Amusements.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1975, 4 May 1875, Page 2

Amusements.

THEATRE ItOYAL.

•■■- The popular drama " East" Lynne " was performed by the De Lias Company last night to a large house, the stalls being.crowded by. the elite of the Thames. Mrs George Darrell appeared in her favorite double impersonation of Lady Isabel and Madame Vine, and was very effective in the representation. . It is a pathetic story, and that lady's acting struck home to the hearts of many, causing that pleasurable melancholy in which inconsistent human nature will take delight. " East Lynne," however, is not aIL pathos, tho author having blended' passion and humour in its construction with'admirable taste and genius.' The character of Cornelia, .for instance, as po-1 rayed . by Mrs Charles Jones,, is perfectly irresistible in.its' comicality, and provoked genuine merriment during the evening;. Mrs Jones has established for herself' a lasting reputation in Australia as " old lady," and her performances here bear ample testimony to the strength of the foundation upon which that reputation is., based, i Her, appearance last night was the signal for unrestrained merriment. In the'scene with Sir Fran-! Cis Lcvison (Mr Darrell), particularly, her acting was excruciatingly comical. Nothing more funny thaa her carriage and general bearing towards -Sir Francis could be imagined; and bursts of laughter ishook the house as the little piece of business between the two was passing, •and during" which, Mrs Jones, as the matron of dignity, maintained a supernatural" sternness of appearance that" was truly killing. Sir Francis Levison suffered nothing materially in the hands of jMr Darrell, but be did not appear to so great advantage in-that character as in Macbeth, his performance of- which was noticed .at length in yesterday's issue. Strangely enough, Mr Darrell now seems more in hiselemcnt when in the " heavy business.'.' of his profession, although, it mustbe"admitted- that his personation of Claud Melnotte in the Lady of Lyons was a great' success, and that character can scarcely be characterised as " heavy." Miss Clara Stephenson, in whom M De Lias has a valuable acquisition to.his company, appeared in a character in which her superiority as an actrens of longstanding reputation - shone conspicuously, namely, that of Barbara Hare, the second wife of Archibald and the innocent cause of all the misery whicK befell the unfortunate and. "rashly importunate" Lady Isabel. .Her youthful and attractive appearance added, greatly-to the" charm of an character, which was portrayed with a natural grace and feeling that did Miss Stephenson infinite credit. Miss Fatty Holt enacted the role of Joyce, waiting maid No. 1.; ,Miss Ma^ijie Knight, that of waiting maid No. 2 ; and charming little waiting maids they were. Miss Holt's acting in the second act, in which she haYto mourn : the loss of her mistress, was very good. Mr Aveling succeeded well as Mr Carlyle, speaking Mid conducting himself naturally as a gentleman might be expected to do, and not calling to his aid any of the singular mouthing characteristics of not a few stajje lights, who consider it necessary to be ai unlike. anything human as some of the paintings of the Old Masters" are said to be by Mark Twain in his "Innocents Abroad." Mr Oily Deering's duties were'very light; he only made" a brief appearance as the uncle of Lady Isabel, and therefore does n«t call for special mention. It is doubtless in the mind of the management to produce a piece during the. season in which Mr Deering will have an opportunity of displaying his low comedy powers. To-night a treat is in store for the public. Shakespeare's ",liomeo and Juliet" is to be produced. A largo and fashionable audience will in all probability be collected to witness this play, one of the choicest in the collection.