The morning call., 1890-07-08
THE THEATRES.
"Captain Swift" Finds Swift
Recognition at the Baldwin.
I" Ny Best Friend" at the Alcazar-Production
of Indigo" at the Tivoli-Business
at the Other Houses.

Mr.. R. Haddon Chambers play, Gap
tain Swift" as presented to large and
fashionable audience at the Baldwin last
evening. may be called good piece of
work made out OF fimsy material. A
Queensland bushranger. with price
set on his head, escapes from the COL
onies to England with vague desire
to lead better life. and essays to go
so under the name of Mr.. Wilding. Chance
throws him in the way of the Seabrooke
family; that chance being the saving of
the life of Seabrooke pere. imperiled by
runaway horses. He meets his fate here.
Mrs Seabrooke proves to be his mother.
previous to her wedding Mr.. Seabrooke.
He is Legitimate. The situation is COM
plicated by his falling in love with
Stella Darbisher,I Mrs. Seabrooke's niece
and ward; also by the unex-
pected presence in the house of Mr..
Gardner. a Queensland squatter, who
had encountered Captain Swift in the
pursuit of his business, in the colony, and
knew he aud Wilding were one and the
same person, but discreetly holds his
tongue. Mr.. Seabrooke's butler, Marshall,
dropped, as WE'LL on the fact that Wilding
was the illegitimate who had been cast
adrift on the world. hates him and is de-
termined to hunt him to the death. AS the
difficulties of his position thicken around
Wilding, alias Marshall, alias Captain
Swift in the last act. he meets them by
committing suicide. This is rough-cast
version of the plot.
IN ITS EVOLUTION
The company did some exemplary work.
We had in Mr.. Maurice Barrymore, the
disguised Captain Swift. fine specimen OF
strong and picturesque acting. He ran the
gauntlet of suspicion and distrust while a
guest of the SeabrO0ke family, both at the
town house, London, and FernShawe, the
country house, with admirable sang-froid,
with only one outcropping OF Il rough touch
of the bush, and that was IN the
interview in the second act with Marshall,
the butler when the latter charged home
on him by undeniable proofs his identity.
1t was very vigorous scene, in which
Wilding forgot himself for the nonce and
sought to throttle Marshall. This part (the
butler) was sustained by that very COM
petent actor, Mr.. j. II. StOddart. 1t may
be called somewhat below his range, but he
put great deal of life and color i'll it. Mr..
SeaDrOoke. played by Mr.. Frederic Robin
son, a country gentleman, purbllnd
and approaching senility, IS admlra-
Bile as character sketch. Harry
Seabrooke, his son (Mr Henry Woodruff,
is a sort of vealy part. He quarrelS with
Wilding, because when he first saw the
man he disliked him, and, secondly, be-
cause the Queenslander falls in love with
Stella, as one of the steps toward re-
formed life, and Master Harry mad already
a tenderness in that quarter. Woodruff
makes a very good pers0naliOn Of an i'm
pulsiye, inexperienced boy. Mr.. E. Nj.
Hollands Gardener, Queensland squatter,
known to the SeabroOkeS from early life, is,
by all odds, the best carried personation in
the cast. The playwright has bestowed
more than ordinary pains in celebrating
the character, and the actor who is inter
preting his ideas at present meets the
author more than half way.
THE LADIES IN THE CAST
Made deep impression on the audience.
The scene where Mrs. Seabrooke Miss Ada
Dyns) confesses her early fault, on her
knees before her forsaken son, was the
most effective in the many telling bits that
occur in the course of the piece. Miss
Dyas is an actress that riyetS ones atten-
ti0n instantly by the complete grasp she
has of the subject, and the nicely
and finish of the detail with which she
treats it. Miss Mamie CraddOck as
Stella, Miss Maud Harrison as Ma.
bel Seabrooke, and Mrs. E. |. Phillips,
as Lady StauntOn ian admirer and friend OF
the family, had not much to do in their re-
spectiYe assignments, but the slight demand
made upon them was neatly and promptly
met. The scene between Wilding Barry
more) and his mother Miss Ada Dyas) led
to the curtain being raised for three recalls.
1t was a deserved compliment. But 1t
would seem all the members OF this capable
company are ON the best terms with the
audience, as each, on entrance was received
with continued applause. Captain Swift
Will be repeated this evening.