ENGLISH COMEDY AGAIN CHARMS AT COPLEY

Again the Jewetts repeat themselves, this time from less worthy motives than usual. "The Cassilis Engagement" is a pleasant English comedy; it has proved its value as an entertainer by a phenomenal run of six weeks at the Copley last year; beyond that, and the neatness with which it fits the company, there seems to be little reason why it should be preserved in their repertorie.

An extract from last year's review will serve equally well for this year:

"Possessing considerable wittiness of line, together with adequate and occasionally admirable characterizing touches, this sketch of "gentell" English life is a well-constructed variant of the untutored-person-in-high-society theme. In this case, the son of the house has become engaged to the very attractive daughter of a deceased bookmarker, and his ingenious mother invites the girl and her "designing" parent to Deynham so that her son may see by contrast the short-comings of his bride-to-be. From the opening scene of general consternation in which the rector's wife remarks that "In times like these, a visit is often most helpful"-the times in question being births, deaths, etc.-to the close of the last act, the play moves smoothly, logically and above all humorously.

"There is a pleasing really about it all, a perfection of consistency, which is the chief appeal in such work. It was a great shock, therefore, when in the last five minutes of the play the designing "Mrs. Borridge" bursts forth, in the pressence of her intended victims, in a tirade-against her daughter for not "getting something on paper" which might serve as evidence in a breach of promise suit. The scene is pure farce of the most extravagant kind and tolerably funny. But it is in keeping neither with the character of the shrewd fortune-hunting woman nor with the tone of the play as a whole. The closing speech where Lady Remenham, a close friend of the family, on being informed of the broken engagement, remarks "Geoffrey, dear, tell them to put up my carriage, I shall stay to lunch"-admirably characterizing as it is-sets the pitch of the entire performance. In such a setting, the ranting of "Mrs. Borridge" is as out of place as a jazz band at a prayer meeting. Author and producer alike seem to have flown off the handle after two and a half hours of the finest comedy".

Be it said, however, that the acting this year seems to miss something of last year's finesse. The company has not yet been brought up to its former fulness. And perhaps it will take a few weeks more at the remodeled theatre to make the actors feel entirely at home again.