Two Plays From Elmwood Players

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32362, 30 July 1970, Page 18

Two Plays From Elmwood Players

“Night School,” by Harold Pinter; produced by Hunter Bell; “The Coffee Lace,” by John Bowen, produced by Alex Henderson; Elmwood Players; July 29 to August 1; running time, 8 p.m. to 10.15 p.m. The New Zealand premiere of two plays by distinguished contemporary dramatists cannot help but be an exciting experience, especially when in the hands of experienced and sensitive producers. When they were presented at the area festival last week “The Coffee Lace” won the major trophy; because of tension and an unfortunate cast vacancy, the shift back to the Elmwood Playhouse did not result in any conspicuous relaxation, but the performances are still up to their festival standard. Both are fascinating scripts and sensible interpretations; they certainly bear seeing a second time.

Hunter Bell’s “Night School” has similarities with “A Night Out,” and Pinter has expressed dissatisfaction with it; but it is definitely a piece worthy of him, and it has the unmistakably Pinteresque fluidity of dialogue. This comes : out best in the talk of the two elderly aunts (excellently played by Masie Collins and Gladys Thin) who have a most disproportionate sense of values which carries them into quite ridiculous conversational divergencies.

Their nephew has just returned from a second prison term and finds difficulties of rehabilitation; in this role Peter Cameron was good, but never with quite the convincing criminal presence, and similarly as the girl who displaced him Dorothy Hart was too completely a school-teacher at first. Her speech, though, did introduce a very poignant change of tempo after the aunt’s chatter. John Bowen builds his dialogue from similar material, but moves through it in a lower gear. His characters are pre-war artistes who have refused to adapt to changing audience tastes and have become museum pieces, collectors’ ite'ms which no-one cares to collect Islay McLeod and Norman Diehl were most impressive as the most distinguished of the characters, and Arthur Chapman offered a delightful combination of physical bulkiness and conversational subservience. As the “comic,” John Milligan looked good and moved well, and Beryl Macleod had no trouble with her lesser role. The acting was all very pleasing, though not posing any extraordinary difficulties. One slight, but persistent, problem is that the audience cannot help but take it as a period piece to begin with; this is a weakness in the script which might be eliminated in production.