THEATRE ROYAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 221, 30 September 1901, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

"WHEN THE LAMPS ABE LIGHTED." It is rarely that a theatrical company ventures on therisk of a performance at New Plymouth on a Saturday night without being sorry for the experiment. It was therefore a most decided tribu'e to the reputation of Mr. John F. Sheridan and his company that having chosen that night for opening their season here the bouse should be crowded with a most enthus'astio audience, who from first to last bes f owed liberal and hearty applause on the performance. Nor was it a case of indiscriminate approbation ; the audience were tinmistakeably delighted with every detail of th 6 piece and with the efforts of every member of the comply. Naturally Mr. Xohn P. Sheridan was the central figure in " When the Lamps are Lighted " and as he undertook no less than six different characters in the j play his versati'ity, humour, and histrionic powers were put to a sovere test from which he emergedtriumph- ! ant in each, his rich brogue and over--1 flowing wit-keeping the house in aeon I tinuous state of hearty laughter. The plot is sufficiently strong to be inter- ; esting, and is moreover one that can .easily be followed, while it contains some very strong situations which j afford scope for the exhibition of much j dramatic power. Backed by an ercepj tionally talented company Mr. Sheridan placed on the boirds on the open<ing night a play that caught on at once, and the finished way in which it was carried out was little short of a , revelation to many of the audience, ifos Geiift. Mayia is a most accomplished artis'e, whose excellent portrayal; of ,fise d : ffar"nfc pirts proved tha 1 ; she was art able second to Mr. Whether as Tilly '(Dan's wife) B lly Jone< (the b ot black) Nelly (a flo <'er girl) o • in tlie o Vrr parts she was i q.'ia'ly h ippy, at d r.'alistio in her deli' ea i n of the special points of each chnractar, while her singing whs very effective apd;«musin? both in the solos■ Jhe; du*ts with Mr., Sheridan. Mr. Duggan as 'he • x-co r i viot sustained; difficult and.. tryi"e f art with con-! sumaate judgment, fe linganddram .tic force. Mr Oarltoa as the millionai e has a comparatively small to fill,, but what there was he made the most of. Mr, Ashley as the millionaire's nephew gentleman villain of the play was moat efjfectiv?, the thorough-, ness of his performance miking the character, so intens'ey real to the audience that at times they were, oirried away. As Ruth's lover Mn Dalgleish was all that could be ire quired, while all the other male parts burglar, ac.or, bootblack and | man, and especially that of Beauty (cj ' dwarf), were played with a gcod finish) The lady members of the company were all particularly good in their several parte, Miss Maud Gwyne as Margaret the ex-conviot'ti long lost wife, dis-' played high artistic power, especially in i the emotional scenes, in which her act* . ing appealed with strong force to the i audience, and evoked much applause, f Miss Montague made a perfectly charm- , ing Ruth (Margaret's daughter), and ' hor winnjng grsvee quickly made hir i a favourite with all present, who followed her, trials with the greatest interest q,nd cqncern. Daisy Gbard i as tha handy girt " Semolina " was just ; brimming over with bro.id'fun and : quaintness, and scored a big.succ ss. ; The soenery bad the th°rit, not only of i being good, but replete ' witlj ehanges, ■ that of the river Thames at night evoki ing; much applause,' ' Thp. closing i Scenes' of each four acts were . most powerfully worked? up, and when 1 thb curtain finally fell,'therewas cot we should say one person present who . had not thoroughly .enjoyed the whole 1 performance, which was one. that has i never been excslled in the town.

TO-NIGHT. The has wisely determined in response tq numeral)? requeststo reproduce Whentheiamps are lighted,' and as there is every pro-1 bitbility of a crash, it would be advisable either to book seats, or to gqt to the Theatre early. In our adver-> tising columns will be found particulars ,of the plays for the other nights of the season, The piece for Tuesday night is one that will be eura to attract a crowded house, " Fun on the Bristol;" wherein Widow O'Brien is the prominent oharaoter being simply irresistible. This is Mr Sheridan's ehef 4'couwe, and no one should miss the treit of witnessing this old favourite,' bright spmkling piece.