THEATRE ROYAL.

Southland Times, Issue 927, 3 April 1868, Page 5

THEATRE ROYAL.

On Friday evening last Mrs Robert | Heir, an old Victorian favorite, gave a dramatic entertainment at the Theatre Eoyal. The house was well filled ; and if the weather had not been so unfavorable the attendance would, no doubt, have beeu much larger.. The curtain rose to Morton's serio-comic drama entitled " Angel of the Attic." The piece is laid at the time of the French Eevolution, but the plot is somewhat, tame. It is one of those plays insignificant in itself, but yet requiring the display of more than average talent to render it popular. But Mrs Heir, as Mariette, made it a success, j by the charming piquancy displayed and thorough knowledge evinced throughout of the character of the little grisette. The warlike apprentice, represented by Mr Sefton, contributed to the amusement of the audience by his drollery and naiveness. Mr Inglis supported the character of the Chevalier somewhat stiffly at first, but it gradually wore off. Mrs Heir next appearedasifosaZwi^in Shakespeare's comedy "As You Like It." The part selected was the first scene of the fourth act. It was admirably adapted for the display of the playful emotions and banter which the character of Rosalind pourtrays. Perhaps no greater test could have been afforded of the remarkable versatility of Mrs Heir as an accomplished and well read actress than the comparison of the two characters of Rosalind and Leah. In one there is the exponent of Shakespeare's female character, frank, amiable, and graceful, the embodiment of womanly tenderness, veiled in the sauciness of the page ; and in the other, the representation of Leah : the latter being the strong, passionate woman, leaving her friends and family, abandoning all that is dear, for the love of Rudolph. Seldom, indeed, have we witnessed Mrs Heir sustain | this character better than on Friday evening. In every movement true genius was displayed. The agony of the deceived woman on discovering the marriage of i her lover, followed by the stern determination of revenge, the thrilling denunciation and allusion to the precept of the old law cf " an eye for an eye, a hand for a hand," the fidelity with which the master passions were pourtrayed, together with the force of language, which gathered fresh power as the Jewess proceeded, in her terrible curse of Rudolph, made it one of the finest pieces of declamation almost ever witnessed, and engaged the audience in breathless attention. At the conclusion, the accomplished actress received the well-merited and unanimous applause of the .whole house by being enthusiastically called before the curtain. Afterwards followed Sheridan Knowles' " Hunchback," in which Mrs Heir appeared as the sprightly pouting cousin. In the fourth act of Grlover's play of " Love's Sacrifice" Mrs Heir develops a new character — the loving girl and self-sacrificing daugLter — full of feeling and sensibility. As JPaul Lafont, Mr Sefton appeared to greater advantage than throughout the evening : indeed he evidently paid some pains to the study of this character. The entertainment concluded with readings from standard authors by Mrs Heir. The same programme was repeated on Saturday evening, but we are sorry to add, there wa 8 but a very poor house.