AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 166, 7 August 1909, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

"THE WOMAN PAYS." The (ieach-Marlow Premier Dramatic Organisation opened a two nights' season at the Theatre Royal last evening. The night was exceedingly bleak, nevertheless there was a lair attendance. " The Woman Pays" is a most attractive tour-act drama, and as staged by the Ueaeh-Marlow combination is worth "0ing a long way to witness. The pfay is beautilully mounted, some of the scenes being most realistic—that depicting the storm at sea and the shipwrecked mariner being a splendid piece of stagecraft. All the characters were well interpreted. The plot is simple. The daughter of an English squire secretly falls iiulove with Sid Armstrong, an honest fSlierman, whom she marries. The steward at the manor house. Roger Marcliai.t (Mr. Ken. Hunter) also becomes attached to the squire's daughter, and in declaring his passion to the lady is informed that she is the wife of Armstrong. Marchant proceeds to lay deep schemes for the removal of Armstrong, but there is another woman in the case, Xell Morcland, whose life has been ruined by the steward, and, like all stage villains, his schemes are discovered only just in time to prevent him duping all parties. In the meantime Armstrong and his wife disowned by the squire, are soon in the toils of poverty. Armstrong goes to sea, and during a great storm all lurads are supposed to be lost, excepting one Luke Moreland, father of the. girl whom the steward has played false. After threo years have gone by the squire finds him self in financial difficulties, which threaten the loss of the ancestral home, and in his dilemma he unburdens his position to the steward. The latter pro miscs, on condition of securing the band of the squire's daughter (Mrs. Armstrong), to pay off the money-lenders. Mrs. Armstrong (Miss Maud Applcton) offers to make the sacrifice to save the fair name of her father The mnrriagc ceremony is just completed when Armstrong returns to the village and comes face to face with the parties. The steward had hinted to Armstrong before going lo sea that the lattcr's wife had more than a passing fancy for the village doctor, and had thus sown the seed of jealousy in the mind of Armstrong. Another piece of villainy performed by the steward was the murder of the postman to secure an important letter of the squire's containing money sent him by his brother m Canada. The steward was unaware that his act was witnessed by a photographer, Mickey Maloney, who had hidden in a tree for fear of being caught trespassing. This character was played by Mr. .T. P. O'Neill, and as a comedian he is certainly the best that has been seen here, his great good humor, facial contortion and fine brogue all being of conspicuous merit. The part of Polly Stokes (a good sort') was played by Miss Ethel Buckley, her acting bejug of a bright and clever order. Just when all the arrangements of the steward appear to be going particularly well, the crash comes ' and the curtain rings down upon a scene where all parties have received their just dues and all wrongs been righted. TO-NIGHT i the company will stage the everpopulai . " East Lynne."