B.H.S. DRAMA CLUB

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 17

B.H.S. DRAMA CLUB

Sparkling Comedy

Presented

A sparkling comedy presented by the Christchurch Boys High School Drama Club last evening entertained a large audience in the school hall. The play, “Dry Rot,” by John Chapman, Is a farce on the traditional corruption of English horse racing, with a former Indian Army colonel and a lad from Harrow included ’n the plot to give added effect. For two hours and a half the play moved with a continuity far better than that normally expected in a school production. The more outstanding characters in the case of 11 were Colonel Wagstaff (6. L. Mclntyre), the pukka colonel who runs the inn “Bull and Cow” and whose visions of a peaceful retirement are shattered when a scheming bookmaker moves into the hotel at the beginning of the racing season; Susan Wagstaff (A. J. Brittenden), the colonel’s daughter, upon whom a most convincing job of make-up was done; Beth Marton (J. Perfect), the unintelligent. lazy, and gossiping maid: Alfred Tubbe (D. J. Comley), the bookmaker; Fred Phipps (P. V. Sharp), Tubbe’s personal valet who played a highly amusing part as the ignorant stable hand who has turned into a confidence man’s assistant; and Albert Polignac (B. D. Empson), the exuberant and diminutive French jockey. The play was warmly received by the audience and several curtain-calls were demanded at the end. It will be performed again this evening.