THE THEATRE ROYAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4425, 26 May 1875, Page 2

THE THEATRE ROYAL.

There was a very good house last evening to I witness the peformance of " Man and Wife," a stage adaptation of Wilkie Collins's famed novel bearing that title. Necessarily, much has been left out in the process of dramatisation, and the piece, as produced last evening, though containing the leading incidents of the plot, which demonstrates the unsatisfactory and anomalous state of the Scottish marriage laws, gives but a faint idea of the merits of Collins's work. Taking all things into consideration the performance was successful. Miss May Howard, Miss Jessie Raymond, and Mr. Collier, who respectively appeared as Anne Silvester, Blanche Lundie, and Geoffrey Delomayne, were au fait, but several of the other characters were sadly misrepresented. Mr. Burford's acting would have been passable had he been impersonating Rowley (in the "Wandering Heir") or some 6uch scamp, but he was quite abroad in the character of Arnold Brunkworth. Lady Lundy's sarcastic, haughty disposition was very mildly produced by Miss Afihton, and Miss Melville was not more. successful as the irritable, pantomimical Mrs; Inchbare. Mr. Sam Howard, as usual, was at home in the part allotted to him, his exposition of the hypocritical Bishopriggs being happily conceived. Mi-. Glover's treatment of the part of Patrick Lundie was perhaps one of the most successful efforts of the evening. The scenery throughout was appropriate and tasteful, and the final tableau was very effective. To-night " Man and Wife" will be repeated.