New-York tribune., 1911-03-12
LONDON PLAYS
Good Acting on Many Stauea
London, Februayv

elys the Magnificent" at the c,ol.
is not fresh masquerade for Mr. I.,s.
Waller. for under many titles h. A..
been playing the same part for w.
with gallant mien and resoundine ra..
The costumes and scenery Are y,r,,
with the historic periods, but the ,v..
gering cavalier and winsome lady tn,..
is ever the same, toasting the unk,o,.
charmer with joyous acclaim, trailing "a.
cloak through loggia and boudolr ems,.
ing from dark corners with 1ass,,.
sword. pursuing the we'll beloved v,,,
heroic ardor and 'riunphing glorioy,
over his enemies after he has been co,,
demned to death. Experience and ra,r
raj gifts have made Mr.. Waller per,s,
In this part, and pit galleries and star,
follow every stride. gesture and rneloN
Gus phrase with affectionate pride an,
reward him with rounds Of spplaw
when the curtain falls. Hai d.ome Al,
gallant Is he indeed in the Louis XIr
costumes. and radiantly beautiful Is Ns
Madge Titheradge as the jealous by,
forgiving heroine; and rich In farca,
humor is Miss Lottie yenne, With y.
grimaces, squeals and juggling geeturs
as a worldly dowager.
Popular and almost necessary 40 N
costume plays for actor manager Es
Mr.. II. 3. Irving. Mr.. Fred Tery ar,
Mr.. Gerald du Maurier, II Is an age.
able change when Mr.. oscar Asche o..
stitutes "The Merry Wives Of wlntxr
for Count Hannibal" at the GanH
His first notable success in London W
won in THE Tanning Of the Shrev, u.
in due time there has come more y.
sistently farcical study OF Falstan ht
not the nimble- witted. ironical Fsgs
OF the Shakespearian histories. but I,
childish and dull dotard OF the Elm
bethan farce. who is easily duped By "a
enemies and drawn into shallow u1s
and incredible blunders. Mr.. Asche tls
not copy the excessive byplay Of 81
Herbert Tree. and yet reveals the esr.
tial qualities or inordinate sss'
whimsical irresponsibility. guileles en-
dulity and racy humor. II Is an I'll
genious and resourceful impersonsc:|
that rivals Sir Herbert Trees In theat.
cal effectiveness and comic spirit Ts|
brushwork is broader in sweep, the re-,
ism IS more convincing when the degs.|
eracv Of a keen intellect is denoted al
the humor is less eccentric and rn|
! spontaneous. Miss Lily Brayton is rss|
vivacious as a merry wife and the or
pany is an excellent one. The trsnsts|
from summer to winter is novelty Il
the setting.
Among the new plays is little tir'
at the Court Theatre which offers cor
relief for Mr.. John Masetields scre
drama of peasant life. Nan" This
"Rococo," by Mr.. Granville BARK
opening with a whimsical wransk @s
| a vase. in which a disputatious vca'
knocked down and several eIS',
women are vigorously cuffed. AiS
brief armistice. during which the''
pickering over a legacy, hostilltles
resumed hand and foot. and the cow
vase Is smashed. This is better mas'
than is found in the new curtain ns
at the Prince of Wales's Theatre
is "A Near Thing" by Mr Charn
Dickinson. In which the daughter q
English earl masquerades as s7
gamin, attempts 10 break into +"
; eller's shop and retreats by way
. water spout into an adjacent nat
. that is only the beginning OF long y
E of improbabilities. Good acting M "s
on anything so yacuous ana prep~'
Gus.
, Miss Margaret Mayo's American ]"
Baby Mine" with its fragrant ''o''''
. of good taste and its wild preaedn'
J has been saved al the Criterion
insinuating mcekness oi MI
Grossmith and the high spirits Oh no
sociates On the opening night ~
greeted with continuous guhs's
/ thouehtless laughter. The mef''"'.''
creased with every fresh doll. and e
when the curtain fell for 'he '"s'
rho audience had not found leisure
sober second thought. \ iua'e'V''
ure was Mr.. Calthrop. in his rhapS-
ovar twins and ,riplets. and drolla
was tho lueubrious and lowy
/ Grossmith in his tromors OF O"'
and in his despairing struggles VIZ.
vers,tv The well acted but unp''S :,
farce was preceded by eyn'' q.
n,oco , nv yr. Brookiield, a Young ' &
Of Seventeen" in which me 'e'' n.
was done by a gramophone penn" g., ),
scenes I'm releasing Mr. Sh'''
trey's familiar voice. ,,,.s
The most 1tspui " - -
this week i'm the new pid's :,
Uinosway Afr Lawrence Irving
has made greater progress IN e's &C.,
ing tho last two years tran '"' ~
,"s INK 'ru rug,isr stage. has fairly els'r.
first nlsht audience win n,s
soration of the selfish Old ,.s.:
Maisny in The Lily fose' ,,.,.
gesture. cynical smile ana l'u'- ,.e,s
,ris,ocra,ic breeding vividly s'r ,.,cs.
complex character The eomeu' . ,orsj
! are subtle and the overoea''.' ,ne<
the morbid voluptuary ana ~, A.
martinez is denoted with mas' .,,.s,
inv. II is little less than st ~
OF extraordinary vi,ality--scI',v.is ,s,. d y
Sir Henry irving might have as's !. ~
hes, wears. The ac,cr-manasecr ecr.,sss
erfuuy supported by MISS ,.,, ~
onims and Miss Mabel Hackne% s,,.,' n
daughters of the cynical sensOs s.r trs
elder daughters defence o' mss,
sister Is al once natura' u ..dS
moving i'm gentle persuss''."'A. A.ufbrs
.,, ,.ourger us"s