THE THEATRE ROYAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4316, 20 January 1875, Page 2

THE THEATRE ROYAL.

THE OCTOROON. The Octoroon was played at the Theatre Royal last night to a capital house. The attractive feature of the play of course consisted in the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Bates were likely to be more successful than others who have attempted it in Wellington, in giving a realistic insight into the characteristics of plantation_ life in the once "Sunny South." The piece itself has become venerable amongst plays, and is not of a sort likely to captivate an audience now-a-days except under special conditions. What the special conditions were in this case may be readily, inferred. Without pretending to any knowledge of the early history of Mr. and Mrs. Bates, one might safely conclude from their acting of the principal characters in the Octoroon that if they were not perfectly familiar "with every tree and', flower" on the Tenebon estate, they had at' least studied closely the manners, actions, and surroundings of a people whose rights, if they ever were rights, are now no longer recognised by law. As an historical retrospect, the piece is instructive, but this aspect of the play is, and always will be, the least prominent when Salem Scudder find a good representative, and next to Jefferson, Mr. Bates is the best that haw been seen in the colonies. Scudder, as is well known, is a somewhat eccentric genius, a combination of blunt, honest manliness, happily blended with a power of sarcasm just powerful enough to make McClosky's blood boil into fiendish rancor. The art of the actor consists in fittingthese qualities to their proper circumstances, and Mr. Bates is quite equal to the task. It may be understood, in brief, that the character was splendidly represented, even to the expressive manner of whittling a stick, which is a confirmed habit with Scudder and a piece of artistic by-play peculiar to Mr. Bates. Zoe received all those finished toudie of which Mrs. Bates is known to be capable, the character being full of what musical people would call " expression;" that is to say, the various phases of which a tender heart is susceptible were judiciously treated, to the extent of producing a responsive feeling on the part of the audience. Mrs. Stoneham, Miss Stoneham (Paul), Mr. Hydes (Pete), Mr. Burford (McClosky), and Mr. Thorpe (George Peyton), were all deserving of a share of the credit of success. The scenery was remarkably good, and Mr. Massey had twice to -espoud to a call in consequence of its excellence. It must be satisfactory to the management to find their efforts so wel recognised by the public ; it is equally satisfactory to the public to find so much care evinced on their behalf. "' '