"TWELFTH NIGHT."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2218, 3 August 1914, Page 11

"TWELFTH NIGHT."

SIR. ALEXANDER WATSON'S RECITAL. '

Professional male reciters are not common anywhere, and good reciters who can hold audionces for hours are rarer than good tenors. »isut Mr. Alex. Watson, who introduced himself to Vielbiigton at tlie Concert Chamber on Saturday evening ;s something a good deal removed even from the orthodox good reciter. Without any-tedious formalisms, lie l proved himself to be not merely a dramatic recitalist of quality, but, in selecting Shakespeare's charmuig but withal difficult 1 comedy, "Twelfth Night," for his first recital, and by cleverly suggesting the manner, temperament, and expression' of each of the many characters, widely variable as they a-ue, ho convinced the large audience that he was possessed of histrionic and protean graces quite remarkable. Add to this the .fact, tliat he actually recited two-thirds of the c'oniedy without a prompter or a refer-, once of any kind, and. the public will begin the calibre. of Mr. Watson, ana*to realise that in him we have at length a : successor to the late Rev. Charles Clark, who some twenty years ago. itsed to delight us with his lectures on tho works of Dickens, Thackeray,, the Tower of London, and other interesting subjects. Since his day we have heard > Geo. H.' Snazelle, who oii groat pecuniary provocation used to. recite tho whole of. '.'Enoch Arden" —no inconsiderable feat of memory—and later Mel. B. Spurr, Leslie Harris, Reeves (of Adelaide) and Blascheck. who were more or less entertainers of the monologuistic order,, who hardly flew to the soaring heights of Charles Clarke, and, _ now, Alexander Watson. In an analysis of the visitor's art, one had to commend his wonderful repose, bis polished yet urbane and highly , ingratiating manner, his fine speaking voice, and the really amazingly swift transitions he makes ■ from one • character to ".the other in reciting a scene, without, after the introduction; naming tho_ characters, y.et always preserving, theiridentity with such clarity as, to leave not the smallest doubt in the mind of the audience as to who is speaking. That and the innate magnetism of tlie man were the two outstanding features of the recital which, held a crowded and'encc enchained for two hours on-Satii'-day evening." 'Mr. Watson explained at the outset that the recital would be divided into two parts without ..an interval,' but separated onlv ~ by' 'ft momentary pause, which needless' to say was fillnd in with the heartiest appliluse. Mr. Watson commenced by calliiig the chnracters'ancl stating what they wore, and then without further atlo rec'ted, with',advnirobio diction and a fine'-appre-ciation of tho subtleties of Shakespearean dialogue, tho most important scene? of the comedy; which hp deftl;? linked up with a few brief explanations 'which gave complete understanding to everyono -present.When every character is so well studied, it is perhaps not an "easy task-to declare, those in'.which Mr. Watson excelled, but his Malvolio, tho austere, ,- self-conscious, conceited' ass, was a piece of consummate acting of a very high order of merit indeed, more so because this role has always been conceived to bo a particularly difficult one to sustain. Then his Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who art always together in the humor-ous-scenes, in which tlioy are concerned, were capitally portrayed—Sir- Toby's thick laugh and his rough, boisterous manner were always in admirable contrast to the thin vinega'rv simpering tones of the "foolish knight," and the quick' interchanges, between the two, both in voice and gesture, never found the recitalist at fault. A characteristic of, Mr. Watson's treatment of the play is that he has a set, but .not stiff or formal, gesture or pose for oach person in the play, and by these one gets to know visually (as by the changed"intoiie he knows orally) who is speaking. And not, only does Mr. Watson give its'a Very understandable, portrait of the men concerned in the' mummery, but ho has marvellous subtle touchos to. distinguish the female characters—tlie mournful Olivia, the love-smitten Viola, and that merriest of wenches, Maria. Indeed, one of the most beautiful passages, as. spoken by Mr. Wat-son,, was the speech of Viola beginning: "Too. Veil what _ love women to men may own." This lie invested with a high degree of that tender despairing pathos that would inflict a woman who adores one whom she-knows to be passfonately in love with another. Nor was the passion of Orsino ever in the least in danger of; mutilation—the lines of the Count and. the Ladv Olivia, sunken wi+li a full regard for Hie music of tho Bard, suggested a -world of "lore's exquisito pain" -without loss of that proper restraint attaching to their lofty positions ip life. Feste. the jester, was well limned, and all the bright 6-pontaneitv of the; wise too? were genially presented, and, to add to the pleasure. Mr. Watson, without the aid of a piano or any musical apnurtenance. sang Ihe two songs, "0 Mistress Mine" and "When That,l Was and a Tinv Little Boy." To. say that the recital met with the approval of the large audience is nutting, the case rather-mildly. -Mr.. Watson gripoed his audience from the moment he. first opened his lips, and the onlv pauses during the recital were filled with tumultuous applause, which at the end develoned into a demonstration of the liveliest' approval. _ To-night Mr. Watson 's to give a reciy based on Charles Dickens's novel, "Nicholas Nicklebv.". relating to thatperiod which Nicholas spent at Doth°boys TTnll. The Concert Chamber should bo taxed to capacity. Other lectures planned,for the week are as follow:— Tuesdnv. Kipling night: Wndnwdn-v, "Tlie-Everlastino: Mercy" (Mase.lleld's trreat poemt. ■ Other lectures will bo given' on Thursday,. Friday, and Saturday, tho matter'for which will bo announced later.