"A PAIR OF SIXES"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3054, 16 April 1917, Page 3

"A PAIR OF SIXES"

A BRIGHT, LAUGHING MEDIUM "A. Pair of Sixes," a farcical comedy iu three acts, by Edward Peple. Cast:' George 13. Nettleton...Kenneth Bramptqn T. Bojgs Johns Bobert Greig Krome Raymond Lawrence ' Miss SaUy Parker. Esther Mitchell Thomas J". Vanderholt"... Guy Hastings Tony Toler.: Thomas lAoyd Mr. Applegate Edwin Lester Jimmy .... Harold Moran Mrs. ; Nettleton Violet Yorke Mi6S Florence-Cole ... Beatrice Holloway. Coddles Marion Marcus-Glarke Mr. Edward Peple has displayed commendable ingenuity in "A Pair of Sixes" by creating laughable farce out of the slenderest material —the foibles of two partners in a pill business who cannot get on with one another, whilst - each one is as indispensable to the other as their shares of inventiveness in the manufacture of "the little purple ,pill" is to its success. It "is "Potash and Perlmutter" over again, with none of its deep insight into humanity or sentiment, or- deop-cutting interest. "A Pair "of Sixes" only exploits the farcical side of this strangely assorted partnership) is loud in exaggeration, swift in action, and not without flashes, of verbal smartness.- If laughter be the desideratum, well, here it is—over two hours of it, without a let up. Tho partners who oannot agree are George Nettleton, a finnicky, irasoible, nasty, euspioious- fellow, who, naturally, has invented the interior of the pill, and T. Boggs Johns, a plump, oozing-gooo!-fellowship man-about-town, who has thought out the sugar-coating and violet colouring, .which has made the piil palatable to the public. • The two can agree upon nothing. They fight like tiger-cats over trivial offioe. matters, and finally getting into broad personalities, tear" to the telephone to get their attorney to annul the partnership. The latter suggests the ordinary means of bringing about the cleavage but as both stick loyally to the pill he decides on a plan that he believes will appeal to them. They are/to play a game of poker "cold," and the,one who wins is to be the master and the other the servant—for a whole year. Nettleton wins on a pair of sixes,, and with fiendish glee orders Johns to' grow sidewhiskers as a preparation to gracing, his home as his butler. Here one would think that- the joke would finish, but the thermal activity that bubbles and boils in the soul of T. Boggs Johns as he performs those menial offices for his loathed partner would'shame Rotorua. To add smile fuel, the contract entered into stipulates that neither party is to explain, the situation to' anyone under a penalty of 6000 dollars, and there is a 100-dollar fine .collectable from either party who departs from any provisions in the agreement. This places Johns in an awkward predicament' with his fiancee, "Miss Florence Coles, who, visiting Mrs. Nettleton, is astounded to find her lover as the butler. He cannot explain—it is too expensive—but the clever ■ little lady squeezes a oonfession out of the lawyer (who is also her admirer),* and then invents a way for her, lover to get even with' the malioious Nettleton. Knowing that Mrs. Nettleton is sympathetic, Johns, instead of acting the rogue elephant, becomes smilingly .complaisant, makes a point of always being found with Mrs.. Nettleton, and in 'a dozen ways sows the seed of jealousy, until ■he has Nettleton writhing'. When Nettleton can stand no more, Florence steps in; declares the contract illegal,, as it was founded on a game of poker, and sets up the partnership on a more amicable and enduring basis. .

Mr: Robert Greig, as the loser Johns simply revelled iii the two-sided character. He was suave, yet bright and breegy as the pill-coator, and as : the mad butler in Nettleton'e household his every action was food for spontaneous laughter. Mr. Greig played-with amazing speed, yet was always clear, and missed no points. • The George Nettleton of Mr. .Kenneth Brampton was the sharpest contrast. He made the character a hard, mean, arid malicious little chap, whose nasty arrogance everyone is delighted to see checkmated, ,and on, those lines the part was effectively played. Miss Beatrice Holloway is one of the few actresses who can look sweetly girlish under any circumstances, and as liorence she looked that "way find embodied the spontaneity of youth with just that clement of sophistication which makes a pr.etty girl of eighteen, so eternally interesting to ,the other sex. Miss Violet Yorke as Mrs. v Nottleton provides another contrast. Her gusliy affected style and occasional incoherence were items on the debit side of her characterisation, whilst her screeohing fit of hysterics must be accounted %to her credit. One of the beat bits of character, work, in the farce is the Coddles of Miss Marion Marcus Clarke. Coddles is the "general" at Nettleton's, who eouceives a yearning desire for the new butler, and makes it obvious in the most wildly comical manner. Miss Clarke's yearning attitudes and expressions as she makes fierce but humble love to the exasperated. Johns, and.her pale "ginger" make-up, were parts of a clever bit of- mumming. . Mr. Guy Hastings was reserved aud forceful as the lawyer. - The small parts in the opening act were all well done, especially the giggling typist of Miss Esther Mitchell. The farce is capitally mouncod, the middle aot (they are all interiors), with its tap_estried frieze, and harmonious furnishings, being a parti'ciilarly bright Riid artistic sotting. "A Pair of Sixos" will hold the stage for the next three nights, and on Thursday next the first performance of the new American comedy "The Travelling Salesman,'.' will be given. > ' .. • "A Pair of Sixes" will be "stßged until Wednesday night, ard o>l Thursday the company vill produce "The Travelling Salesman."