictor de Mornac, the brother of Rodolpbe. The shock of herring of the marriage of her seducer ha Jens her end, and she expires in her husband’s arms, with the Christian name of her betrayer on her lips,leaving her distracted husband ignorant of who ho really is. Subsequently he identifies, by moans of a portrait, the man he is in search of with Oscar de Beaupre, furnished with this knowledge, Rodolpbe, under the assumed name ofCount Friuli, proceeds deliberately to plot the ruin of Do Bonupre’s wife by alienating her affection from her husband, and so obtaining his revenge by the “law of retaliation.” This is, presumably, the reason for the alteration of the title of the drama. Friuli succeeds but too well in his fiendish design, but in carrying it out, ho is unwittingly the cause of

his young brother Victor’s death, who is fatally wounded in a duel with Oscar doßeaupre, for whoso wife he has entertained a boyish, tut fatal infatuation. Here again the Gallic clement pervades the piece. When the supreme moment arrives, and the “ lex talionis” is vindicated, Rodolpho informs Oscar do Boaupro of the motives that prompted him to liis revenge, and a duel a la mart ensues, which results in the death of the latter. Before he expires, however, Rodolphe assures him of his wife’s “ innocence,” though “de facto,” she is guilty in intention if not in deed, and Rodolphe’s revenge is dearly bought by the ruin of the woman he has brought himself to love, and the untimely death of his young brother. The play is not an inspiriting one—rather the reverse—and the moral to bo deduced from it is scarcely in accordance with the canons of the “ moral and religious drama,” which was supposed to bo one of the strong points of the new management. Mr Theo. Hamilton was exceedingly effective as the Count Prieli, otherRodolph do Mornac, and imparted a weird gloomy gruesome species of fascination to the play. Mr Ogden was by no moans in his element as the gay, shallow-hearted Parisian Jlaneur, Of course no actor can be equally excellent in every role ho undertakes,” and Mr Ogden’s “ Sandy Morton ” of the previous evening was quite good enough to redeem his shortcomings of Oscar do Bcaupre. Miss Beatrice scarcely seemed to realise the character of the erring wife. She was wanting in the intensity of passion and depth of feeling necessary for the adequate realisation of the character, and she consequently failed to inspire any sympathy from the audience. The duel with swords, in the last act, between Prinli and Oscar do Beaupro was very well managed by Messrs Hamilton and Ogden, and brought the curtain down on a striking tableau. The play will be repeated this evening.