HAWTREY COMEDY COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 239, 5 November 1903, Page 2

HAWTREY COMEDY COMPANY.

An oppartunity will be given to the public to-night of witnessing a play which has created no small sensation in London society, " The Two Mr Wetherbys," by Mr St. John Hankin. The plot is simple enough, and the story may be briefly outlined as follows:—Mr Dick Wetherby was fond of his wifo Oonstantia, but she tried to impose a tedious family upon him, and refused to sympathise with h ! s merriment of character. Moreover, sho thought he was faithless because he occasionally came home after closingtime, eo she'separated from him, with an agreement thai they would only mest ouce a year, Mr James Wetherby, his brother, aod husband of her sister, was reilly uxorious; and Margaret, hia wife, had baen brought up as strictly as Oonstantia, but James, though surious fend amorous, after six months' intense domesticity, began to like an | occasional evening game of billiards, at the club, and to explain his absence by pretence that he was attending missionary meetings. The result may be expressed shortly. Oonstantia grew I tired of grass-widowhood, but was only willing to return to Dick on her own terms. Margaret discovered that her huabimi, in a wild moment, had been to the Empire and told her fibs about his visit, so she determined it was her duty to cease to live with such a monster, whilst resolving to ro'urn when he bad been sufficiently punished, Dick was mister of the situation. He brought Coostaatia to h : s knees and his rooms at Maddox straet, and he caused Margaret to think that if she lefo her husband the might never get back again. The piece is slight in substance, but handled very clevtrly. The pusgeation of an atmosphere' of dull home life with Aunt Olara to ba waited on and Oousin Robert as a frequent visitor is managed very ingeniously. A scene in which tonstantia, intending to forgive Richard and return to him, finds herself undesirei, i 3 finely comic; whilst the saf feiings of the stiff-laced Margaret are charmingly portrayed. " A Message from Mars," by universil request, will be produced tomorrow night, when the brief season will terminate.