"JOURNEY'S END."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 278, 23 November 1929, Page 1 (Supplement)

"JOURNEY'S END."

A TALK WITH THE AUTHOR.

UNSPOILED BY SUCCESS

INTEREST m NEW ZEALAND.

(By DR. A. J. HAEROP.)

There has been nothing in recent years to compare with the story of "'Journey's End," a play which was rejected by many managers before it secured production at all. When it was produced, critics and public alike combined to give it a welcome so unanimous that its author, Mr. E. C. Sherriff, an insurance surveyor's assistant, became immediately famous. His play has been produced in many countries in many languages. On a very moderate estimate, Mr. Sherriff has already earned £70,000 by this play of the war.

What difference has it made to him? Many people would have been thoroughly spoiled by such a stroke of fortune. Not so Mr. Sherriff. I first talked to him about six . months ago when he came back to England from America, after the production of "Journey's End" there. I was impressed by the very modest way in regarded his success. He did not in any way contemplate adopting play-writing as a whole-time profession, but thought he might go up to Cambridge and thus realise a long-cherished ambition.

Penalty of Success. When I saw him yesterday "(October 13) the events of the intervening months had postponed indefinitely any prospect of his achieving this ambition. Paradoxically enough, the success of "Journey's End" had robbed its author even of the leisure he formerly had. "Last summer," he told me, "I used to row every evening. This year I have not been able to row at all. Whenever I make up my mind to go, some matter connected with the play turns up to stop me. The chief change I notice in my life since the success of the play is that I have more work, more responsibility, and practically no leisure." Mr. Sherriff takes a keen interest in selecting the different companies who leave London to play "Journey's End" ?n different parts of America and the British Empire, and he has also made many visits to the Continent to watch the companies at work there. "People seem to think that finding manv different actors for the partf of Captain Stanhope must be very difficult," he said. "I do not find it so. Sincerity and naturalness are the two chief qualities and the actor's own outlook on life is verv important. Any appearance of a tendency to over-estimate his. powers disqualifies at once.'-' ~.A l

Mr. Sherriff wrote . three three-ac plays before "Journey's End" came t< success. "They were produced under grea difficulties on a very small stage bi , amateur players," he said. Interested in New Zealand. Mr. Sherriff is keenly interested ii Xew Zealand, and knows far more aboui it than most people at this end of th( world. "I know it is usual," he said, "t< think that Australia and New Zealaiu are about as close together as Englam and Ireland, but I have never beer tempted to do that. I knew a good main New Zealanders during the war, ant from the difference in type between then: and the Australians I met, it was easj to gather that a wide stretch of sell separated them. I am hoping that aftei the tour of New Zealand of 'Journey's End/ under the management of the J. C Williamson company, it may be possible to arrange for a company to undertake a tour of the smaller towns of New* Zealand. .The.play is ideally suited for such production, as the whole of the scenery ■would go in a small van, and even if the tour only paid expenses, I think it would be well worth while undertaking. The smaller provincial centres are seeing the play in Britain before the larger places, as the latter at first insisted on waiting for the London company. There is still no prospect of the London run terminating, so that the great provincial centres, not wishing to be left behind by their smaller neighbours, are at last accepting another company." An Enormous Success. Between 200 and 300 actors are now playing "Journey's End" in different parts of the world. The fifth companv left London for the United States las"t week, rehearsing the play on the liner which took them to New" York. In the great State theatres of Germany, such as Munich and Hamburg, "Journey's End" is played two or three times a week, and it is a very significant reflection on the universality of the plav that it should have received so readv a welcome in Germany. In neutral" Scandinavia it has been so popular that two different translations of the play are commanding a ready sale. All this hi spite of the fact .that a few writers have been saying that after "All Quiet on the Western Front" they have lost their interest in "Journey's End." I have discussed this point with several New Zealanders, and none of them has agreed with these writers. Certain it is "that the vogue of the German war book has not affected the run of the English plav Mr. Sherriff hopes, when time permits to_ take up medicine or law at Cambridge. He told me that he felt he should not take up the study of literature there, as there was a of losing anything that was individual in his-style "I read Shaw with'great enjoyment,. he said, "but Ido not think it would be wise for me tc model my ft^V I *' «on any other autW. Whether I shall ever write another plav that succeeds I cannot tell, but my next play will not be a plav of the war It will probably be a light coniedv .of country, life, "