THEATRE ROYAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 235, 31 October 1903, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

( "HAND 3 ACROSS THiS SUA." j The breezy nsu'ioii drama staged by ,ihe Woods-Williamson Company on x Friday night proved attractive and j most enjoyable. Certainly "Hands t Across th 3 Se,\" is jus!; the kind of f ilnnna that playgoers Jove, for it is re- j plete with the beat material that is to i i-e found in this popular sort of drama. , Vs performed night it was seen I under the best circumstances, for thi> arcompl'shed Company did it justice and succeeded in delighting the | Mudienep, whoae hearty applause Was , well m-vit.d. As Jack Dudley, th>yorsig English farm.Mr Wcods ap peared in quite a new light and proved that ho ha« mastered every braucii of his art. In the scene in which ha was trying < o pwp.'S 1 ) to Lilian ho created ro rs of laughter and thoroughly delighted the audience. He was particularly 1 brilliant in his outb^, st 0 f doterminaijftion that ng one but himsel should ■ mirry Lilian. Hh welcome to Toco ' Tiaesett was a flno piece of comedy, in 1 1 striking contrast to the scene where 1 J he is arrested for murder when ho ' I rose to a lofty height of dramatic ■ power; but for thrilling effect the 1 fierce struggle for liberty (in the • E prison scene) was a masterpiece of art. 1 A very fine pisce of acting also was E that which closes Act 4, when Jack 1 f claims the protection of the British flag, This fairly brought down the E house. As this' heroine " Lilian," Mies Williataison was incomparable. Har conception of this fascinating impersoDßtion was moat artistic, and har acting eplendid . throughout, and it is hard to siy whether it was in the lighter or more serious phases that she appeared to most advantage, Certain it is, however, that she sways the audience in all her moods, and Beds their favour without effort. As the villain, " Richard Shellwood," Mr Boothman enacted his part so thoroughly that the audience were carried away, and more than once expressed their detestation of bis villainy —the greatest compliment an ' actor can receive Mr Yollaire, as j " Captain Land," made a great succe?s [ of his part. The same may be said of i hll the othor members, who again ! showed what a gord all-round Company I this is. The sc»nery was very handj som<i and realistic, that of the Australian Liner and Sydney Harbour being - rrfagnifkent works of art. The music ' was again very plsssing and acceptable. 1 Altogether the perfoimance was intensely ei joyable, TO-NIGHT "A WOMAN'S 81V." For the final night of the season Mi"s Williamson's dramatised version of Hall Cain&'s " Manxman " is to ba , producpd, with Mr Woods as Pete Quilliam and Miss Williamson as " Kafe." This is one of the finest dramas in *ho Company's repertoire and should form an irresistible attrac tion, Probably ho oth?r drama has such a fascinating charm and lends its If so well to the display of the exi eeptiocai talents of this combination of [ performers. As a rule Saturday is a bad night for the theatre, but the treat that playgoers may expect should prevent them from missing this last i opportunity of seeing one of the best of dramas performed by one cf the ! mo3t competent Cainpiuies S9en ' and heard in New Plymouth.