Performance Of ‘Salome’ Praised

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 18

Performance Of ‘Salome’ Praised

“A satisfying theatrical experience” with some “very, very good acting” was how the judge (Mrs Rosalie Carey,

of Dunedin) described last evening’s performance of Oscar Wilde’s “Salome” by the Elmwood Players in the

Repertory Theatre. The production was one of three on the first of seven evenings of the British Drama League’s annual festival. Three teams will go to the divisional finals at Ashburton on August 19 and 20. “Salome” was a tremendous challenge to any cast, Mrs Carey said. The cast had worked beautifully as a team, and the costuming and props had been “fantastically effective.” The way in which Herod Antlpas (K. Cooke) had delivered some of his lines had been “a great theatrical treat.”

Salome was played by Helen O’Grady, Jokanaan by B. Deavoll, and Herodias, the wife of Herod, by Betty King. The play was produced by A. Henderson.

The first offering of the evening was “The Shadow of the Glen,” by J. M. Synge, produced by Elizabeth Cargo for the Teachers’ College Drama Club. A. Bradshaw played Dan Burke, Fem McCall played Nora Burke, D. Phillips played Michael Dara, and K. Douthett played the tramp. Mrs Carey said the cast handled the play competently but did not go deep enough into the subtlety of a very delicate dramatist. More could have been done to create the right atmosphere and speech was a difficulty.

The second play was Synge’s “The Rising of the Moon,” presented by the Christchurch Irish National Society Drama Group and produced by Marianne Shaughnessey. S. McNulty played the sergeant, M. Davidson and M. Pratt the policemen, and B. Scullian the “rugged man.” Mrs Carey commended the voices in this production, but said that in spite of a good voice the sergeant was sometimes stilted in his dialogue. There could have been less overhead lighting to give more shadows and produce more tension.

Before the first production the festival was declared open by the member of Parliament for St Albans (Mr H. J. Walker).