THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1638, 21 May 1879, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

OLIVER TWIST. Au adoptation of Chas. Dickens’ celebrated novel, Oliver Twist, under the name of “ Nancy Sykes,” was the piece j de resisiiincc at the Theatre Royal last night. There are many reasons why the subject is an ohjectional one in a dramatic form, and they are too patent to need pointing out, hut tlje • pcrvei tcd ingenuity of the adapter has contract! to vend r.jha particular version under notice more than usually objectionable. From first to last the subject is a painful one, and there is Very little amusement and still less advantage to be gained by following the career of the pariah boy who is the hero of tho story. Tho example set by the scenes in which Oliver is initiated into the art and mystery of thieving, is pernicious in the extreme, and the culminating scene, when Nancy Sykes has her brains beaten out by her brutal paramour, is simply disgusting in its sickening details, not one of which was omitted. They were, on the contrary, unnecessarily elaborated, even to driving a needle into the arm of Nancy, a refined piece of petty cruelty that even the original Bill Sykes would scarcely have been guilty of, and is certainly not to be credited to the gifted novelist. The piece was very wel played by the company, the best rendered characters being tho Bumble of Mr J. G. Joyce and the Bill Sykes of Mr Theo. Hamilton. Miss Beatrice gave a life-like representation of the unfortunate Nancy, and Miss Nelly Greenlees was natural and unaffected as the persecuted boy. Mrs Fitzwilliam made a capital Mrs Corney, and Mr Harry Daniels was quite in his element as the Artful Dodger. The remainder of the characters were creditably sustained. Tho same piece will be repeated this evening.