NEW ZEALAND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27148, 18 September 1953, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND PLAYERS

ENTERTAINMENT BY TRAVEL CLUB

A very warm welcome was accorded Mr and Mrs Richard Campion and members of their drama company, the New Zealand Players, when they were the guests of honour at the Travel Club’s morning reception in Christchurch yesterday. Mr Campion, producer and director of the company, gave a lively description of some of his experiences when touring with a theatiical company in Europe. He described the beautiful theatres of Holland, built hundreds of years ago, and the national theatre in Copenhagen, where the Royal boxes are set on different sides of the theatre, the King’s box on the left and the Queen’s box on the right. Sweden, too, had national theatres, said Mr Campion. He felt it was time New Zealand could provide real cultural entertainment for its own people. “We have a National Orchestra,’’ he said. ,“That is fine: now we hope for a national theatre.’’

Mr John Gordon, one of the leading members of the company, described some incidents in the company’s .first tour of New Zealand. Three days after the company’s return to Wellington, he said, all members were eager and happy to get back to work on new plays. “After years as an amateur.’’ Mr Gordon said, “I am enjoying being a professional, and still feel after six months that I 'am on holiday. At the same time. I have never worked so hard in my life, but I hay® faith in our efforts and feel that in pioneering the first professional company in New Zealand we are doing something worth while.”

The singer at the’ meeting was Mrs Dorothy McGill, for whom Mrs J. C. Cullman was accompanist. Mrs Cecil Wood presided, and Mrs M. H. Godby and Mrs John Denford were. hostesses.