The Northern Guardian. — 1892-09-27 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THEATRE ROYAL, WEST  HARTLEPOOL  "THE WHIPPING POST."  Yesterday evening Messrs T. W. Ford and Arthur's Company appeared in the above-named I piece. "The Whipping Post" is stated to be a startling military drama, and certainly, if stirring , incidents go for anything, it fully deserves its description. In it we see many rather familiar i elements, but, on the whole, the play possseses the 1 qualities of interest, originality, and vivid picturesqueness which are so essential to the success of any drama of the kind. The story is one of man's villany, of women's wrongs, and of revenge for injuries sustained by more than one personage. I Mary Elolmcroft, the daughter of a widow living 1 in a quiet little Berkshire village, meets with a certain Colonel le Grand, and marries him thinking that he is a single man. After a brief period he tells her the truth, that he is, in reality, j married already, and that his marriage with her is merely a device for her moral destruction. Her I brother, in the meantime, having quarrelled with his friends, takes the Queen's shilling and enters the army as a private soldier. The scene then I changes to India, whither Mary Holmcroft has I gone in the capacity of companion to Lady I Constance he Grand, the wife of her betrayer, and there meets with her brother, who is in COL le Grand's regiment. She tells him the story of her wrongs, and he, after vowing vengeance on le Grand's head, denounces and strikes him before his assembled guests. He is aided in gaining admittance to the colonel's quarters for this purpose by Rhonan al Hassar, a Mahommedan servant, who owes le Grand a bitter meed of hatred. Of course, to strike a superior officer constitutes very serious offence against the military law, and Harry Holmcroft is tried by court-martial, and although he is not sentenced to death, he is ordered to receive fifty lashes with the cat. The scene in which these are inflicted is one of the most powerful in the play, and brings forcibly to one's mind the days, happily long past, when the British soldier could be tied to the triangle and flogged like a dog for nearly every offence, however trivial, in the military code. Harry, half-dead, is cut down from the triangle, or "whipping post," by Dr. O'Brierdon, a good-hearted old Irish medico, before the full number of strokes have been inflicted, in spite of Col. le Grand. Afterwards, aided by Rhonan al Hamar, Holmcroft lures le Grand to a ruined temple where he challenges him to fight. The conflict takes place—south to say, it is somewhat. of a " Crummles combat " and he Grand is wounded. He treacherously attempts to murder Holincroft, who has spared his life, but is slain by the Mahommedan. It need hardly be said that the play ends with the restoration of Mary Holmcroft and her brother to England and their friends. As will be seen by the above, the play is a sufficiently exciting one, and it is well played by a capital company. /41r .Cecil Lloyd as Col. he Grand is very fine, and shows the good soldier but bad man to perfection' while the performance of Mr Hugh Carmichael as Harry Holmcroft was thoroughly manly and convincing. But the palm for histrionic power must be given to Miss Adelaide Ross as Rhonan al Hassar, the Mahommedan servant,Whose just revenge is consumated by the death of le Grand. Gifted with a fine voice and strong dramatic instinct, the lady seems to have a future before her. Mr T. W. Ford was delightfully humorous as the old Irish doctor, O'Brierdon, while Mr W. Franklin (Admiral Fitzharding), Mr G. Prescott (Captain Wentworth), Mr J. Frean and Mr H. Grainger (Viscount Heatherley and Lord Holfrew, respectively, a couple of larky, dandiacal midshipmen), Mr F. N. Hunter (Andy Opkins), and Mr T. Sheridoss (Giles) all filled their parts well. Miss innie Watersford showed pathetic power as Mary Holmcroft, the heroine of the piece ; and Miss K. Beresford (Mrs Holmcroft), Miss F. Atkinson (Nelly Somers), Miss Ada Rivers (Lady Constance he Grand), and Miss Amy Wilson (Mrs , Fitzharding) were also good.