Risingholme Group Wins Drama League’s Festival

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29271, 1 August 1960, Page 6

Risingholme Group Wins Drama League’s Festival

“What Shall We Tell Caroline,” a play by John Mortimer, won the A grade competition of the annual festival of the Christchurch and North Canterbury area of the British Drama League when it was presented at the closing night of the festival on Saturday.

The judge (Mrs Nancy Russell, of Hawera) said that she would say nothing of production in the play, which was the highest compliment a judge could pay. “There was no production evident at all,” said Mrs Russell. “It was so smooth that the people did not play the parts; they were the parts.” The play was produced by Yvette Bromley, and was the work of the Risingholme Drama Group. The other play presented on Saturday evening was “The Closing Door” by the New Zealand playwright Jean Lawrence who it was announced later, was in the audience. “I feel that there was too careful work here,” said Mrs Russell. “The sentimentality of the piece rather than the tragedy was brought out. It was a splendid setting. I thought the clothes were far too good for the time.” This play was entered by the Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society, and was produced by John Partleton.

“The second place in the A grade competition was won by the Christchurch Religious Drama Society with “The House by the Stable,” by Charles Williams. It was produced by Isobel Provan. Judge’s Comment

In her comment on the plays in the festival Mrs Russell said that “Harlequinade” had a large cast which was not quite even in its acting. There was enormous imagination and good acting in “Sorry, Wrong Number,” she said. In ■'The House by the Stable” the acting again was not even. “Sorry, Wrong Number,” said Mrs Russell, almost disqualified itself by taking longer than 10 minutes, which is the regulation time allowed, for setting. The B grade competition was won by the Catholic Women’s League Drama Group under • its producer, Christine Bastone, with Acts I and II of “The House of Bernards Alba,” by Garcia Lorca. “We are instructed,” said Mrs Russell, “in our judging to give consideration to ambition and the size of the cast. Here the producer was very ambitious, and I

felt that it was better to award the first place to this complicated play which nearly came oft than to a play with few problems of production.” “Storm Music,” by Mary Neild, and produced for the Christchurch Hospital Drama Club by lan C. Lund, came second. The South Brighton Women’s Institute Drama Club’s presentation of •‘The Six Wives of Calais," written by L. du Garde Peach and produced by Daphne Milburn, was disqualified from the B grade section because a substitute actress was used. The Mayor (Mr G. Manning) and Mrs Manning were guests of honour for the evening. Mr Manning presented the following awards: J. L. Hay trophy for the A grade play, Risingholme Drama Group; Muirhead trophy for the B grade play, Catholic Women’s League Drama Group; Kelvin Taylor trophy for best play with an all-women cast; Catholic Women’s League Drama Group; Jubilee trophy for best performance of a play by a New Zealand author, W.E.A. Dramatic Society, for “Producer’s Piece,” by Marie Bullock; Radford cup for excellence of speech, Christchurch Hospital Drama Group. There was no entry for the Rangiora trophy, which is competed for by country drama groups. National Finals There will be no divisional finals in the South Island this year. Instead, the areas have been divided into regions, the northern region comprising the Christchurch, South Canterbury, North Otago and Otago areas, and Mrs Russell will, in addition to judging each area festival, select one play from the Northern region to appedr at the national finals at Oamaru on September 3. This will be announced shortly after the fourth and final festival in the series (North Otago) at Oamaru on August 8, 9 and 10. The southern region will comprise the South Otago, Central Otago, and Southland areas, and Miss Frona King, of Nelson, who is judge for this region, will follow the same procedure.

Divisional finals will be held as usual in the North Island. Mr Frank Newman, of Christchurch, will judge and select a team from each festival to appear at the national finals The national finals will be judged by Mr Ron Montague, of Auckland.