"Mr. Durant.
Mrs, J. F. Brian, Miss Marie Brian. -Miss Marguerite Gregor.
Mra. Stead "Mrs. J. H. Nunn.
The above piece should be eliminated from the repertoire of the Lyric Company or be studiously rehearsed before they again attempt it, xs not only was every one engaged in the farewell performance on Monday night deplorably at fault with the lines, but no one seemed well up in the business of the piece, so that it suffered very much in representation, Mr. Kitts failed to properly realise the character of Jd Cattermole and missed some of the best points, while Mr. D, C. Smith did not begin to do the title role in un adequate uninner. Mr. Graham Stewart is in no way fitted for the part of Douglas Cattermol He marred some of the nicest touches by his exuberant style of acting, and xs he attired himself in an ordinary frock coat and black necktie in the second act, he quite failed to represent the clerical character, and so completely destroyed the plot of the piece, Mr, Fulton Millar, as Mr, Marland, did not appear in pink as customary, and his rendering of the part of the Master of Foxhounds was uninteresting. Mr, Thomas Verner, as Gibson the tailor, seemed to have a better notion of what he had to than most of the others, but even he did nut do justice tu his part. The business with the newspaper when his sartorial instincts are to much for Gibson is en enough to accomplish, but Mr. Verner's substitute for this was clumsy in the extreme. Mrs. Nunn did fairly well as Mrs Stead, and Mrs. Brian as Miss Ashford seemed to have an intelligent knowledge of her role, but failed in her words like the others, ' The parts of the young Indi not the most prominent in The Pr Secretary, but ure bright and pleasing when carefully done, though Miss Brinn and Miss Marguerite Gregor did not succeed in accomplishing the task, and quite spoiled the simple but good business with the pocket handkerchiefs during the rending of the fairy tale, As there was no piano on the stage the music lesson was cut out, that the courting of Edith Mursland' by Douglas Cattermole on Monday was startling in its abrupt originality.
It is a great pity that the Lyric Company should have put on The Pricate Secretary, especially as a farewell performance, for by so doing they have in a grent mensure injured the favourable opinion that the undoubted histrionic ability of many of them hed in Shanghai, The theatre #0 that the support that the Lyric Company previously proved they deserved was, strangely enough, accorded to the worst perfor: given by them.
The variety business at the close was well received, Mr. Cecil Burt being loudly apphuded for his song, Miss Briyn outhue siastically for Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-riy, and Mins Dagmar fur her-songs and the serpentine dance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.