In quest of Melodrama

Press, 28 February 1981, Page 17

In quest of Melodrama

Gentleman George, King of Melodrama. By Eric Irvin. University of Queensland Press. 1980. 234 pp. $14.95. (Reviewed by Mhaire Erber) George Darrell hails from an age when the theatre filled the place, now occupied by the cinema and television. His special forte was melodrama which he wrote, acted and directed, and staged elaborately in an attempt (often highly successful in those times) to create the illusion of "reality.’’ He was very probably a remarkable man — though only very modestlv talented. He was hardworking, honest, loyal and generally without vice — or so it would appear.

Unfortunately, this book had to be written almost entirely from newspaper reports of his public activities, all associated with the theatre, and theatre critics’ comments on his plays and performances in them (or those of other playwrights such as Shakespeare). Modern critical appraisal of his works is not possible as the text of only one, "The Sunny South,” is extant. That he was. as Eric Irvin, concedes, a craftsman rather than an artist would matter not a jot if it were possible to establish him as an interesting person. The almost total absence of material on his private life makes this an impossible task.

' Although carefully assembled, attractively and appropriately (rather flamboyantly) presented. but with occasional, if minor, printing errors, this book can be expected to have limited appeal. The illustrations are interesting. They show many grand looking theatres — a remarkable number of them Theatres Royal, all of them I suppose predating our own "Theatre Royal,” but surely not as grand as it has been and will be. Perhaps it would be possible to persuade someone, (most appropriately J. C. Williamson's with whose founder Darrell was associated) to stage “The Sunny South" in the restored theatre. Pantomime, Music Hall and Melodrama seem poised to make a comeback, but before we get too carried away by nostalgia, maybe we should heed the words of a critic in the “Bulletin” (August 25. 1894): "... now a new un-English generation doesn't care a straw whether it (Australia) is south of England or not.

Australia was south of England to the old generation: to the new one England has the dashed impertinence to be north of Australia.” Il is the most quotable quote in the book! This is not. nor can one sec how it could have been, given the limited nature of the sources, a very interesting book. Material may be unearthed to enable the writing of a more vital history of the antipodean theatre in the nineteenth century, a task already approached by Mr Irvin in "Theatre Comes to Australia.” An actor or biographer may feel impelled to pray that •no researcher 50 to 70 years hence, decides to write his life story with only the views of newspaper critics to inform him.