Sumner Drama Group In Rattigan Play

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31380, 27 May 1967, Page 14

Sumner Drama Group In Rattigan Play

An absorbed audience sat through a snail-paced performance of Terence Rattigan’s "Separate Tables” at the Sumner Community Centre

last night Produced by Peter Gibb for the newly-formed Sumner Drama Group, the play was handled with great care but infused with little life; indeed, at times it was as if the cast were contemplating the corpse of a dead play. And Rattigan’s play is

not quite dead. It is a little low pulsed at times, its dialogue is not always distinguished, and its flirtations with boldness end in a conventional timidity after all; but its humanity and compassion are undeniable, and in at least-one case—that of Mr Malcolm—-is characterisation is strong. A tired and monotonously even tempo, and inability to rise to climaxes, and lack of depth in the characterisation were the main faults in the production. Most of the characters were skin-deep, and many lines had not been

; (assimilated into the minds - and emotions of the actors. - The lack of inner motivation • by the actress who played i Miss Cooper, for instance, had ' much to do with the fact that I there was no pathos at the i- end of the second scene. This case—taken at random 1 —was one of the many when 1 the lines were actually taken ' too fast; the unsatisfactory 1 pace of the production as a 1 whole was the result of slow ' cueing, not slow delivery. It is a pity that the produc- ' tion lacked life, for the actors in the group are probably of ’ above average potential for a suburban group. Noel Mayi son had some fine moments ; in his difficult double role; Elizabeth Jupp gave a competent if miniature performance , as Mrs Shanklin, and later, as ' Sybil, provided one of the few ' instances of pathos in the • evening. ' Jan Davies was an excellent ' Mrs Roulton-Bell, bastion of - orthodox morality; her man- > nered elegance was striking, 1 as was the use she made of ’ her eyes. Sally Tucker was a sympathetic and decorative Miss Cooper. Among the sup- , porting performances, all of > which were at least adequate, ' that of Harry McLeod as Mr 1 Fowler deserves special men- [ tion. Although he’ did not 1 communicate the pathos of ■ the old pedant, he was one of the few actors who projected ■ his character powerfully. His ‘ sense of timing was acute. 1 Once the players of this t group cast aside some of their ’ inhibitions and bring to their > work a more dynamic sense i of direction they will have a I good deal to contribute to the l theatrical life of the city. > “Separate Tables" will be perf formed again tonight —M.G.T.