Possibilities Revived By Elmwood Players

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31069, 26 May 1966, Page 14

Possibilities Revived By Elmwood Players

Elmwood Players can always be relied on to find something a little different to offer their audiences. This time they have chosen Pinero’s “Trelawny of the ‘Wells,’” which began a four night’s season at the Repertory Theatre last night. This is an interesting historical piece, well constructed, sensitively observed and with opportunities for some really good acting. Last night's performance drew plenty of laughs and was well received. But the over-all effect was of a slight indecision on the part of the producer, Alex Henderson. ‘Trelawny” can either be played straight, as a simple story of love across the class barriers, with honesty and simplicity triumphing over Puritanism and crabbed age; or it can be treated as good old melodrama. Mr Henderson appeared to be undecided about which way to treat it. The theatrical folk emerged as warm-hearted and likeable in spite of their eccentricities: Sir William Gower and his family were thoroughly ludicrous.

The programme was carefully labelled “comedy” and inside was a reference to melodrama, but somewhere, someone was playing it straight Perhaps that someone was Trelawny herself as played by Helen Browning. Miss Browning is an actress who works very hard every moment she on stage, but in this part she is still not quite convincing. A certain harshness of voice detracts from the warmth she strives to build up. Michael Lynch likewise did not seem entirely confident

about his playing of Arthur Gower and he did seem absurdly young. Of course Arthur’s is a tailor’s-dummy part; he goes through the motions obligingly but doesn’t really add much of importance to the play. Sir William, however, does do a great deal: first he breaks up the match between Arthur and Trelawny, and then he unwittingly provides the means of reuniting them. Alex Aitchison played Sir William first as a ridiculous tyrant and then as a sentimental old man and did both pretty well although they did not quite add up to one character.

Characters which are much more straight-forward are those of Imogene Parrott and Tom Wrench. Both of these were played most convincingly by Sue Ryan and John Milligan. Miss Ryan was a pleasure to see and hear and John Milligan was a disarming young man-about-the-theatre.

Good supporting work was done by Glennis Paine, James Erikson, Brian Deavoll and Shirlye Rushton.

On the technical side full marks are given for costuming which was most attracttive. Design of the sets was also pleasing. But the scene changes were not appropriate to the style of the play, nor to the proscenium setting. “Trelawny of the'Wells’” is certainly well worth a revival. That this production is not an all-round success does not mean that it is not entertaining.

The Elmwood Players have done well to remind us of this neglected play and its possibilities.