"HOME, SWEET HOME."

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 69

"HOME, SWEET HOME."

Saturday is not »' good evening for the opening performance of a dramatic company, particularly as far as the more expensive parts of the house are concerned. This was instanced on Saturday evening, when tne Allan Hamilton Dramatic Company opened its season with "Home, Sweet Home, at His Majesty's Theatre. . " Home, Sweeit Home," is by Frank Lmdo, and i-s described as a domestic drama in four acts. It differs widely from, the school to Which it belongs in being- free from «Ue extravagancies the play-writer too frequently introduces into the melodrama, and is tor that reason alone superior to a great deal of what has been placed upon the stage of late years. It is decidedly emotional in character, even to the extent of having a, trace of " East Lynne " in it towards the end. It is also slightly suggestive of the " Lady of Lyons "— -that is, in incident, not in writing. It is a well put together story of the fortunes of a young fisherm-an named Stephen Armitage, who marries Joan a girl who has been rescued from the sea by ins father, and adopted as his own daughter. The young girl is in reality no less than the da-ugtex of a duke, who mourns her as dead, and this piece of information is imparted by Sybil Fay, a music hall star, who has married the duke's son, and by so doing earned the duke's hearty displeasure, to a designing knave- named Lucas Lyle, with, the object of earning -the duke's gratitude and dissipating his displeasure, Lyle s intentions at first only to take advantage of a- pretty girl, broaden into a scheme for separating husband and wife and marrying Joan now known to him to be the daughter of a' fabulously wealthy duke. Extreme poverty falls on the Armitage family, discontent takes possession of Joan, and at the suggestion that her true parentage has been deliberately concealed from her by her husbamd, she leaves him and her child, and takes her place in society, which, by the way. gets some " nasty knocks " at the hands of tie author. She is troubled in mind, has a vision of her child lying dangerously ill, iB informed of the real condition of her husband and child — the one plunged in the depths of misery and the other confined to a sick bed from which it is not likely she will ever rise again, — and determines to return to her cottage home. She does so, her child's health is restored, and she is reiconciled to her 'husband, who is taken by the hand by her father, the duke. Lyle gets half strangled j by Armitage, and is then turned loose for ! the fisher folk, - who are waiting for- him, to deal with. .As Joaii Miss Khadijah Cooper was, generally speaking, successful. In the quieter passages she . was natural, but hex td^ia. was aoms-what forced., in. suefh. parts aa j

where Java, denounces her foster father anJjf her husband for having concealed .the truttj from her. Miss Fanny Erris was" charmingM sprightly as Sybil Fay, and sang two songS of the music hall order very well, but t&3 verse in the one, having reference to the ol» woman who lived in her shoe, might verit well be omitted. The acting of Baby Wa.tsow in the paarl of Amnitdge's little girl is well' worthy of praise. It was a most in> telligent and pleasing" performeaice. MU Robert Inman gave a fine, manly ra« presentation of -tihe part of Stepheafj Armitage, but in Hhe opposite . character^, , Lucas Lyle, Mr George E. Bryaat was no« I particularly strong. Old Armitage waa capitailiy played by Mir S. A. Fitzgerald, ancl Mr Augustus Neviller was satisfactory as thiej . Duke. The Hon. Percy (the DuWs son), aqj aristocrat of the milk-and-water order, fulf of # '" Dash it all," was very credit-ably represented by Mr Harold Carr. Others ■ in* th«£ cast were Miss Beatrice Usher, Messrs E. M; BeresfoTd. Herbert Shaw. Stuart Clydei' Arthur Blakeley, and Lancelon Vane. Speakv ing of the company as a whole, it is .a versj fairly strong and capable one, and oartainls{ appeared to advantage in the first produc-* tion of " Home, Sweet Home," wnich was very well placed upon the. stage, and is wel' i worth seeing.