AUSTRALIAN DRAMA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2979, 17 January 1917, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN DRAMA

HUMOUR FROM THE WAYBACK. "Tho Waybacks,". a comedy in four acts. Cast — Dads i Wayback William Stewart Dan Bobins Harry Hodaon Nigel Kelvin ...-. John Fernside Jack Hinds .<. .........Herbert Stallard Dickens Thackeray Scott Brown Poter Saviori Charley Lyons Frank Shepherd Horace Gohighly William Thompson I JFolicia Holmes ......Jane King Mums Juliu. Bettertou-Glover Jabez Cioavo M'Grath Euphemia Blanche Blair Tilly Lucy Adair George Spry Walter Webb Mr. Smoothemall Robert Drummond Mrs. Moonfaco ; Ethel Wilson Mrs. Carrote Iris Green This dramatisation of some incidents selected from .the tales of Mr. Henry Fletcher has its good points, and.it has also its bad ones. The humour of the "wayback" is the familiar theme of a large band of Australian writers, who are funny, sentimental, or tiresome, as tho case may be, without even producing, or indeed attempting to produce, any tiling in the nature of literature. Mr. Flotcher is a member of the band —lie. may oven'be called'a. distinguished member—and three or four of his published ivories have "been 5 used to provide material for this stage representation of the life at home and in tho eity of the Wayback • Faiifilv. ' The (resulting play, as presented at the Grand Opera House last night, is a curious compound of comedy and farce, with a streak of crude melodrama./ The Waybacks arc like no Australian family that ever fought a drought, but their adventures , are undeniably funny. "Dad" and "Muni" have seven children, and tlie whole tribe of thorn go on a trip to Sydney, wihoro Dad has to. interview tie Minister for Works regarding Dingo Flat's need of roads, police stations, and the other good things provided by kindly politicians for deserving constituencies. Incidentally he interviews the confidence men. Then the family, weary of the restraints of the city, returns to the homestead, where an indigent actor involves them in his scheme for the creation of a real Australian play, redolent of the soil, the gums, and the cows.- Dad. bent with forty years of toil, but still active, bo-whiskered, and of good cheer, is tho nearest approach to a- type in the crowd, and his interview with the Minister is really amusin<*. The part was well played by Mr. Stewart. Another good characterisation was that of the lovesick farm hand, Charley Lyons, by Mr. Frank Shepherd. Miss Glover made a capable Mum, and Misses Blair and Adair were entertaining as the two daughters. Several of the other players were weak. The play was well mounted, and though the number of changes of scene was unusually large, there were no delays. The action was brisk throughout, and the very large audience was thoroughly appreciative. "The Waybacks" will be repeated this evening. I