Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-31
NEW PLAYS FOR LONDON

Hon'ble PHIL" The book is ls-or
most of it-and the chief elements OF
the success of the piece are his, too.
for he has fitted himself with part
that brings out his droll humor to the
best possible advantage. There is one
good thing about the plot, too, namely,
1t doesn't even make Il bluff at being
a plot There Is something about a
summer resort island in the Mediter-
raneati or somewhere whose authori-
ties fine anybody who wears ordinary
costume, so that titled young gentle
men may quite easily be mistaken by
fascinating young ladies for base-born
boatmen. The production is distin-
gushed by the return TO the stage of
Denise Ormc. who married a peers son
Il few months ago. Eva Kelly, who
| really can act, has all too small a part
in the piece. But Huntley is most Of
the show, and is fountain of joy.
Hubert Henry Davies new play for
Mary Moore at the Criterion is a bit
! disappointing, after THE Molusc." In
Lady Epping's Lawsuit" we have the
same sort Of 81 Mary Moore part" but
without the neat, shrewd Idea that
made THE Mollusc' something more
than an evenings light entertainment.
! Lady 1ipping was a futile. fashionable,
would-be dramatist who inveighled /,
real playwright into collaborating with
her. and then sued him afterward for
anrexine her plot for himself. 1t is
u delightful skt ton certain tyne of
fuffyminded Englishwoman but Mr..
Davies has nalnted he'same type twice
before for the same actress.
III. b. Irving began his London sea-
son as an actor manager at tb,
Shafteshury on Thursday night with a
production that will probably find its
place in future histories of the stage.
The play was THE Lyons MALL. in
which Irvings father. at the age of
~ made one Of his first great succe SIS
es. III, b. is now rs. and has be-
come so like the late Sir Horny In face
and voice that the resemblance is AL
most startling. And the Younger IT.
wings performance of this robust,
ghtforward. old-fasfioned meio-
drama is no feeble imitation lof his
fathers work. but is so vigorous. cf-
tactfre and comnelling as to strengthen
the growing conviction that III. b. has
reached a point where his fathers fame
Is no LONGER llelp to him but rather
q hlndrance. The welcome extended
to irving and his wife Dorotl,ea Raird
was unmistakablv hearty, and unless
the SIGNS fail 1t Will not he long before
nc has a permanent theater in Lon
don. AT present he is busy grlbbine
among the masses Of plays sent III, tu
nun Tor Two or three that are better
than mediocre. 1t is interesting TO
note that in the cast of THE Lyons
Mali is Frank Tvars, who plays the
2,a fathsr. This same actor was with
( Henry Irving in 1917 when the latter
itrst appenred in the plav. Charles
Dodsworth is another sterling actor In
the present company who was long
with the elder Irving Even Frank.
who was Sir Henry's dresser for wears
and years, is now serving the son in
me salr,e canaeity. Bran Stoker. is
about all that is needed to make ,he
reincarnation complete-but the ami
able Bran is now mostly out of thtat-
rica1 work and is busy writing fiction.
The appearance of yet another life of
Sir Henry Irving renews speculation