Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Thursday 4 January 1900, page 3


AMUSEMENTS.

PERTH TOWN-HALL. "HIS NATURAL LIFE."

The popular drama, "For the Term of His Natural Life" was presented at the Perth Town-hall last night by Mr. Charles MacMahon's Dramatic Com-pany, and it is sufficient to say that the

reproduction was a success. The dramatisation of the story does not of necessity present the stirring incidents in the connected form which goes to make Marcus Clarke's novel so intense-ly interesting, still the scene's in convict life provide a powerful drama, the pro-gress of which is closely followed by the audience. Mr. H. O. Willard as Richard Devine, alias Rufus Dawes, who is call-ed upon to undergo terrible punishment for a crime of which he was innocent, was very effective, and succeeded in en-listing the sympathy of the audience. The part of Mr. North, the kind-hearted chaplain, would in other hands have ap-peared comparatively unimportant, but it was raised above the commonplace by the ability with which it was played by Mr. Bert Bailey, Mrs. Harrie Marshall, as Sylvia Vickers, interpreted the char-acter admirably, but the other ladies' parts were not important. Mr. C. M. Keegan, as Matt Gabbett, the cannibal,, and Mr. Vincent Scully, as Captain Mau-rice Frere, made these worthy indi-viduals appear as abhorrent as the occa-sion demanded, while the little humor that is allowed to enter into the grue-some story was supplied by Mr. W. H. Cowan, in the character of Mr. Mackin,

and Miss Alice May as the convict Vetch. At the close of the second act the drawing for the bicycle given away by the management took place. The num-bers representing the tickets bought on the three nights were placed in a revolv-ing barrel, lent by Mr. J. Charles and a little girl from the audience was then asked to draw one of the tickets. The number drawn was 151, which repre-sented the ticket held by Miss Sylvia Forrest, who was declared the winner of the bicycle. The drawing was under the supervision of the Mayor (Mr. Alex. For-rest, M.L.A.), Cr. Potts, and Mr. Salt-well.