'Gigi' Gave Theatre Opening Flourish

Press, Issue 30996, 28 February 1966, Page 14

'Gigi' Gave Theatre Opening Flourish

The Elmwood Players’ new 80-seat theatre was opened with a flamboyant theatrical flourish on Saturday night. There was a pre-show dinner from which the audience-to-be, themselves in costume, proceeded in vintage cars to the theatre.

All this was an aperitif to a production of “Gigi” which mightn’t have been bubbly champagne but which was a bland, satisfying vin ordinaire. “Gigi” was every bit as amusing and pleasantly sentimental as it ought to have been.

The producer, Hunter Bell, rightly decided to treat as realistically as possible, this Cinderella-type story of a 16-year-old girl who sees beyond the courtesan-career propositioning of her female relatives and so catches her rich admirer by an ingenious arrangement known as marriage. The cast was sometimes tempted towards farce by the chance of an easy laugh, but •most of the time showed excellent teamwork to maintain the credibility of the play. “Gigi” is set in Paris about 1890. and the atmosphere of this period was thoroughly recreated by impressive details in the setting and decor, and 'by a veritable fashion parade of costumes. Having the audience in turn-of-the-century costumes certainly gave the play a tremendous start. As Gigi, Judy Scollay managed the tomboy gawkishness as easily as she did the

charm and confusion of ripening womanhood. She still had a reserve of fire sufficient to produce the third act climaxes—both producer and actress must have worked hard to get this amount of control. It was unfortunate that her rich playboy lover looked so young and small. Robert Russell needs authority and vitality to match Gigi’s, and a savoir faire to contrast with her innocence.

Andrea Beddie showed a delighftul ability to point her lines or throw them away and managed to marry the laughter and sadness of her world in a memorable characterisation. As her sister, Muriel Greenwood began nervously but later developed a splendid haute monde sophistication. She needed a rouge and mascara make-up to highlight the artificiality and pretence of her life.

Muriel Greenwood won some well-deserved laughs, Helen Browning was a vivaciously French maid and Stan Greenwood made the butler a personality. The Elmwood Playhouse has been well launched. It is obviously going to be a versatile, exciting little theatre; and, if “Gigi” suffered somewhat from the restrictions of a small stage, it is nevertheless a charming production which deserves full houses for the rest of its season. —P.R.S.