The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1913-09-10 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

AMUSEMENTS.  New Theatre Royal.  Ecis4p`.7  • "The hours I spent with thee, dear heart. Are as a etring of pearls to me, I 'coirrit*them-Ove'r, every one apart, My =Rosary, my •Rosary." • These -words -are' taken from the. beautiful- -strosr. "The Rosary.' which :has during the past -turo•-years become._ so iifl-. mensely popular all over the world. The, lausie,, .4 both; plaintive and haunting, and "4" PaeP religious • fervour • contained- ill the words jives ample scope for. Cap *ion. The song give inspiration to Mr.. Edward: E. Rose, who wrote.. the 'PieY founded on the words which: IS .kirjAir ;tented- by', the , original ' player. 'IF,- ""9"", 1 Glen:dinning. at 'the New. Theatre .linyel this . week: It has. enjoyed. enormous cess in•Amerlea-and 'Canada, 'eic.t- ' upon its first pettorrnialine. in .gniriand., the ctnere daY, has .nonslerfal'.,receptioe., to a large ,extent a, ridigious' trite*: "PP Rosary" is hill of atom Aim"Hone.' It takes one .right:Aptn -the' heart of a biles! •Anierican-fottudy._ pear*. and happiness, bat without- WarisplB-1 the canker spot is unmasked. 'This devastating power, this unseen enemy, slowly and gradually saps the strength until the will is melted, so that when doubt ard , suspicion creep in they find the evil fertile for their direct descendants,. hatred and• ,revenge, and with 'W crash the home is "hurled to 'ruin. But the one-time happy family is not left to die by the roadside. A priest, One whose .life is even to the service of mankind, comes along, and with his spiritual power smooths down the doubts and fears. Out of the .darkness' of their despair he leads the husband and wife.' Bruce and Vera Wilton; into happiness and peace once more: . Not a vacant seat' could be obtained When the curtain rose on Monday evening. It was an' eager and expectant- audience that listened .to the unfolding of this wonderfully human drama. All hearts-went:out to 4 the young wife, who vainly attempts to convince_ her. husband of her loyalty to him, and sympathy is • also felt- for the husband who is torn with ingnieli by lie bitter thoughts. But what .of 'Father Brian Kelly, the big-hearted, loveable Irish priest? He it is who stretches out the helping =hand and lifts-this ,veil of obscurity from the eyes of the husband; he it is who kills the snake in the of Eden; and he it is also who brings serene. quietude once more .into the home of the young couple wholinie gone astray. Although:- am we have- said, the -play is a religions one, the element is presented in a manner that could in no wise offend, either Catholic or Protestant susceptibilities: There- is one scene of great impressiveness. -The hos; band, believing his wife to he unfaithful, matches from her throat .the rosary he has given her upon the occasion of their wedding anniversary, and is, on the point of ending his' life. when 'the good -priest enters,: and throwing aside a curtain displays to the, would-be suicide a picture of the Saviour-knocking at the door'. So awed is :the husband that he at once drops on his knees and prays for forgiveness. The scene is wonderfully inspiring, and cannot fail to impress, the onlooker. Mr. John Glendinting is an actor of more zhan ordinary ability. He has a magnificent stage presence; ana acts with admirable forcefulness. Hinirish brogue is delightful, and, in the lighter vein he .is equally as sue -maul. As the loveable Catholie piiest he endears -himself to each- one he come into' contact. with, and is a keen student of human nature. The audience on Monday evening: were' unanimous in their opinion of -his acting, for: they- gave-him a rousing reception-,- and called 'hint' before the curtain to make a 'speech. •Mri Glendinning thanked. theist:sincerely fort their kind and warm-hearted" reception, and said it was not the first time that he had appeared in that locality, bong agn he had taken a leading- part at- the -"Rotund& Theatre, Liverpool, and be: hid alto" acted on other stages in the -district. It-was. a great plea-, sure to •him :to -cease to Birkenhead in the Dart ni Father Kelly to. once- more greet his phi frientl.Mr. W.' W. Kelly (apphsitse). The •actor ..norrotaded by; quoting kom.Ttur nYsois'it "In • • 'T''ffeld' it &tier witir bins who sings • To one clear. harp -in divers tones,. That men may rise on stepping stones, Of their dead , &Oyes' to higher things." „Those lines, he thought„ epitomised "The Rosary." • The other characters are all very ably interpreted.. Mr. Walter Hunt as Brace Wilton plays with undoubted talent., and. Miss Beatrice Burdett gives ,a passionate' rendering of the part of Vera, his 'wife. In the humorous characters Mr. Harry' Hartley and, Miss Lilian Laird are admir-. able, and the-staging of the pieceds on a lavish scale. . . . .