The Stage - 12 March 1925. Grand Opera House, Belfast.
"Chas. Mortimer in the heavy part in the piece is convincing, and the detective role, as played by Chas. Wanson, is successful. Greta Wood and Eunice Mann fill the respective roles of Rose and Mou-Mou ably."
"Chas. Mortimer in the heavy part in the piece is convincing, and the detective role, as played by Chas. Wanson, is successful. Greta Wood and Eunice Mann fill the respective roles of Rose and Mou-Mou ably."
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Tuesday 25 August 1925. Theatre Royal, Exeter.
"Mr Charles Mortimer, as the lascivious Herman Stetz, had an unpleasant role play, but he sustained it admirably. Miss Eunice Mann (American, a dancer), Miss Greta Wood (Rose), and Miss Mary gave just the right colour as habitudes of the White Coffin."
Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald - Saturday 25 July 1925.
"Mr Charles Mortimer, as the lascivious Herman Stetz, had an unpleasant role play, but he sustained it admirably. Miss Eunice Mann (American, a dancer), Miss Greta Wood (Rose), and Miss Mary gave just the right colour as habitudes of the White Coffin."
Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald - Saturday 25 July 1925.
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From The Northern Whig of 10 March 1925.
“The Rat” at the Opera House. Belfast. America - Peggy Hopkins Mere Colline - Nellie Cozens Rose Greta Wood Mou-Mou - Eunice Mann Detective-Inspector Caillard - Chas W. Anson Herman Stetz - Charles Mortimer Odile - Kathleen Saintsbury Pierre Buecheron - F. V. Owen Zelie de Chaumet - June Meredith Madeline Sorney - Pauline Loring Paul - Percy Roberts Alphonse - G. Smyth-Beale Therese - Elaine Percival Barras - A.George Gendarmes - F. Jorden and F. Broad. Being the story of an Apache, not the Apache of Mayne Keid and the "Scalp Hunter*,’' but the Apache of Paris. "The Rat" naturally opens in the White" Coffin,” one of those Parisian cabarets run for the benefit of good people from Belfast, Ballywillwill, and Cranafill (Armagh) who wish to study the lively Gaul chez lui. In it we make the acquaintance of Mere Colline, and America, and Rose, and Mou-Mou, all in love with Pierre Boucheron, the Rat. But he's a Maceathy kind person: ” Before the barn door crowing The cock the hens attended; His eyes rend him throwing. Stands for a while distended. Then one he singles from the crow. And cheers the happy hen with How-do-you-do and how-do-you-do And how-do-you-do again.” He has loved and tired of them all—of all except Odile, whom he loves a sister, as mother, as grandmother—in short, with a chaste but careless affection—and Odile darns his socks and slips her little slice of bacon to his plate and smiles grief. There come to the White Coffin Mademoiselle Zelie in search of a new sensation, an emotional cocktail, and Monsieur Herman, the bad man with the big money. What do you expect? Herman would fain brush the dew off Odile’s lips and Zelie promptly succumbs to the Rat. Odile never wavers but the Rat nearly falls a victim. That little visit to Zelie’s flat, her adroit flattery, her passion, ciel et mon dieu! She makes the fatal mistake, however, of proposing that they run away and live on Herman’s money. It should be explained that she is Herman’s chere amie — isn’t French a delightful language, putting these things decorously?—which revolts the Rat's naive but larcenous heart, and he makes one mad rush from the Venusburg to his and Odile’s humble flat just in time to stick a knife between the wicked shoulders of the naughty Herman. Enter the police and of course Odile takes the blame. The Rat tries to do so but has fooled the police so often that they won't believe him. Then ensues a very trying month. He knows now he loves her no longer as a grandmother, a mother, or even sister. He begs, threatens, despairs, drinks. Absinthe maketh the heart grow fonder. There is good in everybody. Odile sticks to her noble lie worthy to pass down time hand in hand with Washington’s immortal truth; Zelie throws away her reputation to prove an alibi for him, even the detective nearly weeps, and just as the Rat is dying, the Grand Jury bring in a verdict of justifiable homicide or no bill or something in Odile’s favour, and journeys end in lovers meeting. We come back to Ballywillwill and Cranagill much impressed. It is real good melodramatic stuff, a mixture of Sexton Blake and Bow Bells Novelettes; and the company get their difficult business over with real skill. It must be much easier to play Romeo than the Rat and Juliet than Odile. Juliet and Romeo are real things; they fill the player’s body as another spirit might and use it that they may speak and move again in the flesh. But these people in the "Rat” are not realities. The actor simulates them, and did last night amazingly well. Mr. F. B. Owen, Miss Kathleen Saintsburv, Miss Nellie Cozens, Miss June Meredith, and Mr. Mortimer did succeed in bringing off that marvel of the stage—making one believe, as the victim of hypnotism mar believe that a cabbage is a rose. Thrills, sentiment, and clever acting. |