“OTHER MEN’S WIVES”

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 29, 29 October 1928, Page 7

“OTHER MEN’S WIVES”

ADVENT OF MARGARET BANNERMAN

“Other Men’s Wives,” a comedy drama iu three acts by Walter Hackett. Cast: — Maitre d’Hotel Herbert Millard Angela Worthing .... Lily Titheradge Anthony Peel Ellis Irving The Maid ■. Margaret Bannerman Reginald de Brett .... Louis Goodrich Gendarme G. Kay Souper Sir John Deptford .... Geoffrey Millar Sam .Worthing.. Arthur Cornell A very large audience assembled at the Grand Opera ■ House on Saturday night to enjoy the distinctive art of Miss Margaret Bannerman 31116 the English company presented through J. C. Williamson Ltd. by Mr. Anthony Prinsep, a name that has for years been associated with theatrical management in Doudou, in Walter Hackett’s clever piay, - "Other Men’s Wives.” iMiss Ban--nerman comes to us with the full flush of a triumphant success in London still upon her, having as late as 1920 completed one of the most remarkable metropolitan runs of recent years, one of three years in Somerset Maugham’s play “Our Betters?” which we are to see later in the season. No one who was present on Saturday night had any quarrel with London s good taste, for Miss' Bannerman, through her personal charm, vivacity and beauty, her light radiant touch, and a certain intense modernity of manner, style and outlook, at once established herself iu the good graces of all. This brilliant actress is, too, .endowed with a quick intelligence, a fascinating sense of humour, and an appreciation of dramatic values which should serve her well in the whole range of the drama; yet -with all these virtues to her adornment there is no prating or possing no extra trumpets or spotlights to add ridiculous .’emphasis to the obvious. Her methods are natural, and, in this play, the daintiness of her gay insouciance in a maze of embarrassing situations charmed and intrigued the audience. Her triumph was a signal one, and the final curtain saw the brilliant newcomer receive an armful of flowers and half a ’dozen sturdy recalls. ■Walter Hackett’s play is capital entertainment. It embraces a little of all sorts —a soupcon of romance, a dash of the ‘‘crook” drama, a liberal application of the mystery element, and a double triangle of sex complex. Shaken well together and cleverly distributed by the author, the plays becomes by turn all things, but mostly it is delicious comedy, neatly epigrammatic, and well packed with incident. It concerns English people in a tangle in France. A very valuable diamond chain has been stolen in London and whipped across the Channel, and Angela Worthing and Anthony Peel, who are joy-riding, happen to put up at tin hotel, in which everything ' concerning the chase centres. Someone has arranged to meet the thief there, and buy the diamond chain, but the innocent couple mentioned, who, without knowing the fact, are the only guests in the hotel, are only made aware that something untoward is happening, when they hear a hoarse voice in an adjoining locked room begging for help, and subsequently hear agonising cries; somebody is being murdered. Later, a detective and the police arrive, and things begin to look ugly for the young couple, who are caught iu the toils of a crime (for Angela is a married woman, with a jealous husband) when a solution offers. The femme de chambrc, extremely pretty and resourceful, who also wishes to get away from, the hotel, suggests that Angela should represent herself as Anthony s wife, and she (the maid) would be her attendant, but Angela refuses to jjerjure herself, so the maid suggests the reverse , or( ] er — s he to be the wife, »nd Angela the maid. ’This is accepted as the best, way out, and in this order they meet the police, and a rather terrible detective, who is not by any means easily'bluffed, This creates , an immensely interesting and amusing situation, as the young couple have to practise a_hunderd cunning devices to keep up appearance, and at the same time observe the proprieties. In the middle of it all, Anthony falls hopelessly in love witli the maid, but is shocked to the vertebrae when he finds her in possession of the diamonds, anil apparently in league with those who millilered the man in the room next door. It would scarcely be fair to tell the rest of the story, but it all works out to a delightful conclusion, thrills alternates with laughter, right to the end. Miss Bannerman enacted the role or the maid witliY delicious aplomb, and sparkling humour, getting every shade ot meaning into the clever lines the, author has ■ given her, and that without exercising for a moment any of the conventional trickery of the business. 11l the courses of the play, she wore some stunning frocks, and there is ravissemente in the cut of the sky-blue pyjamas she wears when arousal from sleep to renew the verbal fencing bout with the detective Miss Bannerman is most ably supported. Mr. Ellis Irving, who was. Anthony Peel, has an ingratiating air ot distinction and charm ot manner that at once won favour. A particularly sound performance was that of the iletectne, de Brett, bv Mr. Louis Goodrich, who acts the quiz with nice strength and finish. Miss Lily Titheradge (who, by tlie way. is a (laughter of the late Mi. George S. Titheradge), was extremely amusing as the much-distressed Angela Worthing, and Mr. G. Kay Souper gave us a delightful sketch as the gendarme. Mr Herbert Millard was dramatically suspensive as the villainous hotel manager. Sir John Deptford (who turns out to be the “maid’s” brother-in-law) was capably played by Mr. Geoffrey Millar, nnd Mr. Arthur Cornell was Sam Woithing. The comedy was admirably mmintcd, and the manner of its presentment owes something to its producer, Mi. Gre gan McMahon.