THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1660, 16 June 1879, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

There was an excellent attendance at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening, on which occasion a play entitled “The Struggle for Freedom ” was produced for the benefit of Mr George Darrell, and like the two other pieces performed during the short season, was one of bis own dramatic creations. Tho plot, which is an interesting one, is laid during the early struggles of the Young Pretender to wrest the Crown of England from the House of Hanover. The main incident on which the story turns is the struggle between love and patriotism on the part of a young North Country baronet, Sir Roland Eversloigh, personated by Mr Darrell. United to the daughter of a staunch and bigoted old Jacobite, who has brought her up a firm adherent of the House of Stuart, tho position of Sir Roland is sufficiently embarrassing. To make matters worse, ho is suspected by the agent of tho Government, Colonel Riley (Mr Clinton), in consequence of the loss of some important State papers, which have been abstracted by Lord Marsden, Lady Eversleigh’s father, whom she has temporarily sheltered in her husband’s library. Unable to clear himself without betraying his wife’s father, he is arrested as a traitor, but manages through the connivance of Dr. Blair (Mr Sterling Whyte) to escape by jumping from the port-hole of the man-o’-war whore ho is confined for greater safety. He again turns up as a private soldier in the Government military camp, where his safety is again jeopardised through tho inopportune appearance of Lord Marsden, whose advent on the scene is always the precursor of trouble. This time he escapes through the ingenuity and devotion of Lady Eversleigh, who to lull the suspicions of Colonel Riley promises to become his wife, that military libertine being desirous of wedding her under the impression that Sir Roland perished when he leaped into the sea. The last act brings a fresh complication of perils for Sir Roland, but this time he is indebted for his escape from them to his father-in-law, who thus tardily makes amends for the trouble he has caused, and all ends happily. Mr and Mrs Darrell, as the hero and neroine, played remarkably well, as did also Mr Whyte as the Scotch doctor, and Mr H. H. Vincent as Lord Marsden. Mr Clinton was a tolerable Colonel Riley, and Messrs Sweeney, Power, and Elliott contributed in their respective roles to the success of the drama. At the conclusion of* the piece, Mr Barry O’Neil sang his songs, and this was followed by a series of tableaux illustrated by music. These represented the three nations —Ireland, Scotland, and England, Miss Navaro sang the illustrative music, consisting of “ Come Back to Erin,” “Auld Lang Syne,” and “Rule Britannia,” very nicely indeed, so much so as to cause an enthusiastic recall for “ Auld Lang Syne,” which was responded to. Mr George Darrell, in an interval of the songs, recited “The Charge of the Light Brigade ” in character. He threw into it the requisite amount of fire, which, coupled with his spirited action, brought down the house. The company left for Dunedin yesterday morning, but will return and open the Gaiety Theatre in about three weeks.