New-York tribune., 1907-10-06
AT LONDON THEATRES.
SFceet Kitty BeIIairs" at Haymar-
het-ResuIt of .Sbazc Re7i7,nI

London. Oct. 5.-The most ambitious play pro-
uueeo al the Haymarket in a long period is
Sweet Kitty Bellairs" with the stage crowded
with performers. as many as a hundred appear
ING IN The military scenes The cast while much
longer than playgOers are accustomed to see in
COMEDY Is strong, Eva Moore. Louis Calvert and
aehry Neville being conspicuously good among
the company Of forty players The movement and
ViNacity of the original Castle comedy of Bath
society are reproduced with brilliant effect and
the play promises to be as popular in London
as II was in America Splendidly staged. with
stirring military scenes and a varied display
OF artistic costumes it has been received with
high favor by the first night audience.
Lawrence Irvng's bright curtain raiser
Phoenix" has been revived at the Court The
atre matinees, with his translation OF Brieux's
comedy, LES Hannetons," and each is brill
iantly enacted. Mabel Hackney being remarka-
bly, effective
Last week there succession of first
nights-Lily Brayton's appearance as Rosalind,
Lena Ashwell's return 10 the London stage in
Irene Wycherley. and the production of THE
Sugar Bowl" by Ryley, and of Alfred Sutro's
Barrier being the prominent events.
Kubelik will also have a recital at Queens
Hall before his departure for New York for his
American concert tour.
Plays in which nothing happens while every
body talks perhaps the logical sequel to the
Shaw revivals at the Savoy. one has been pro-
duced this week eXperimentally at a matinee
and is to be repeated until the public judgment
is definitely ascertained. 1t is comedy in three
acts, entitled Joy and being distinctly inferior
to "A Silver Box" has not increased Mr.. John
GalswOrthy's reputation a playwright. The
theme is painful but interesting, but nothing Is
done with it and It is finally lost sight of in
has separated from her husband and is devoted
ly attached to a daughter barely sixteen is car
rying an intrigue with lover, and the girl
finds out the truth The French dramatists
have frequently taken up this subject and have
worked out among them variety of solutions
Mr.. Galsworthy states the case and with per-
verse ingenuity keeps the three principals apart
until the last act, and even then does not al
low them to talk Of what vitality interests them.
Their characters are definitely drawn and the
conflicts of will are decisively indicated: the
mothers choice between lover and child and the
daughters passionate affection for and IN
stinctive detestation of the other, a disagree
able and Improbable problem. surely, but IL It
were handled forcibly it might interest a critical
audience not too fastidious in its for faint
ed meat. Mr.. Galsworthy creates the situation
and then runs away from It after setting every
body talking about something else. The daugh-
ter Is married off to a rich young undergraduate;
the mothers intrigue Is left in the air. with
vague menace Of her brutal husbands ultimate
return, and the lover becomes less romantic with
the increasing probabilities that the gold mine
which he has been financing may not have any
thng in Il. The play stops when every talkative
actor IS out of breath and the situation around
which It has been written has been completely
enveloped in fog.
Brilliant dialogue may redeem Mr.. Shaws
undramatic and irritating plays. but it IS left
out OF Mr.. Galsworthy's text. The talk is main
ly about the details of housekeeping. stock pro
noting and the gold mine, and the children have
their little romance. 1t IS tiresome talk.
and comes to nothing-eXcept the marriage
which takes Sweet Sixteen out OF the way
where she will not ask superfluous questions.
There is good acting-Messrs. Vedrenne and
Barker always provide this by careful selec-
ton Of players-and there is a pretty, Thames
side scene above oxford; but it all comes to
nothing. because the playwright has begun a
story and then stopped abruptly without taking
the trouble to end it or TO do anything except
TO keep up the rattle OF small talk until II Is
time for the audience 10. go home The managers
will have 10 find better plays than this If they
have any hope OF making the Savoy d strong
hold Of intellectual drama. I. y. f.