AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 255, 3 December 1909, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

" OUR BOYS." FIXE WSKKM.UAXCE 111 .NEW JPEXMOUXii AiIAXtUKS. The New Plymouth amateurs were venturesome to undertake tile produs•tiou oi so venerable a comedy as "Our Hoys," because tile fashion lias somewhat changed since the ingenious Byr.'n manufactured it to suit a puolic temporarily addicted to that sort of play. But there is remarkable freshness aoout the old .comedy as a whole which has Outworn the fashion and the fustiuess is visible only here and there, as in the stiltea humor, the set-ness of the incident, and the careful patchwork of explanatory speeches. But "Belinda' alone .would excuse almost any revive! of the old play (if apology were demanded) and the real test of its being worth while to resurrect it, was to give it as modern a setting as possible without maltreating the 'book. So much by way of extenuation because the "company 7 ' have been severely criticised on t'ne ground (legitimate enough) that amateurs who have the ability to produce £0 creditably "The Magistrate" should not have to fall back on "Our Boys." The answer was to produce the comedy well enugh to silence criticism, and we believe the Amateurs have done it. There was not the freshness of their eariior effort,"and there was not the same verve. The lung sentences of declamatory humor always savour too mucn 01 the traction engine, and long sentences . are deadly traps lor amateur actors. , The. only successful spasm of it -.vis Perkyil Middlewick's description of his , "cutting-up rough." However, granting the absence of the afflatus, the play was Bplendidly produced and in every wiy was -worthy of the honorable repute of the principals. . Both productions were well patronised, last night's especially, and both audiences were highly appreciative. In no way have the Amateurs any cause to regret presenting "O.ir Boys," and while ire do not pretend to thint it as good as their production of "The - Magistrate," yet, the inevitable comparisons aside, it was a thoroughly , delightful performance. Mre. Claude Weston's "Belinda" v-ms remarkable—a delicious study of Ihe ■warm-hearted "slavey" which, after the vulvar travesty of a similar part in a similar play recently here produced, was eminently gratifying, eminently restful, and thoroughly artistic. Mrs. Weston is •mguTitrly aofe as an amateur—she is one of the ablest it has been one's fortune To see. Her make-up was careful—none of your overdone "lotid" eff;cts, none of the stocking clown effects produced by bodily distortion and torn stockings. {She got her laughs naturally, without dynamiting them out of the audience. Mrs. Weston's "Belinda" was as nearly perfect as an amateur's brief portrayal of it ever will be. She well „ deserved the bouquet she received last night. One feels nearly as enthusiastic about Mr. V. Fitzherbert's "Talbot. Champneys." He made Talbot rather too inane for the bright things he has to '' jay. but everybody does so tradition illy. First thing of all, he was made up magnificently lor tfie part; and, best of a", he acted the character with an intelligent gratp of its meaning. He kno, v "what effect he -wanted to produce, and he produced it. He was to be first the absolutely inarie fop, pampered into indolence by a stupid father's "system"; shen tEe true uian, found not wanting ihrough adversity. Throughout he was entertaining and interesting, and wh« n one remc i- i - t he had in addition is inclined ;•) •, Jiat his performance was little less than brilliant, It was pleasant to find that Mr. F. J. Easther eould be so "different" as Perkyn Middlewick. His interpretation of the retired imtterman was very real, and that is what this character at least was intended to be. it was a llawless and thorpughly interesting interpretation, nev-r bverdone an instani. The old tradesman's line- :':: ! i:.tin-selves to travesty, Jiut Mr. Las'du r was too true an artist to commit that commonest sin of modern so-called comedy. Mr. A. Af. Bradbiirv had no easy part to sustain in "Sir Geoffrey Champneys" and mostly he made an effective study of lhe character. Mr. Hill had equally a difficult role as "Charles Middlewick" (who is somehow dimly reminiscent of Joseph Surface). Therejiever was any adequate explanation ot the enduring friendship between Jiim and Talbot. Mr. Hill was fairly at home in the part and acted with erable .discretion. Miss Dora Bedford's "Violet Melrose" was leallv excellent, .and' marks a considerable impro vein .'in in her stage.manner. Extremely well cast was Miss Joyce Fitzherbert in the part of "Mary Melrose,- and she played it with perhaps more verve than any of the ladie.s of the Champneys' household She was quTle unnecessarily afraid iest her words shouTd not be heard and '"-■r [Jefforir.niiep suffered to that extent, iier manner is very natural and her gin•val bearing (,'ii-p and definite and meaningful. She suggested infinite possibili- - ; es with greater experience. Her sister,■. Jliss Long Fitzherliert. was also very r "d as "Clarissa." but the part itself is '•w of those sad "stagey" characters that nothing will redeem. Miss FitzJierbert dkf it notably well and it was free from stiffness. Messrs W. H. Jennings Bnd R. D. Coke r were creditable f.»r(Vants. The cenery was well-managed. Tho different settings were verv satisfactory, especially the baronet's drawingroom. Most of it was the work of Mr. Stevens, the furniture -which graced the stage being supplied bv the Red Post Furnishing Co. Mr. Fitzherliert's management and dueetton of the stage we T e very able and praiseworthy, but in the ■matter of the li'/hts someone was very careless. Mr. W. Perry's orchestra played some excellent music in the intervals.