A CHAT ABOUT SOME NEW PLAYS. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 31, 5 January 1884, Page 5

A CHAT ABOUT SOME NEW PLAYS. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

This New Comedy at the St. James's Tiieatub- "Young Folks W ays "— JW u Hake— "A Sailor and His Lass" at Diiury Lane— Maky Anbekbon in tiik " Lady 01? Lyons"— "Falka" at the Comedy TiieaTHE - GILBISKT'S NEW PIECIS I'OK MAIiY Anoekson— New Plays at the Pkincesses' — "gllette" at the royalty.

Tub premieres > so frequont at some of our London theatres, are few and far between at the St. James's. Taking my seat in the stalls the other evening to witness the first performance of "Young Folks' Ways," I remembered that my last visit to this house was on a foggy Docombei* night, nearly ten months ago, ever since when the rare acting of the Kendals and their company has managed to retain popularity for a singularly poor piece. Thank goodness, however, "Impulse" is at length a thing of the past, and in its place Mrs Burnott and Mr "Uilette have given us a play almost equal in frosh breoziness to the ever-to-be-remembered "Squire." " Esmerahia" (or " Young Folks' Ways," as it is somewhat feebly re-christened), comes to us from Yankee-land. An old play -bill reminds me that I saw the comedy at the Madison Square Theatre in New York on the 7th of April, 1881, as I was on my way home -from your part of tho world. I remember enjoying it intensely even then, but I don't think anyono can thoroughly realise the possibilities of the piece till ho or she has seen Mr Hare and Mr and Mrs Kendal in the principal parts, " Esmeralda" ran many months in New York, and achieved a mor.o than ordinarily genuine success there, so you may imagine what a furore there was to be present at the first representation here. I never saw a theatre packed much tighter than the St. James's last Saturday. Every nook and cranny of the stalls and dress circle held a • ' celebrity. " The American and Australian correspondentswere grateful to be permitted to stand flat against the wall at the far back of the balcony. To got out during the entruche was impossible, and tho heat made one profoundly uncomfortable, but we endured braxely to the end, congratulating ourselves that our fate was not as bad as that of the perspiring throng of pitites and upper box folk, many of whom had waited outside the doors from four in the afternoon to half-past seven so that they might get decent seats. "Esmeralda" is a dramatic adaption of Mrs Frances Hodgsen Burnetts novelette of the same name, which may be obtained anywhere for a shilling. The story is tender, graceful, and often extremely pathetic. In a log cabin in North Carolina live three people— Elbert Rogers, a simplehearted, kindly old man, who farms an unproductive claim in the barren country that he loves ; his daughtor, Esmeralda, a silent, thinking girl ; and Mrs Rogers, a soured, discontented, domineering vixen, who detests the life they lead, and is perpetually " nagging " at her husband for enduring it. This woman proves the evil genius of the piece. Mining engineers visit the farm, and it is a terrible blow to old Rogers when "mother" (as he always calls his spouse) welcomes the offer of a speculator to give a trifle for the stony, barren farm ; nor is he much consoled when Esmeralda's accepted lover — a manly young fellow named Dave Hardy— discovers the truth, and arrives on the scene just in the nick of time to prevent "mother " disposing of an enormously valuable mining property for a mere nothing. Old Rogers loves his "little house in North Caroliney," audit is only the obedient habit of .a lifetime that induces him to carry out his wife's wishes and sell the place. But the will of Mrs Rogers, who was "brought up in Elizabeth ville," and knows the world, has long been paramount in the log cabin. Her daughter dares not disobey her, and her husband cannot, so when wealth comes to the little family she easily asserts herself as its head. "Mother's" first act is to break off Esmeralda's engagoment with Dave Hardy, whom the girl has shyly pi-omised to marry a short time before, and who has just furnished the modest little house close by where she is to be installed a farmer's wife. This awful woman then announces her intention of carrying off husband and daughter 1 o live in style in Paris, and it is worth their exhibition of distress over their sudden prosperity that the first act (which is in many respects the best) closes. We next find ourselves in the studio of a semi-artistic, semi-assthetic, and altogether charming family of Englith folk residing in Paris. Jack Dosmond is a painter of some meritjhis sister Nora( played by Mrs Kendal who naturally makes her a very fascinatingperson) dabbles in sculpture, and the younger sister Kate is cesthetic. The Desmonds have a great friend— one Estabrook,a wealthy young man of leisure, who flirts outrageously with Nora, and evidently admires Kate, ,not a little also. A year before Estabrook, travelling in America for pleasure, happoned to accompany a mining engineer acquaintance on a prospecting tour in North Carolina, and thus was at the log-cabin of the Rogers on the afternoon they became wealthy. He followed up the acquaintance, and, we learn from conversation, that the Desmonds have called upon the Rogers, who are now living in Paris, and that they take a great interest in the old farmer and "little Esmeraldy,"as he calls her, Mrs Rogers is continuing her ambitious plans. She has bethrothed Esmeralda to a blackguard French Marquis, and by his help forced her way into a very second-rate set of titled foreigners. Dave Hardy, also turns up in Paris. He is discovered on the Boulevards penniless and starving by Estabrook, who takes him to the Desmonds', where the fellow is made rauchof and encouraged in his pursuit of Esmeralda. In' the third act we again meet the Rogers family. They are living in splendour, but mother alone appreciates the change, Esmeralda pining for her lover, and the father for his North Carolinian home. One of the best hits in the piece is where Rogers expresses his delight at meeting a familiar face from the little house. Mrs Rogers deeply resents the attitude of her husband and daughter, nagging at them worse than ever. Esmeralda looks wan and miserable ; moreover, the idea of marrying the Frenoh marquis is gradually raalungher desperate.

Old Bogers appeals secretly to the Marquis to relinquish his claim to the girl's hand. "Me and Esmeraldy," he says, " are simple folk," and then he endeavours to touch the polished blackguard's feelings by explaining that his daughter loves JJavo Hardy. The Marquis listens quietly and politely to what the poor old man has to say, and then bows himself off, sarcastically observing that since Madame lias given her consent to tho marriage, the views of Monsieur and of Mdllo. Esmoralda do not concern him. Esmeralda, however, at length throws off the voil of timid, heart-broken quiescence, and rebels. She wildly defies her mother, hysterically informs M. le Marquis that sho loathes him, and winds up a dreadful scone by falling into a dead swoon. Tho fourth act brings about the usual happy denouement. The Rogers are not wealthy after all. The vein of gold on their land was very thin, and only led to a fine reef on the adjoining plot, owned by Dave Hardy. Tho latter consequently turns out the millionaire, and " mother " is very glad to compromise matters by letting Esmeralda many the young man. You will see from tho foregoing sketch that the old Farmer Rogers is the central figui'e of the play. The loves of Dave and Esmeralda and the flirtations of Estabrook and Nora are commonplace enough, but Elbcrt Rogers interests the audience deeply. Mr Hare plays the part with rare intelli gence, avoiding even a semblance of exaggeration. He is powerfully supported by Mrs Hermann Vezin as tho domineering " mother," and Miss Webster as Esmeralda. Mr and Mrs Kendal are most amusing in the parts of Estabrook and Nora, but MrG. Alexander's Dave Hardy forms a poor substitute for Eben Plympton, who played the character in New £ ork. "A Sailor and his Lass," the new melodrama at Drury Lane, i.s tho most miserable farrago of sensational nonsense that has been placed on the stage of a West End theatre for years. Even the scenery, usually such a feature of Harris's shows, is this time heavy and unnatural. Tho real horse and cab look hopelessly out of proportion, and the sinking ship goes to the bottom so slowly that the audience shriek with laughter. To desciibe the plot would be a dreary task. I shall, therefore, tell you that Gus Harris acts a rollicking British tar, and leave you to imagine the thrilling nature of his adventures when I state that some of the scenes ho passes through represent a dynamite factory, an apple orchard, the Old Bailey Court-house, Mary Anderson has turned the heads of London theatre-goers, and before she leaves England sho will probably be as great a favourite as Henry Irving himself. The audience which assembled on the fh*st night of the "Lady of Lyons" clearly showed this. From the Prince and Princess of Wales downwards, all the notables invariably associated with '• special occasions "at the Lyceum were present. Lady Burdett-Coutts smiled from one private box, whilst Miss Fortoscuc and Lord Garmoylo were the observed of all observers in another. The array of dramatic critics, which included Yates, Sala, Labouchere, Clement Scott, W. S. Gilbert, Dunpliy, and Percy Fitzgerald, was strengthened by a strongcontingontofauthors,editors, artists and theatrical tolk — in fact, no foi'eign artiste save perhaps Sarah Bornhurdt ever before attracted such a house. The first act dragged sadly. Mr Frank Archer, specially engaged to play Beauscanty and supposed to be the man of all others for the part, failed altogether, nor was Mr Rosier as "Glavis " more successful. People had begun t© feel rather bored when Miss Anderson made her entree in the garden scene, and perhaps this accounted for the comparative lack of enthusiasm on her reception. She looked charming, and played the love scene with Claude so archly that the audience warmed up again, and when the curtain fell gave the young lady and Mr Barnes (Claude) a call. It was, however, in the fourth act Miss Anderson achieved her real triumph. The upbraiding in the third, usually made so much of, fell comparatively flat, but the alternations between love and pride, and the gradual overcoming of the latter by the former, were wonderfully shown, and when Claude, flinging Pauline from him, rushed off to become a soldier, the audience broke into thunders of applause. The papers, as a rule, review Miss Ander son's "Pauline" favourably. All admit her grace, fascination, and charm of manner ; but all, or nearly all, aver that she lacks power. Her rendering of the character cannot {par exe/nplc) be compared with Ellen Terry's. "Falka," tho new comic opera by tho young Belgian composer, Chassaigue, is a great "hit" at the Comedy Theatre, and will probably run for a twelvemonth, like "Rip Van Winkle's." I have not been to see it yet, but they tell me a ballad called "At Eventide" will be heard everywhere before Christmas, and that rondos, polkas, and waltzes abound ; one of the best morceaux being a lively ditty, commencing, " 'Tis the Captain Boleslas." Pretty Violet Cameron and Kelleter have the best parts in "Falka;" the "doleful comedian," Harry Paulton, supplying the fun. The great Gilbert has not merely patched up all difficulties with Mary Anderson, but absolutely written a piece for her. It is in one act, and very dramatic ; the great scene representing the ag;ony and suppressed emotion of a young girl who has to entertain a large party of friends and affect indifference whilst tAvo of her adorers — one of whom she desperately loves— are fighting a dual in the adjacent garden, from whence a clash of swords can occasionally be heard. The new play is to be performed in conjunction with " Pygmalion, or Galatea." The reign of the " Silver King " at the Princesses draws to a close, though the drama still attracts good houses. Mr Wilson Barrett unfortunately pledged himself many months ago to produce a new piece in Novomber, and so " Claudian," Hermann Merivale's Byzantine drama, will be produced on tho 26th inst. The " Merry Duchess " has also come to the end of her tether at tho Royalty, and Audran (of " Mascotte " fame) will follow Messrs Clay and Simms, his new piece being an anglicised version of " Gilette de Narbonne," one of the naughty stories in the Decameron. This was a great success at tho Bouffes Parisiens, and is said to contain quite as pretty airs as " Olivette." "In the Ranks " is proving tho greatest success the Adelphi has known for many years. Hundreds are turned from the doors nightly, and the booking so far has been unprecedented. "La Vie at the Avenue, on the contrary, is almost a failure, and Plangnette's " Nell Gwynne " will be put into rehearsal forthwith. A comedy by Pinero is underlined for immediate production at the Haymarket, and an American piece has been accepted for the Court. When I add that the Yokeß fpmily reappear in London at Xmas, that the Alhambra will be opened next month, and that the Standard Theatre is drawing crowds of West-enders to the city to see "Glad Tidings," I think I have posted you up pretty fairly in the theatrical news of the day.