BALZAC STORY

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33382, 14 November 1973, Page 4

BALZAC STORY

The immersion of the viewer into the affairs of the Hulot family, and particularly into those of Cousin Bette, was remarkably swift, and testimony to the excellence of this version of Honore de Balzac’s novel. The first of the five parts was highly entertaining, because the story developed swiftly and surely, because of the excellence of the ] characterisations, and the rich colour of the settings. Margaret Tyzack in the ‘title role of “Cousin Bette” gave a typically accomplished performance, her spinster varying between warm and waspish, and Thorley Walters, as Hector of the roving eye, 'was also most convincing. ’“Cousin Bette” is a reminder, too, that a permissive society is not a modern developiment. Missing the first few .minutes of the New Zealand Playhouse production, “Friendship Centre” was probably fatal to any attempt to appraise it properly, but even allowing for this handicap, it was clear that it was a patchy sort of play. Some of the dialogue flowed easily and naturally, some of it seemed as stiff and unreal as the set. But notwithstanding these variations, Robert Lord’s writing about two sets of personal problems was lively enough to hold the interest. Julie Douglass as the rather embittered young woman was probably the best of the quartet. — R.T.B. “Grandstand” “Grandstand,” the Saturday I sports programme, will start learly this week. Transmission of “Grandstand” will begin at 1.30 p.m.' |to cover a major power boat levent at Wellington. There ‘will be a news summary as lusual at 2 p.m.