Diversion for lunch

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 6

Diversion for lunch

B

Howard McNaughton

“Visitor from Holly- . wood,” by Neil Simon, j and ~The Shock of Recognition.” by Robert Ander- . son. Directed by Robin Queree for the Court Theatre: Christchurch Arts Centre. February 21 to 24. I Running time: 12.15 p.m. to 1.15 p.m. Presumaolv to counterweight rhe’ Arts Festival theatre programme, the. Court this week is of ai determinedly low-brow j nature. Both short plays' blend characteristics of commercial Broadway sex comseries like “Love American; Style," and at least one of, them is an excerpt from a, longer work. However, as! P'ecented here, thev are; sufficiently crisp and pol-. isned to divert midday audi-i play is decidedly superior In "Visitor from Hollvcard that one scarcely notices the banality of the material Russell Smith adds tn his record of too-quality naracterisations that of a famous Hol'vwood n-odicer meeting a high-school flame of 1” years ago (Deilwynne. Phillips) in his D 'aza suite in New York. The seduction' rams which follows is obvious to the pomt of farce,

but the slick professionalism] I of the whole performance makes it good entertainment’ iof its kind. j “The Shock of Recogni-; Ition.” however, has fewer j . redeeming qualities. This; itime, Russell Smith does ai stage director arguing with' I a playwright (Michael Wil- I jliams) and calling in his secretary (Sandra Rasmussen)

.and an actor (Robin Queree) ito support his point of view. ] The subject is frontal male ! nudity on stage which makes lit seem rather dated, and the | treatment is baldly prurient. So it is scarcely surprising I that this script does not en!courage the cast into the quality of performance that .makes the first play seem worth while.