New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-04
THE LONDON STAGE


rather than eatirtzed at the ST. yaunAn
Theatre. The play Is Eccentric Lord
Cornberdane." by Mr. Carton. and u
provides agreeable foolins with exoeaL
lent comedy acting and three hrulisnsl
sets of stage scenery-the lounge OF Z.
seaside hotel, reception room with
balcony overlooking the ocean and finally
the deck of a steam yacht. II - q.
broadly humorous take-of on sensA|
tiona fiction and is adequately ex-l
plainsd . moment before the fail OF tbs
curtain by the pointed question. ~Donr
you feel as if we'd been bought for -
shilling OF q railway bookStall?~ YETI
its atractiveness for audiences lies In
the fact that 1T is itself a lively novel;.
cite of romantic adventure, NIhilis: In
trigue against a Russian princess and tbs
Vaccinations OF a gang OF cracksrnen
for the recovery of stolen jewels. Theirs
is witty dialogue with unexpected turns
there IS ingenuity IN the bizarre inci~f
dents md cornical byplay; and the most
hopeless victims OF Mr.. Cartons practi-.
cal joking are obtuse critics. who per-
sist n taking a serious view Of the
parody.
Lord Comberdenes eccentricity lies irp
lis practice Of paying double for every
thing and engaging a skipper Efthou1
recommendations. and in his sasernass
Ito turn life az nearly as may be into =
novel; He has bought yacht for tbs
purpose of visiting an Island In the Pa
cifie with three friends-a Member oo
Parliament q drawing room dawdIer-
and a pretty girl: and to these COM
panions for the cruise are added a
marchioness and a grand duchess, whom
he has rescued from a, hotel by knot
ting sheets into ropes and letting then1
down from the balcony When the
refugees are once on board the yacht. tbs
captain and the crew are Transformed
into pirates and accompIices Of a gang
Of Jewel robbers, and the owner and his
guests are at their mercy until a battle
ship is sighted and the maTchioness sur
reptitiously raises signal of distress.
which brings a boat crew Of marines
alongside. Lord Comberdene. who has
snatched a pistol from the pirate skip
per's hand, is now in readiness for a
sentimental ending. Alas, the grand
duchess is already betrothed TO a Rus
sian prince and can merely blush and,
whisper her thanks The writers OF
penny novelties could easily give Mr..
Carton a pointer at the final stage
The black box is the chief mystery ot
the piece. and incidentally the best joke
The marchioness is expecting from ths
Foreign Office a package Of secret papers
TO be delivered with the grand duchess
to Prince Melikoff. Three accomplices.
in jewel robbery are also looking for a,
box containing the stolen heirlooms,
which is TO be handed to Nine Pigache..
their handsomely dressed pal" Both
the marchionesS and the cracksmen have
been endeayoring to charter the yaehr
for the sake of escaping with the box OF,
jewels or papers; but the eccentrio
nobleman has anticipated them by pur-4
chasing il outright at double price. The
ma rchioness receives the box from the
unknown messenger, and the dullessi
spectator knows instinctiveiy that il
does not contain the secret papers. but
her husbands heirioonns. Piuuins hinl-
self upon his acuteness the playgDer
watches the successive attempts of ALIna,
steal the box, and the piraticaI plot on
shipboard for gaining possession OF IT.
In the end Prince Melikoff declines TO
receive 1t, and when it is opened the
jewels are momentarily disclosed as the
curtain is rung down. What the de-
Ceived pIaygoer has regarded as the
prime mystery turns out to be a detail
of no Importance.
MFR. George Alexander is a. charming
figure in this mock melodranla, and acts
with buoyancy and fine variety; Miss
Compton plays the part of the alert and
equable marchioness with dry humeT;
and all their associates are yivaciouS
and effective in the various episodes and
complications The yacht scene Is as
realistic as anything ever witnessed at
Drury Lane. 1t is the melodrarna- OF
cheap fiction without a shred of plaus-
Utility. and yet Ii goes merrily enough,
with an unCeasing flow of humor in the
lines and with all the customary thrills
of sensationalism cleverly parodied- The
directors are critical spectators, who in
sist upon having meIodrama played seri-
ously and without the atmosphere OF
dene'' ought 10 be good for holiday
traffic at the st. James's. and how easily
could companion piece for The Choc-
olate Soldier be fashioned out OF il.
Eccentric Mr.. Augustus John. with his
assiduous devotion to the cult of the
ugly and with his incoherent rhapsodieS
in paint, is not represented at the New
English Art Clubs exhibition, and con-
sequently there are no signs Of the adj
vance OF Post-Impressionist ideas and
vagaries among progressive English
painters. Mr.. Roger E. Fry. 1t is true,
has a big Phoebus panel for a ceiling at
Ardkingias, but the suggestions for il
have not come from Tahiti or the Graf
ton Galleries. but from classic Italy The
leaders are planning in their own way.
unintiuenced by meretricious styles and
fantastic fads. Mr.. Wilson Steers brill
liant landscapes bear the impress OF
masters of the English school, and 50
rich in jeweiled effects of color is his
Girl in Blue" with wistful face auburn
hair and red coral locket. that it might
easily be mistaken for a belated Pre-
Raphaeiite. Mr.. William Nicholsons