St. John and Hayman Company.

Hastings Standard, Issue 444, 6 October 1897, Page 3

St. John and Hayman Company.

" HARBOR LIGHTS."

The curtain rose lass night on the famous nautical drama " Harbor Lights" to overflowing business. This piece created quite a furore at the good old Adelphi when it was produced there in 1885, and with good reason too, because it abounds in properly blended light and shade and with healthy and interesting incident. Last night the audience was as responsive and as sm pathetic as could be desired by any company, and throughout the show the applause was vigorous and constant. Mrs ilarrie Marshall had more scope in the character of Dora Yane than in the part she sustained the previous evening, and she made the most of her opportunities by presenting a beautiful, sympathetic and artistic Dora Vane. Mr Bert Bailey as Lieutenant Ivingsley also appeared to much better advantage than in the Vagabond ; indeed, there is no doubt that tor the time he wa* just Lieutenant Ivingsley, the ardent faithful lover of Dora Vane, and Bert Bailey had to take a back seat. Mr Irve Hay man constructed the part of Tom Dossiter, the hearty rough-and-tumble man-o-war's man, and from the moment he stepped on the stage he had his audience well under control, and some very severe faces had perforce to relax and join in the uproairous merriment he infused into the house. He sang three coster songs, "'E don't know where 'e are," "I gave my little bit towards it" and " I'm not agoin' to tell," and if the pit had its way he would be singing yet. After giving those three songs, however, he struck. Miss Madge Corcoran's Lena Kelson was a touching interpretation of a poor betrayed girl. Miss Dora Mostyn, as Tom Dossiter's sweetheart, Peggy, was, to put it mildly, chippy, and played well up to Mr Hay man. Her audience showed their appreciation of her acting by the laughter and applause which greeted her performance. Miss Marie D'Alton again had a small part in the character of Mrs Helstone, but, as in •• The Vagabond," she played it thoroughly, and it would be a pleasure to see her in a larger part. Squire Moi'and and Nicholas Morland, the villains of the play, were rendered by Messrs Bruce and Patey. both gentlemen acquitting themselves as thorough-paced blackguards, and the pit, when not engaged in cracking puts or sucking oranges, howled out its detestation of their infamy. The ne'er-do-well Mark Helstone was done by Mr Field. jCapuun Hardy of H.M.S. " BritanjjPo was impersonated by Mr Dalzeil. He had not much to do, but he .did it well and looked every inch a British sailor. The minor characters were capably filled by Messrs Donoghue, Rhodes and Franks. Mr Brown, as pianist to the company, played several items during the intervals. To-night the company present George Conquest and Pettit's celebrated Sensational drama "Queen's Evidence " when those who could not obtain seating accommodation last night will hava* pi opportunity of witnessing the company in one of the strongest efforts of ptodfia (Jwaausu,