"LUCKY DURHAM."
After what may be regarded as a successful run, " The Hypocrites " was withdrawn ' by the Clarke, Meynell, and Gunn Com- . pany on the 17th inst. to make room for " Lucky Durham," written by Wilson Barrett. The new attraction drew a really good downstair audience, but there was , room in the oirole for more. The title " Lucky Durham " is derived from the fact that the central figure of the play — one John Durham — has met with extraordinary success in the world, and has amassed an enormous fortune. The part was filled by Mr Harcourt Beatty with very considerable success. Sir Beatty had evidently studied tHe character carefully, and had arrived at-.
r f »?W — a correct cenclusion as to the type of ift/.n to" be presented to the • audience. Hv'jig got thus far, Mr Beatty's talents frf an actor were amply sufficient to carry out the conception worthily, and .that he did so there is no question. The John Durham . presented was a cool, • clear-heade,d English- | American, a man scrupulously, honourable, ' who has suffered through, the dishonourable conduct of his father (Lord Mountfallon). Durham, while quite young, has distin- ; guished himself in the' commercial world, i and when the story opens has, with his [ mother, whose love in bygone years for Lord Mountfallon has been her' ruin, re- J turned to England. He visits Mountfallon ; Castle, and there makes the acquaintance i of Helen Vallerton, to whom he loses his f heart. He has a rival in Reggie Steighton, I the lawfully-born son of Lord Mountfallon; but this youmg- gentleman is a weak-minded sort of being, and does not prove, much of an obstacle to Durham's wooing. His unfortunate birth, .. however, does, for when Helen's father learns of it he strenuously ' .opposes all idea of a union. He is not, however, altogether proof against the arguments of Durham, and leaves the matter t very much in the hands of -his daughter Helen. That young lady does not seem to be able- to quite' diagnose her .feelings to- ■ words Durham, and it is not until the end ' that she fully realises all he is to her. There is a bitfer Fetid between Lord'Mourfjf-. faHon and Durham, and the latter.-'takifig advantage of Mountfallon's financial embarrassment, purchases Mountfallon Castle, with - tiie - idea of". -installing ■ his mother theie and making it their home His mother,- howeyerj^pleiwis^yrrtij' htmv^and: he> generously gives the castle back to Mountfallon, and seeks a -home elsewhere. It is at this junction that Helen confesses her love for him, and while he fails to carry out one object he has in view — to be revenged on the man who has_ wronged his. c i mother,— he succeeds in the ptKer, which -is i | to win Helen for- himself. Another- oharacter incidental to the play is Lady Mount- ' fallon, who js making frantic efforts to rej pair the dilapidated 'fortunes of the house ■ of Mountfatlon by a marriage between her daughter (Margaret Steighton) and the wealthy Durham.' Margaret, it so happens, holds some strong views as to affection being a necessary factor in such a matter, , and is told that "love does not, and never . did, help to" make a decent bargain " ;. but ' this fails to convince her, and she frankly \ informs Durham of the position, of affairs. i The play is certainly most interestingly I written, and some powerful and -telling ; situations are developed. It improves as it progresses, and one of the most striking 4 scenes is right at the end, where Mrs Dur- -j . ham,, in the presence of Lord Mountfallon, [ 1 urges' her son to abandon his intention of ! ousting Mountfallon, and persuades him to hand the castle over to the man at whose hands she. and he have suffered so much. , In thjs scene Miss Hilda Meade's really . ' good performance as Mrs Durham reached ] I its climax. Mr Beatty's representation of '• i Durham has already received favourable t notice, but mention may be made of the , admirable way in which he sustained the I American twang witnout exaggerating it. > Mr Gaston* Mervale played well as Lord : Mountfallon, and Mr James Lindsay gave a good account of himself as James Vallerton. Such" comedy as the play contains' was met -with In the character of Reggie Steighton, and Mr W. Deverell made the most of his opportunities. Miss Emily ; Firzroy was well cast as Lady Mountfallon, ' and was quite equal to the demands made ' upon her. Miss Gladys Harvey made a winsome Helen Vallerton. and Miss Edith Daverell acquitted hevself commendably as Margaret Steighton. The other characters, ; which were small, wer,e capably filled. . " Lucky Durham," which was well staged in every respeot. j i — — — — «^ i
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Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 69
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777"LUCKY DURHAM." Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 69
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