THEATER ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2200, 15 March 1881, Page 3

THEATER ROYAL.

"DEAD OS ALIVE." The outline of this play, whieh is Tom Taylor's edition of a French story, is much as follows .—Colonel de Mourienne, an officer in the Grand Army, is wounded in the head at Auaterlitz, and thrown into a common fosse for tho dead. He revives and manages to crawl out. He is cured in a hospital, but no one will believe that he is the genuine de Mourienne, and for eighteen years he is held as a madman and shut up time after time in madhouses. Duricg that period his wife has been married by the Duke do L»v*l, an^ unpleasant character, who succeeds in breaking her heart, and his daughter grows up into womanhood and suOJtela to de Mounei m a property. The proofs of the latter's sanity come into de Laval's hands, but, wishing to retain his hold on tho daughter, he destroys them and shuls de Mourienne up once more in Oharenton Asylum. But proofs accumulate, and the coup de grace is given by duplioate proofs turning up in an old knapßack, loft to his son by a soldier under the formor oommand of de Mourienne. All ends happily, except as regards de Laval, who retires with the obj :ct of committing suicide. Tho play is necessarily divided into two parts, an interval of eighteen years elapsing between the first and second acta. Herr Bandmann's acting, both as the gay young Frenoh oolonel, eager for glory, and the broken-down man with every man's hand against him, was excellent. Tho scenes between the so-called madman and the dootor, and between the father and the daughter, wero extremely telling, and powerfully rendered. Mr Oatbcarb's de Laval was too heavy. Mr Hall's Dr. Feldtheitn was a careful delineation. Mr Reynolds, first as the bluff soldier, and then as bis son, the lover of Marenga, was capital—very funny indeed—without being at all overdrawn. Miss Beaudet, as the loving wife, and then as the daughter, fully acted up to tho reputation Bhe has gained for herself here, and we feol wo need say no more. Miss Hathawiy was very pleasing as Marenga, the vivandiere with a strong capacity for flirting with lawyers' olerks. Taken altogether, the piece went off most satisfactorily, though it cannot be said to be oloverly constructed, the machinery whereby the father is recognised and restored to his rights being dreadfully olumsy. Tonight the"8ohool for Scandal " will be given, wish Herr Bandmann ao Charles Surface,