A Radio Play

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 88, 15 April 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

A Radio Play

MR. R. A. K. MASONS "Squire Speaks" is a play for radio ■with one speaker, the squire. The old butler has built a barricade in the hall and has manned it with a gun. When the squire fails to make him see reason he gets one of the household to creep along under cover and shoot him. phew what a nasty thing to happen In a man's own house just shows you just shows you I've noticed quite a bit of surliness about lately what I've always said working classes all the same every one of them and the Government panders to them Manchester Guardian sort of stuff.

This is reproduced exactly as printed; it represents, one suppose*, the streani-of-consciousnese style of writing. The , squire, one of those Colonel Blimps, of whom some people seem to think the landowning class in England is entirely ; composed, welcomes reinforcemente from i the village, "especially old Uncle Tom l Cob'eigh, the* old reprobate." until the villagers breatc in and he finds they are on the butler's side. "Cobleigh don't fire : I say don't fire I," is the last line of ; this six-page play. The satire is old stuff, but the method is enterprising and original. Mr. Mason would probably , find, however, that on the air the play would be intangible, that it would not bo followed easily, and to be successful ■ would haye to be filled out with details of the scene and characters and variai tions of voice. The little book, admirably printed, comes from that home of satire, the Caxton Press, Chirstchurch.