THEATRE ROYAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2494, 18 March 1881, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

“ Eileen Oge ” was the name of the drama produced by Mrs Hill’s company at the Theatre Royal last evening. There was a good downstairs attendance and although there were a few hitches in' the performance the audience appeared to be well satisfied. The drama was appropriate to the evening. It contains a judicious blending of humor and pathos, some highly colored pictures of Irish life, and it appeals to the sympathies and prejudices of those who hate landlords and execrate bailiffs. The hero of the plot ' rejoices in . the patronymic of Patrick O’Donnell, and the heroine is Eileen. Their hearts beat in unison, but just as they are about to be cemented by the reverend father, an amorous landlord, a canny but perfidious Scotch agent, and a miserable little bailiff conspire together and interrupt the blissful visions of the lovers. Patrick is transported, not with joy, but to foreign parts, and Eileen is transported with grief. She is about to sell her hand to her lover’s persecutor in order to save her father from ruin, when Patrick returns, and after a variety of wonderful and sensational adventures on the part of the principals, virtue is rewarded, and vice, as represented by landlord, agent, and bailiff, is punished. The humor of the piece was well maintained by Mr J. J. Kennedy and H. Alexander, who, in their respective roles of Irish peasant and Scotch rascal, kept the house in roars. Mr J. W. Tyrcll, as the hero, played with care and skill, and made a most favorable impression. His impersonation, however, w onhl not suffer if he studied the text with a view to effect, and avoided a rapid mechanical style, which tends to destroy emotional acting. Mr Alfred Holmes made an exceedingly amusing bailiff. Mrs Hill, as the heroine, dressed gracefully, looked the character, and left but little to be desired. Miss Arethusr. May was somewhat out of her element as an Irish girl, and her loud rather tlran musical utterance considerably marred the effect of her acting. If this young lady could only regain a little of the timidity and nervousness which she displayed but unfortunately lost all too soon when she made her debut a few years ago, it would materially improve her impersonations. Although young to the stage she has become stage}", and her self-confidence militates terribly against the effect of her performances. If it is not too late, we would strongly recommend her to ultivate a natural voice, an unobtrusive deportment and to show off loss before the audience. In her early efforts she made a singularly pleasing impression, but since then she seems to have forgotten that in dramatic representation the standard of merit is measured by the absence of apparent effort, and the degree of naturalness which the artiste throws into his or her impersonations. Miss Lily May had but little to do and the same may be said of Miss Chambers, who, however, performed what she had to do remarkably well. This evening “ British Born ” will be produced.