"THE TWO VIRTUES."
The news, which ran like wildfire through the town on Wednesday morning,
that Sir GEORGE ALEXANDER had signed the Covenant, must have stirred many
hearts; but those of us who saw him on the next night as the hero of Mr.
ALFRED SUTRO'S comedy are hoping that, at any rate, there will be no
fighting on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and that sentry duty in the
evenings may be performed by less valuable signatories. For in _Jeffery
Panton_ he has really found a part to suit him, and a part which should
keep him busy for some months. Comedy is certainly his medium.
It is not, alas, Miss MARTHA HEDMAN'S, nor is English her language. Her
pretty foreign accent and tearful manner became her as a French girl in
_The Attack_, but it won't do for every part she plays. It didn't do in the
least for _Mrs. Guildford_. The difficulty of understanding what she said
was made greater by a surprising catarrh amongst the first-night audience,
so that her scenes had a way of going like this:--
_Jeffery Panton_ (_clearly_). But I must just talk to you a moment.
_Stall on left._ Honk--honk! Honk! H'r'r'm!
_Dress circle._ HONK! HONK!!
_Mrs. Guildford._ No, no, I must get on with my work.
_Stall just behind._ WHAT DID SHE SAY?
_Her neighbour._ Something about her work.
_Her other neighbour._ Honk--honk! H'r'm! Honk--honk!
_Gallery boy._ HONK--HONK--HONK!
_Several voices._ Sh'sh!
_Mrs. Guildford._ No ... I ... you ...
_Second gallery boy._ Stop that coughing there!
_Injured voice._ _I_ can't 'elp coughing!
_Several voices._ Sh'sh!
But I'm afraid the coughing was not always the fault of the microbes but
sometimes of Mr. SUTRO, who seemed to be exploiting a wonderful talent for
starting his Acts dully. The opening scene of the Second Act, between _Mrs.
Guildford_ and _Alice Exern_, was particularly tiresome. It went on a long
time, and seemed when audible to be only a recapitulation of Act I. We
simply had to cough.
I have said nothing of the story, for the reason that a summary of it would
hardly do it justice. It is slight, and yet just strong enough to carry two
or three pleasant creations and much happy dialogue. The important thing is
that Sir GEORGE is on the stage most of the time, has many delightful
things to say, and says them delightfully. There are also Miss HENRIETTA
WATSON, Miss ATHENE SEYLER, and Mr. HERBERT WARING, all excellent.
It remains to be said that the Two Virtues are Chastity and Charity; that
_Mrs. Guildford_ lacked (I think--but they were coughing a good deal just
then) the first virtue, and the other ladies the second; and that the
reclining chair in Act I. was kindly lent by--but the name of the generous
fellow will be revealed to you in your programme when you go.