ENTERTAINMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2254, 28 July 1908, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

“THE PRINCE CHAP.”

A play that deals with real life, a comedy lull of smiles, tears, naturalness, and human tenderness would perhaps describe “The Prince Chap” as staged by Mr. Harry Roberts and the members of his dramatic company at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening. The building was crowded, and the audience fully enjoyed the charming story that was unfolded. The plot contains no extravagant element of humor, the pathos is not overdrawn, but there is‘a happy blending of pain and pleasantry that alternately moves the audience to tears, and convulsive laughter. The story is simple and* very natural. The hero is a hard-working sculptor who finds himself placed in a situation curioim and embarrassing. . While at work in his studio there enters a former model, Mrs. Harrington. She is dying, and begs him to take care of her five-year-old daughter. The curtain falls for a moment, and when the stage is once more occupied there enters a bonny little baby girl whose winsomeness neither the sculptor nor the audience can resist. The child at once makes friends, calls her newly-found friend “daddy,” and asks the most childish and perplexing questions. To keep the little ginl from asking for her dead mother the sculptor tells her a story about a prince chap who ha 3 fallen in love with a “Princess Alice”; but which is really the story of his own life. The child continues to grow into the affections of her new “daddy,” but the “Princess,” in the person of “Miss Alice Travers,” comes to the studio, shows her jealousy of the child, and demands that she be sent away. This the sculptor refuses to do, and receives from the “Princess” as a Christmas present his letters and his ring. Thirteen years pass, the child has grown to charming womanhood, the sculptor’s love for the child turns to love for the woman, and all ends as all love stories should end. Tho language of the play is wonderfully free and natural, the situations are homely, and the interest and humor maintained to the end. Upon Mr. Harry Roberts, as the sculptor, William Peyton, the heaviest work of the play falls. The other male characters are subordinate, and Dir. Roberts is the central figure around whose impersonation the story is encircled. The part of William Peyton is a heavy and difficult one, calling for light "touches of comedy work in his tender care of the child, and heavier scenes in his parting from his “Princess,” when she asks that lie should put away tho one little ray of sunshine that lias entered his studio. Throughout the whole of tho three acts Mr. Roberts’ work was full of merit. His playing with bis adopted playmate was natural to a degree, and.Jiis more emotional parting with Miss Travers was convincingly and cleverly done. Mr. Roberts" at once established himself as a favorite with Gisborne audiences, and a return visit would be looked forward to with keen appreciation. The larger share of-the comedy work devolves upon -Miss Mary Keogh, in the part of Phoebe "Puckers, a conventional hoarding-house servant, with the temperament of an artist whose one desire in life is to he a model. Her humor was side-split tin" and her acting received well-merited applause. The part of the orphan child “Claudia” is interpreted by two clover elijldren, and afterwards by Miss Justin a Wayne. This is necessary as the audience sees the child grow up. In the first act little Vera Huggett, almost a baby, .shows wonderful intelligence in the work. The’ sculptured figures in the studio, arc, to her, “dollies,” and her two great delights are bread nnd jam and fairy stories. In the second act tho child is three years older, and in then impersonated by little Beryl Yates. Her desires include a pony and trap, and .innumerable toys from Santa Claus, though at times she expresses doubt about tile tence of such a person. Miss Yates’ conception of a. petted child was exceedingly clever. The heavier work of the play of “Claudia” falls upon Miss Wayno, who impersonates her at womanhood, and whose acting showed great histrionic power. Mr. Frank Lamb gave a careful and well-studied representation of tho mail-servant “Bunion.” Miss Vera Reniee was a good “Alico Travers,” and Miss Florence Redfern filled the small part of “Mrs. Harrington.” The othercharacteis were “The Earl of Hennnigford,” Mr. A. E. Greenaway: Ballington,” “Yadder,” and “Iritz, Messrs F. Francis, S. Clyde, and Ci. Stanford respectively, while Mr. U • A. Charles played a small part as a porter. The play was well mounted in every detail. “THE CASE OF REBELLIOUS SUSAN.” To-night (tho last of the present season) Mr. Roberts will appear as Hir Richard Kato, JC.C., in The Case of Rebellious Susan,” a comedy by Mr. Arthur Henry Jones. The play deals, in a humorous manner, with the suffragist question, and all the company are fitted with' strong parts.