The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1883-10-06 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

NEW AMIAMBEA. THEATRE.—During the week Mr. E. F. Brady, the celebrated Irish comcalian has been pe,formia g with a high-class compa ;y to very fair houses. Oa Monday and Tuesday " Home Rule" was produced with thrilling interest. On Wednesday "Hue and Cry" was given, and on Thursday and last night the well-known frigh drama the "Colleen Ba,wn" was well rendered. Tonight (Saturday), "Hie and Cry" will be again presented, to be followed by "Born to Cruelty. In an original English drama, entitled the Hue and Cry" by E. F. Brady (we quote the programme) a will has been found which disinherits Frederick Chesney unless he marries his cousin, or in the event of his death, the estate goes to his uncle and guirdian, a retired Indian officer, and his aunt, a young widow with a little son. This widow luta lately been:enticed into marring? with one Venix, a needy law student. Frederick has married privately in:lreland a year previously, Ellie Desmond, whose twin sister Mary, both of humble Tigin by the way, is also wedded to one Kit Roche, a pour turf tarter. The discovery ol the will calls Frederick to London, where a telegram snaouuces to him the birth of a daughter. ZA month lator Kit brings t:ie sad news of Ellio's death in child birth and of idur's sufiseated or a dasalits tike Page  day. According to Ellie's dying wish, Kit gives Frederick her marriage lines. The villian Venix, that his wife may immediately inherit her share of Fred's property, shoots him and tears one half of Ellie's certifisafe from his gr tsp. Fred gives the remaining portion to Kit on his return and expires. Kit is accused of the e;isne; he flies to his own house, which he finds has been plundered, and his wife murdered by burglars, though the two infants are safe in their cot, But horror ! he cannot tell which baby is his own The police break in the door, the house revolves, discovering Kit with the two child ren escaping from the back window, a capitally managed mechanical effect. Seventeen years elapse, Venix has squandered the fortune of his wife, who dies of a broken heart. He is in danger of arrest for forgery, and applies to Lis stepson Cavel, for two thousand pounds. Cavel, for the sake of avoiding disgrace, agrees to borrow the money of a boat builder, named Cusack. Cusack turns out to be our old friend Kit, who has reared the two girls, 1 "Bud" and "Petal" as he has named them, but, 1 they know him only as their uncle. Pecal has re- 1 urneeet rom an engag( meat asg vernee, where she has fallen the victim of a seducer, through a false marriage. This disclosure ovcr alislmes Kit, who relates to the girls their history for the first time and his hope of one day discovering his patron's family by the half of the marriage certificate, which Petal with a cry of despair confesses she has stolen and given to her betrayer. Kit, frantic at this, seizes a gun to shiest her when Cavel and Venix call to borrow the two thousand pounds. Petal, in the latter discsvers her seducer, and Kit recognises him as his master's assassin. In act 3, i Venix endeavours to extort money from the general I by showing the fragments of Frederick's marriage lines, and threatening to produce his daughter, of ; course, the heiress. Kit pursues Venir to the 1 generals and there recognises in his murdered patron whose real name, though known to his wife, Kit never learned Bud is proved to be Fred's child by the death bed confession of a drunken nurse. Venix denounces Kit to the police as the man described in the "Hue and Cry," and wanted for murder and further to involve him, goes to his boat shed on the Thames to conceal an infernal machine, having given information that Kit was in the dynamite conspiracy. Venix here encounters his vistim, Petal, about tcscommit suicide. She fires the machine, the shed is destroyed, burying Venix in the wreck. Kit having beeu cleared of Venix's charge, saves Petal from the burning ruins, thus bringing down the curtain on a mcst effective situation. In Kit, Mr. Brady has a part that fits him like a glove, the little touches of humour and pathos are given with that delicate fiaish, which is only ut f ,nl in an actor of exper:ence and versatility. Miss Tierney was no less successful its "Sop" Kit's romantic "slevey" who steals his candles to read the "penny drea,dfuls," the jig ie the sscond act brieging down the house. The piece is well acted throughout ila 3 turf battle and the destruction of the boat shed being realistic and exciting effects. SVe congratulate Mr. Brady on the "Hue end Cry," which is far superior to his "Home Hal THE Swiss