Little Theatre’s Bill Has Limited Success

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 14

Little Theatre’s Bill Has Limited Success

The Little Theatre’s double bill last evening of Peter Shaffer’s “The Private Ear” and Eve Hughes’s “The V.J. Pom” had to contend with a wholly unsuitable hall, a very moderate budget, a rather incongruous choice of plays, and a front row of uninterested children. In view of these obstacles, even the limited success the plays achieved is indeed commendable. Shaffer’s play is well suited to suburban theatre: It contains enough obvious humour to satisfy everyone, and some well-developed irony for the perceptive. It was only in handling this latter detail that John Stier’s production erred. All three actors were surprisingly competent in exhaustive roles, but the significance of the action was all too frequently obscured by awkward management of properties. The intense irony of Bob’s (Bill Derrett) first appearance—in his underpants in front of Botticelli’s Venus was. destroyed because the painting was too small, and not conspicuously placed. The incongruity of the attempted rape to the accompaniment of Madame Butterfly was scarcely apparent because the music was too quiet. And the contrast between Bob’s ideal (Botticelli’s Venus) and Doreen Marchant (Sue Watkins) was not as complete as it could have been, since Doreen was seldom positioned to emphasise the disparity.

Ted Veasey, the least important role, was admirably played by the most adaptable actor, Robin Queree. This, however, also drew attention to the occasional awkwardness in Bill Derrett, whose performance at times resembled Peter Cook rather than an enlightened but repressed idealist. • Sue Watkins seemed for the first 20 minutes a victim of a cold and impersonal hall, but once she thawed she became wholly convincing. New Zealand manners are so often ridiculed that it is interesting to see an attempt to adapt them into a comedy Unfortunately, New Zealand manners seem to include a dis torted concept of constructive comedy, and a distinct tendency towards over-acting This is not to say that Eve Hughes’s play is bad—indeed, if Fred Betts’ production had had twice the number of rehearsals, there is every sign that the play would become a fully worth-while comedy. The development of the play into a farce seems to be led by Jim Ahern (Eric), who acted like a simpleton rather than as a slightly-exaggerated petty politician. This certain ly made “V.I. Pom” amusing, but it cancelled out the social ridicule, seemingly intended by Miss Hughes, by making the whole action remote from reality.

The women in the cast were the best (especially Shirley Duffy), but the general conspiracy to reduce it to farce was victorious in the end. —H. D. McN.