THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2195, 9 March 1881, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

“NAROISSE.” Herr Baudmann bad last night an excellent opportunity of showing the versatility of Ms powers. His Narcisse is one of the moat successful of bis efforts. The plot of the play hinges on the life of the notorious Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XT. Her first husband had been Narcisse Bameau, from whom she had run away ; next she had married an official at Court, who bad died ; and when the play opens, she is on the point of marrying Louis himself, it being proposed to divorce the Queen. Narcisse is a poor and aimless, but honest man. He has never got over the loss of the object of his first love, ha knows that she still lives, bat does not know that she is the Pompadour. The latter ia in very delicate health, and certain courtiers who are plotting against her, having noticed that she has fainted at the sight of Narcisse, and fancying that is because of some likeness between the ragged flaneur and her last husband, determine to get up a play at the festivities hold on the occasion oE Madame’s marriage with the King. Narcisse is to take the part of an injured husband. The play comes off, Narcisse recognises hie lost wife in Madame, rushes off the stage, and after a telling scene, in which he upbraides her and then forgives her, she dies in his arms. This is the barest sketch of the plot. The lights and shadows are filled in by Mademoiscl'e Doris Quainault, a charming comedienne, a part taken last night with wonderful fidelity and grace by Miss Beaudot; by the Duke de Ohoiseul, taken by Mr Oathcart; by the Count du Barri, taken by Mr Hall, and by other courtiers. Herr Bandmann, as the witty and cynical Narcisse, honest but in rags, brought out the points with a fire that frequently brought down the house. Miss Beaudet was quite at her best as the actress. Her hopeless love for Narcisso, her endeavor to stir him out of the stupor his misfortune had thrown him into, were powerfully rendered. Miss Hathaway was quite overweighted by tho part of tho Marquise do Pompadour. To night “ Romeo and Juliet" will be given, with Mr Reynolds as Romeo, and Miss Beaudet as Juliet.