"THE LONDON SOUL MARKET."

NZ Truth, Issue 127, 23 November 1907, Page 8

"THE LONDON SOUL MARKET."

Astounding Development of Mr Hall Caine's "Christian."

Was the Censor Asleep?

A' night memorable m stage annals was surely that of Saturday; '(says a London exchange)' at the Ly-> ceum, when from pleasant romantic fancies . of impossible melodrama we were suddenly brought back to earth m a new' and extravagant edition of "The Christian." Its excesses go far enough to, suggest that the censor was m a summer-like and somnolent mood when he approved it. ,

Altogether it is more than passing strange that' after seven years of prosperity a play, which has admittedry realised a fortune of £50, 000 for the author, should invite a very tempest of controversy. "The CRristian," having toured practically the world, the story having been thumbed' beyond recognition, meanwhile, from the shelves 1 of Mudie's, would have been relegated, m the natural order of events, to the

LIMBO OF FORGOTTEN THINGS. But Mr Hall Came moves not as others do, and the idea of working out some reform m the sexual and spiritual relations of woman to man inspired him to fresh pages and scenes, which' can but he compared to the excesses of Zola. -The realism is rutnless. •

We may read the author's mind m Ms mention of the "London Soul Market"' and the pronouncement that "In all the higher relations of life woman is practically m the same position now as she was m tlie days of Moses. She is as much as ever the human chattel of man. Neither religion nor civilisation has done anything to establish her vital independence. The most acute, though not; necessarily the most tragic, part of the problem of woman's relation to man is that, which concerns her condition as a fallen creature, and the play is partly intended to present a picture of a new kind of effort to rescue her."

So much for the ideal. The actual is . a sermon of ■which old-fashioned playgoers may well be afraid. It is m the Isle of Man, m holiday surroundings of sunlight and joy, that impossibly enough. Father Lamplugh first preaches his mission of social reform. He has a scheme for- the

. SALVATION OF THE POOR. "Not the poor that clutters our steps m rags and sleeps m Salvation shelters,! but that which is clad m silks and eats m fashionable sup-per-rooms."

: And- immediately the 'Archdeacon interprets : "You mean the outcasts who make the nightly horror of Piccadilly."

So John Storm casts aside . the political preferment offerer! by a lordly uncle to take up so great a wprk. As lie puts this by he throws Away' love, lor he thereby surrenders ; Glory Quayle, perfect type of bright, thoughtless young womanhood. .Thereafter, side by side, run the counter interests of the glorious Manx girl, perfect- m her beauty arid innocence, desirous of making a great name for herself on the stage, and he, the sombre clergyman working m the heart of London for the reform of the fallen daughters of Eve, with ever a thought m his mind that the dearly-loved one may become even as they. In the first act the careless, sensual lordling prates : "The way pretty women are wasted m the country is pitiful. -.- •. i : A girl like that m the country can never marry the right one. It's like this. She's youngj she's pretty, has man-* Iners and taste and. some refinement. The man of her own class is clumsy and ignorant and stupid and poor. ISlie doesn't waftt him, and the man she /does want belongs to another | class, and daren't marry her— it i would be social suicide." There is much more and worse In the text, and John's mission is well expressed m his own quotation :— "Oh, God,- to think that bread's so dear, And flesh 1 and blood so cheap." l ' A SCENE CENSORED. I The management of the Lyceum have censored and practically excised' an incident opening the second act jin the joyer of the Frivolity Theatre London. Its realism as applied to their own calling, frightened thsm, doubtless, and the note is made only m the newly-published edition of the play by Messrs Coilie and Co. The scene as it stands is forced and unreal, but iinelv dramatic m showing Glory Quayle's first temptation on the night she has made her great metropolitan hit m musical comedy.

The third act' is . the startingly new; scene which is thought worthy of a West-end house at popular prices. We are introduced to the interior "Queen's Home ofi Refuge," where those to he saved are apparently catalogued m most businesslike fashion and cordially received. "Black Meg," a vixen of the streets, brings her little sister to save her from her own fate, and is persuaded to stop herself. ' John Storm forcibly ejects the bully and the woman owning so many "splendid houses," who pursue them. Then the nameless babe is taken from its erring mother and passed into the care of a lady anxious to atone for her husband's fault. But

WHEN GLORY QUAYLB comes on' a .mission of curiosity she is told by Father Lamplugh that she is disturbing Storm's peace of mind, and the barrier thus .put* up leads to suspicion. So it comes about m the * last, scene of all John Storm seeks out the girl at her apartments m G-ar-den House, Clement's Inn, with the mad idea that it would be better she were dead than sinning. Glory and her friends are fresh back from a visit to the Derby, and she is with' difficulty free from them. She is m tier nightdress when Storm forces his way m, his body wracked with a very frenzy of religious mania. He takes her by the throat, crying, "God sent me to kill you, Glory !" and it is only her piteous pleading that puts him off. She recalls old childhood days and suddenly the

MADNESS LIFTS AS A MASK. There is a great figure of the Madonna m the dainty room, so he takes

her by tlie hand aa'd the two kneel reveatly before it as she murmurs—

Mother, look down on your childi rea who love each other and hay« come together m the end."

Herein on Saturday was tbe great triumph of the artists, Mr Matkeson Lang ana -Miss Alice Crawford, per* fectly matched as Storm and Gloryi Quayle. There was earnestness ot purpose and pure declamation, as well- as an imposing presence m the man* Miss Crawford, beautiful anefc vivacious, represented all that could be attractive m .the woman. Altogether the playing was perfect- 5 Miss Grace Lester grimly earnest as Black Meg, Miss Valli Valli tearful as the erring •Polly,- Mr Fredericfc Ross unctuously virtuous as Father Lamplugh, Mr Eric Mayne awfully naughty as the Lord, and Mr A. 'B^ Imeson very boyish. and natural, as the not altogether bad Horatio Drake tempting Glory.

The friendliness for the actors was the'; great secret of Saturday's wonderful reception of the play.