Montague Mendle—A Solicitor..
Jours Toddeniam—Stepfather..Mr. Heneuses. is
Colonel Roscoe. Gackaeae Capt. Cecil cut Of the Tondler Me Grosse Lieut. Archie f 12th Mr. Cnm Allison. Tox Trooper Michael Dragoons Mr. Bre-O'Docherty. tive Mra Lytia Mile Ame Neste Gary M Miss Auney Home. Miss Geraldine Morrison... Miss Paruurrs. Martha. Miss Vroter Woopnouse.
With their well-won laurels from " Old Heidelberg" still fresh upon them, the Amateur Dramatic Club offered us on Monday night an amusing comedy which fulfilled its own ambition and their own in putting a well-filled house into a rollicking humour for Christmas, "My Soldier Boy" is not new to 'Shanghai; it was one of the lighter pieces played by the Broughs when they were here eighteen months ago, but ite store of good farcical wit nnd' its many telling situations were not the less laughter-provoking for being soon ug © audience were brought into sympathy of humour with those on the other side of the footlights, from the moment Martha (Miss Violet Woodhouse) set them going with her servant antics, and the two sides of ti footlights were never out of touch thereafter. It was a success of laughter.
There is no need here to recount the complicated affairs, which involve the modest household of Montague Mendle, solicitor by profession, artistic liar by instinct, and colonel of a crack regiment by force of circumstances, in the course of an eventful twenty-four hours. Mr. L Sewell was undoubtedly the man for the part. He started a little slowly, but this served principally to emphasise the fast-and-furiousness" of his subsequent adventures, In the second act his yarn about the unfortunate sentry was deliciously told, and really seemed to be invention of the moment. 1t would be difficult to carry farcical situation further than that in which he is borne off, cmnbered up with gear, to "take command" gt a riot, but even out of this he came with " sulticiency of couvietion to carry it off, without degenerate ing ito mere rough and tumble. There had been sve fear that Mr. George would not be well enough tw play the part of Captain Cecil Cullencdler, and it was all the more gratify fore to find him not only filling the role, but evidently revelling in it." The susceptible captain, whose "complaint" is always liable to get a man intoserap s, was making bits all the evening. Mr. Horcule:, as Jonas Toddeuham, gave us the typical "Steppy," with the fortune at the disposal of his very uncertain whim, Mr. Toddenbam, for all his years, la a jaunty old customer and Mr. Hercules did not forget the fact. The one wildly farcical chance which comes to-Colonel Roscoe, was seized with such good effect by Mr. Paul Tremayne, a newcomer to the A.D.C. ranks, that his appearance will undoubtedly be looked for again. Mr. Cheriston was never quite comfortable as Lieut. Allison, but Mr. Beetive's Irish trooper was a traly delightful representative of his class. Of the ladies, mention has already been made of Miss Woodhouse's Martha, in which natural gift and experience were combined. Miss Nellie Grey played vivaciously as Lydia, but never fully let herself "go"; Miss Abbey Holme was, needless to say, entirely at, home as the businesslike Mrs. Morrison; while Miss Phillips had little to do but appear charming as Geraldine, and in that she could not fail.
7 It remains to say that the scenery was. adequate, though not elaborate. The band under Signor Valenza surpassed itself and almost won. an encore. That everything proceeded so smoothly was due to the clever stage management of Mr. Reginald Bevant.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.