Theatre Royal.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7766, 18 March 1905, Page 2

Theatre Royal.

- Til 1C FACK AT THK WINDOW." | As a powerfully written i ( ml thrilling detective play, '"I he Face at the Window," produced for the lirst time id New l'lymouth at the Theatre lloyal on Friday evening would bo haitl to excoK The play, abounding in dramatic situations of absorbing interest, holds the audience spellbound, and tho production has excited considerate comment by reason of its departure from the common path. The story is woven round the unravelling by the most celebrated French detective of his time of mysterious murders, a ghastly feature of them being the appearance at the time the deeds hero committed of an awe-inspiring lace at the window. Finally, the detective, with, .retnarkap>!c skill, elucidates the murder of the rich banker, with which the play more more particularly deals, but before he can denounce liim is himself nsJtissMvUoil when in tjie very u.ct jof writing down the murderer's name. I Then comes the wird part of the. story. Dr. Le Itlunc, a friend ol jtho stricken men, has, *ufter many years of experiments with the effect of Electricity upon the human system,, evolved tho thfcory that even ufter death it is, possible to restore lffi'e sufficiently to make the | muscles carry out or complete tho ,idca that was uppermost in the .brain at the time of death. His marvellous experiment is entirely jsuccessful. A pen is placed in the hands of the corpse, and when the I electric current is applied tihe murdered detective rises in his bed and completes the name of his assusrfn. jl' renzicd at this evidence from tho very grave itself, the latter rushes forward to stuy the accusing Jiund. |He receives the full force of th; I tremendous current , and /alls to the ground electrocuted, a highly sensational climax.

| the character of the famous detective demanded considerable histrionic ability, but Mr «eo : . Cross was lully e'qun.l to the tusk of thaiKllijijr the part very ably. Mr Edmund Uuggan had perhaps the moat difficult role to fill as- the murderer, the Uunahor Lucio Delgudo, und it must be sukl that his impersonation was a really admirable one ; as the keen, liiupei'.itous, and terrible f or _ ( eijjncr, who stayed at nothing to gain his own endsi, and was victorious until almost the last moment hewas forceMl and convincing thioughout. As Luoien Collier, the discharged clerk, and lover of the bunkers daughter, Mr (i.xliVcv ,Cass had an easier task, but plnve'd , 10,0 01 11 manly and chivalrous Ir'l.'u l ' UKC ''', l ° n , ssist 11,0 detective in his quest, and bravely endurin* 1 suspicion oh his naiue ami teinpoiary parting from his Ix-trothed, , with considerable success. Miss Ada , Guildiord, as tlio bunker'* daughter ,who defended her lover's name ami writ", f o , ' e, I ' ul r l tEu l"uw"i T ,tul,al .'' aml ''M'osed the ,iatlU s idlse professions of friendship was also well placed, nm | was •01, ,r°' e t ' o, l v " lci »K '!• the lover's , n u ," ! R ' l»'cvious evening. Mi L. 1. O Neil provided a fund of humour as Peter Pottieburg. Mis" French "i"*, "> '<"« •tiuicli maid character. The stufiinir was on the whole very cUffi? and the subsidiary characters suitably mlamhuned.

clnde S n e,l '" g Ul ° co,l> l«>ny will conlude iht-ir season will, 'Through Ine Divorce Court."

COOPfcirs UIOORAPH COMPANY

I ihe above well-known company perrl.l.o?4 weok at Mid- . i i i°' and I'renui, and shortly m -New Plymouth. Mr Cooper is the oldest unimuled picture entertainer in the colony, and ii enutjlod to credit for being the ,Cre i P " to^' UU iU " is illeiL is not an ovent mi' interest, of sU.Ttn s excitenant that has i;™ MM thin the last seven years but Mr tooper has had reproduce and | thrown' on the screen ut Ji, .taininenls. JJi s hist, ' ' record for New Zealand, ha iie i'e ng the ua . SOJIgS wi " bu n-'noenxi dur-" will J.'., , VI k novvn baritone "Pirated soll „ s u Jy attracti' a most dy, tragx'dv i,,,", Prices are lixol i llle( ' melody. "' L " M,J «»it all classes.