"SHERLOCK HOLMES."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 78, 31 March 1903, Page 2

"SHERLOCK HOLMES."

It ia many a day since the Theatre Royal was so picked an it was ou Monday nij*ht, when Mr J. 0. Williamson'spowerfuldrainatiec rnpanyop ned thnir abort season hero wish " Sherlock Holm«s." By the time the pit dour* ( *oie open an enorni us crowd had' oss' inbk'd, ai d as a krg* nurab r"ha< tak-.n of t!ie"eaily door" emry, tbere was room but fur fjw, the consi quence being that hundreds c juld not gain admission. We aro ge- uinely ! sorry for those who missed what w s, undoubtedly, the greatest dramatic ti eat that has bfen experienced here. The reputation which tho p'ay and the; company have a'tained was more than justified. ■ From the start the piece caught on immensely, and, as the plot was unfolded and worked ou\ the audience b came more and more enthralled, and, at times, were spsllb:iund. We have already published an outline of the main features cf the drama, and it only therefore remains to rtxord how it was presented. As a matter of course tho m»in interest centred around the famous detective, wno=e nam) forms tin tide ro!e of the play. Mr Ouyler Hastings' impei sonation of this pirt was a marvel of skill, good tist«, and histrionic ability. His

entry in the fir»t sceDe was the signal for such a warm outburst of applause aa must have not only been intensely gratifying to him, but spuired bira on to do his best, and there is no doubt that it had this offset Hot once, however, w ( ,s there ths slightest ten- j dency to 6traia for an effect, the gieat, cha;m of his performance bnog its natural reality. The cool, self contained, self reliant detective, ever on the a'ert to take a mental note of the smallest detail, and the innate resourcefuluess of his keen logical mind w re quite as often Ufc to be inferred by h'B gestures as they were evidenced in the dialogue, while the emotional pirt of his nature, kept so sternly in check, now and again burst its bonds, and the p9nt np feelings disclosed the apparently unemotional man to possess a heart as tender as a child's. It was a

magnificent piece of acting throughout, especially in the final", where Alice Faulkner tended? creeps up to bim and jeaigna herself to bis safe keeping. His Ecanfs with Moriarity were dramatis in the extreme, and so also was the finale of the incidents in the Step ney G j .s Chamber. It is no wond<r that such an uoique paurtrayal should have evoked frequent applause, the warmth of which testified to the appreciation of his successful efforts. As Dr Watson, Mr Lumsden scored a great success, his cone p ion of the part being thoroughly anwtic, and his acting perfect. Master Redge C«ey cieafed immense amusement as" Billy" whose cuteue-s and fidelity were only exceeded by his vivacity awl drollery. The vilain o'i ihe play, James Larrabee, was well iaspar.>ona,(eJ by Mr Hamilton Stewart. It is by no means an easy lole to sustain, and therefore it is all the more creditable to Mr Stewart for making a succss out of an unenviable part. The Emperor of Grime, Professor Moriarty, was impersonated by Mr J. B. Atholwooi, who at times rose to considerable dramatic power, but as a whole the codc p'ion of the part was not artistic, although in some of the situations it was highly tffective, particularly where he is trapiped atd handeuffad. As "Parsonc," I Mr Scardpn had a put that suited ihim exactly, or rather he aoted it as j if to the manner born, bis facial expres- ! sion and carriage causing great amusej mant. Miss Mibel Line gave an excellent interpretation of the pirt ;of Madge Lvrabee, showing great versatility and artistic treatment of j the unattractive accomplice and abettor ! of tin villain of lln piece. Miss May i Coeval er completely won the htar'.e of I the audience ia her. deliueition of j Alice Faulkner, their sympathies being i naturally on her side. Her ading ! throughout was attractive and of a finished kind, tho artistic finale b ing | a true touch of nature that appealei to] all present. The othar membais of the j I company all deserve cammeudation fo r j their acting. The scenery was exceptionally good, some of the effects | beißg very fine. A word if praise mus*. lals) bo given to the orchestra. Alto ! gether it was a thoroughly enjoyable j performance, the general verdict one 'heard at the close being "It was just lovely."

TO-NIGHT. "IF I WBRft KINO." Although "Sherlock Holme?" has been generally termed one of the beat plays ever produced hf re, publio opinion elsewhere is that " If 1 Were King " closely rivals it, and i -. has been the most pronounced success of the Loodot. seasou last year. lu the character of Francois Villo ', Mr Cuyler Hastings has a very different role to that of Sherlock Holmes, but to quote a wellknown Australian dramatic critic, " his performance is perfection." The other memburs of the company an also happily cast in this play.

i Owing to the Union Oompany b< in? unable to delay tha steamer from Wei lington to Ohriatchurch the perform acce advertised for Wednesday has bee a c ncelled. The management greatly regret this, and theatregoer* i will regret it s'ill more