Powerful ‘Peer Gynt’

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33212, 30 April 1973, Page 14

Powerful ‘Peer Gynt’

“Peer Gynt,” by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Mervyn Thompson for the University of Canterbury Drama Society. James Hay Theatre. April 28 to May 9. Punning time: 2hr 50min. It was rather startling to find at the interval of “Peer Gynt” that the theatre was only half full. I had been so thoroughly wrapped up in the production, and the general response had seemed so sympathetic and warm that I had imagined there was a full house of people reacting along exactly the same lines as me. From the three productions I had seen in the James Hay Theatre, I had developed pretty strong feelings about its shortcomings, and was quite certain that a small house would hamstring any play there. Instead. I an engrossing production which made the most sensitive and inventive use of the theatre that ; I have seen so far. and .offered about 10 times more 'intimacy and sustained inivolvement than I would have thought possible. POWERFUL MYTH The tale of Peer Gynt is one of the most powerful myths in world literature, a myth which seems to have 'grown up with the past I century and which now ; seems uncannily contemporary. Peer himself is an enormously talented con man, a super politician with • a big career somewhere if he could only learn to see [through his own bluff. He is resourceful, human, imaginative, and frighten-, iingly likeable: he takes ours sympathy because of his i extrovert vitality and his un-. daunted hopelessness, but; most of all because there is; probably a bit of him in all' of us. "Peer Gynt” is a 'horoughlv fascinating play. It establishes a character.'

(and then seems to push him i into a mirror chamber where every facet of his iperson is exposed; wherever you look, there is a new (perspective, with infinite depth in every direction and a peculiar symmetry about it .all. Peer’s fantastic psychoi drama carries him through a grotesque delirium, but the “freakiness” of this production (especially in the Troll scene) is so well controlled that one is always conscious of Peer's presence, and he can remain the lens. CROWD PERFORMANCE

It is the handling of the first act that really wins the audience—its tempo is so expertly judged, the crowd ! performance so incredibly jwell drilled, and the main ' parts so amusing and engaging. Moreover, this gripping! I initial impact is secured without a trace of production “tricksiness,” by the sheer power and integrity of the performance; it is not until the second act that the' splendid economy of Tom Taylor’s design work is I really brought into action,! and the flexibility of his set. ( brilliantly heightened by a! superb lighting scheme, con-: tinned to amaze me right to the final curtain. Whatever doubts one had ; about bringing Roger Oaklev! [in from Auckland (and I had plenty) were dispelled on his first appearance. Visually, he was perfect for Peer — half a genius and half a goof — ;and his fantasy bits worked impeccably. Here, he was helped by some good supporting performances, especially! Cynthia Ward's Ase. and by the remarkable discipline of the crowd; just as his fan-; tasies were establishing them- ! selves, they would be punc-( tured as the whole stage! exploded into action and de-; risive laughter. This split-: second crowd timing was; repeated again and again without fault, and culminated magnificently at the end of! the act, when Peer rushes off: with the bride. It is not possible to name

all the good performances, or even all the sensations of the production, everything about it has so much vigour and everyone reaches such a level of competence. Vivienne Riddle is an impressively monochromatic Solvieg, Robert Bell is good as the spooky, Strindbergian Buttonmoulder (often doubled with the Strange Passenger, here done by Rob Shannon), and Janet Harris’s voice sounded like something that had escaped from the Atwell show next door (she was good as Anitra, but best as a contributory voice in groups). Patsy Baldwin, Valerie Langford, John Caldwell, Islay McLeod, Paul Sonne, Stephen McCurday, and Paul Goodson are all prominent in notable episodes; the music is a big asset, though I was disappointed that a university group did not do it. The Civic Orchestra at least respected the old adage that musicians should' be heard and not seen.

FITTING CHOICE In 1920. just before he founded the Canterbury University College Drama Society, Professor Shelley observed that “the modern dramatic revival in Europe has so far found but feeble [echoes in Australasia.” To (compensate for this. Shelley (was promoting the publication of three plays by Alan Mulgan, in which he defected a respect for "the first !and greatest of the mo-; |dems —Henrik Ibsen.” It is highly appropriate that' [the society should offer this l play as its contribution to centennial festivities: just as! Ibsen was the fertilising genius of modern drama, so! was the University Drama Society largely responsible! for the new vitality of New! Zealand theatre in the 19405.: It did this with fine presentations of classic plays, a tra-j dition which is continued ini “Peer Gynt,” in every respect; a vigorously original, capti-i vating, and contemporary; production. —HD.McN.