TWO LITTLE PLAYS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 154, 25 March 1922, Page 10

TWO LITTLE PLAYS

PRESENTED BY A. STANLEY WARWICK. Amateur theatricals 5 e -' lin"ton in these days. Although it is only the dawn of that season wherein tlteamatcnr stalks abroad. Mr. A. btanHv Warwick and his pin” l ® have already breasted the lights. They did so .at the\ Concert Chamber last evening through the medium of-two short plaia of distinct quality, “The Marriage Will Not Take Place,” is a nextern comedietta Hv Alfred Sutro. who has enriched the English stage with some capital plays. In this nlay a wealthy old baronet Sir Henrv Parkes, and Simon Free, K.C.. are father and uncle respechvely of Harold Parkes, an avia'nr on duty somewhere in France.” They are violently naitated by the news offered marriage to Miss Charbe an actress, and in order to break up the arrangement Sir Henry get-. rre° to interview the lady and hnv her, off at any price. But Mies Charlie i» clever, and quite equal to the lawyer s blandishments. Finally she consenjsto be "souared” with a cheque for wheretipon she discloses the fact that she is married' and the mother of a. family. I' l departing, she tears up the cheque laughingly, fibowine wha<_n good Uftle snort fiho is. MiW Churchill, though sweet and refineci in maimer, was rather too subclned and renre=sed in manner and sptech to get the most out of the clever bits of comedy given her. Mr. Warwick gave an excellent fitndv as Simon. Free, and Mr. Perov Cnbitt was the aved baronet “The Man Who Stole the Cnstle, by Gallon and' Lion, is a pretty I’ttle eoshime nlnv, which was very well done on |he whole. Jack Dalwyn . the rather dissolute son of a successful linen-draper finds himself lonely and miserable, in possession of a castle which he certawlv cover wished upon himself. Bored to diHractlon he drinks to excess and is 'still miserable in the place where the na'inted' ancestors of a great race look 'down resentfully on his intrusion. Ho “about to make a d.-sh for town, when, on Christmas Eve. the Ml rings and .in steps Sir Richard Elverton and I s sister Barbara, both children of the former owner of the estate Jwho had di d after gamblin'- if away). They hnd run awav from school, owing to bir Richard having been dubbed a beggar. Naturnll'v thev turn to their old home, which they had learned througli Nannie (their old nurse) had been taken nossessmn. of hv n usurper. Jack is delighted with the diversion, and for a time disguises bis veil identify; until forced to admit that he. is tlm lawful person. Sir Richard only a boy. who was going to slay the'man'who stole his castle, receives the exnlanation. as to the nosition with no little amazement, mid then falls asleep in the' arms of “Mr. Usurny. .Tack,; wl lo i« ted in) with the cnstle. and also touched bv the position rtf the orphans. • decidis to retnrn to them Their ancestral home, and all ends well. Mr. Don Bnsh made Jack Dalwvn a careless. Ioo«e--iointeil and somewhat flnbhv hern, who seemed afraid to hold himself together (as is necessary in white satin n.nd a “cutaway”). Miss Ruby Walsh was bold and emphatic ns young Sir Richard, and Pee-gy McDonald was eweetness'itself as Barbara. Mr. Alnn Fuller jyas particularly satisfying qs ths old steward. Cummings, and Ins Dams was ’Ji’ved by Miss Rosalind Atkinson. ■Tnsiall Hankey, an old lawyer, was well elmraeterisod' bv Mr. Vernon Oswin, Tn the course of i>” Interlude between the two nlavs. Mr. Harold Gqdier pinver’ a pianoforte solo on an instrument which ’might have nossess-d good tone before the war. Miss Sheila Wilson recited, with good exnrassion, “Como, and Miss Blanche Godicr. who boasts n sweet and’ rnrrtepnlfle mezzo, still"- exnmssively “The Valiev o 5 laughter” nml “Songs 'Mv Mother Taught .Me’ (Dvorak). The entertainment is to be repeated this evening.