Lively Comedy Presented By Elmwood Players

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30145, 31 May 1963, Page 13

Lively Comedy Presented By Elmwood Players

•‘Count Your Blessings.’’ a comedy by Ronald Jeans, is being presented by the Elm wood Players at the Reper bory Tbeewe for a short season The opening performance last evening showed tha this company is making great prosress in producing full-length plays of a lighter type There was perhaps a certain slowness of pace a tunes. Some of the acting ! was deliberate m style; and. in addition, the fact ’-hat the play is divided into tour scenes, with three definite mtervaJs between, tended to interrupt the continuity of the action very noticeably Joan Larsen took the important part of Gay Butterworth. Mrs Butterworth has a somewiwt capricious attitude to Ide. Her intentions are good; but net actions are unpredictable Mias Larsen created this impicesion without difficulty. and made the cviaracter seem perfectly believable as well.

The part of the nuabana Peihem Butterworth, was played by Robert Kerr. Mr Kerr's manner at first seemed somev.*at laboured: but as the action of the play quick-

ened this awkwardness disappeared. The actor made a particularly good job of the rather rueful comedy of the las: two scenes.

The playwright's most humorous creation tn ’’Count Yout Blessings" is no doubt Miss Ciet-smgdon. the teacher 4 dancing. Everyone wtto saw the play would surety agree that Muriel Biss was very successful with this role. Miss Cressingdon was always amusing; but. as the piay went on. it was apparent that there was more in the character than at first seemed likely The small parts were all capably acted. Helen Kavanagh was always natural and spntaneous: and Brian Brodie, as the family solicitor was impressive. without assuming gny fussy mannerisms. In two predominantly comic parts Chris Joyce and Les Griffin added considerably to the liveliness of the play “Count Your Blessings" must, be considered one of Alex Henderson’s moot successful productions for the Elmwood Players —CE3.