"THE LITTLE STRANGER."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8327, 9 January 1907, Page 5

"THE LITTLE STRANGER."

The Town Hall was crowded, last evening, when Messrs Meynell, Gunn. and Varna's new English Comedy Company produced, for the first timein Masterton, "The Little Stranger." The play, which is a ridiculously funny farce, was much enjoyed by the audience. It is far-fetched, but cleverly conceived, j and impossible to resist as a provoker of laughter. The author's imagination has given him a peculiarly humorous theme, and I he has made the utmost of it. Shortly, it consists in having a man-midget substituted for a three-year-old infant. Whereas the real child cannot even speak, its imper- [ sonator is an old hand at that, and many other accomplishments of an ordinary full-grown man. The bogus baby scares the real infant's mother, and nurse, and grandfather, and / grandmother, and all their friends into hysterics, when he takes charge of the household. Mixed up with the general fun of it all there is a deal of' burlesque spiritualistic experimenting in which "The Little Stranger" plays a prominent part. Master Willie Parke, a very small boy of nine summers, was a clever "Little Stranger." He was agile in tongue, lithe of limb, and. made the adults of his world dance to a merry tune. The most meritorious characterisation was Mr Harry Hill's Paul Vronsky. His make-up, especially with the pale moonlight on his face, savoured of the spirit world, and his voicing, his posing, his gestures, were true to type. Mr James Lindsay made a splendid Alec Howard. Mr Conway Wingfield made a good conventional father, of the devoted order. Miss Violet Dene was likeable in the role of Mrs Dick Allenby. Miss E. Quin, as a nurse, and Mr Frank Hawthorne, as a butler, well filled their parts, and supplied much genuine fun. Mr John .W. Deverell was a comic, caustic General, spending his declining years in entreating people not to excite him. Mr H. Halley, as Sir George Peacock, one of the Soulhunters, was quite comfortable in the old nobleman's clothes. Miss Florence Leigh (Mrs Allenby, sen.), Miss Bernard (Lady Peacock), and Miss Helen Russell (Effie Peacock) also pleased the audience.