MOLIERE COMEDY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 179, 26 April 1941, Page 8

MOLIERE COMEDY

“Le Malade Imaginaire”

FRENCH CIRCLE SUCCESS

“Le Malade Imaginaire,” a comedy in three acts, by Moliere. Cast of characters :—

Argan . • Dr. A. C.' Iveys Toinette .... Madame Renee Finlayson Angelique . Mademoiselle Jeanne Carlier Beline Miss Coralie Smytlison

Monsieur de Bonnefoi Mr. K. J. Hollyman Cleante Mr. M. Todd Monsieur Diafoirus Mr. W. F. C. Balham Thomas Diafoirus . Mr. P. C.- R.--Wills Fleurant Mr. K. F. Quinn

Purgon■Dr. A. D. Carbery Moliere is to French -comedy what Corneille, Voltaire and Racine are to tragedy. That we know and see too little o£ the works of these playwrights is a cultural misfortune, due to our national youth and geography. So Wellington is indebted to the Cercle Litteraire Francais de Wellington for reviving so merrily the memory of one of Moliere’s most enduring farcical comedies, “Le Malade Imaginaire,” at the concert chamber on Thursday night So happily was this comedy’ cast, and so deftly was it produced (by Mrs. Du Chateau) that it will be a thousand pities if the performance is not repeated. For a first performance the glibness of. the players, their ease of action, and efficiency in character-draw-ing, were alike admirable, encouraging the idea, top, that in the future these talented people may give us more of Moliere.

“Le Malade Imaginaire” ie perhaps played as often as any of Moliere's comedies, because of its lack of obstacles in the way of presentation. It can always be’played in the one scene, with a few’ chairs, a table, a few medicine . bottles, and a cloud of pillow’s. Wealthy old M. Argan, imagines himself an invalid, but being a mean and highly eccentric old codger, he takes objections to the medical charges w’ith w’hieh he is always being confronted, so plots to marry his daughter to the son of a well-known doctor. But the fair Angelique has -other views on this point. Cleante, a young man of some pi<etence to manly beauty, has caught her fancy, and also the approval of her. pert maid Toinette. How Cleante gains entrance to the house, and the manner in which the gawky Thomas Diafoirus naively repeats the speeches he has been taught to make to Angelique and her father, make good fun. Then there are the subtleties of Beline, Angelique’s- stepmother, and the tricky conduct of Angelique, when she palms herself off as a young doctor. M. Argan was gliby and testily played by Dr. A. C. Keys, who displayed some niceties of character, and subtelty in inflection. His one defect W’as being altogether too youthful in appearance and action. Angelique, his beautiful ;daughter, was charmingly played by MdUe. Jeanne Carlier, who madd a clear discrimination between the modesty of the maiden whose future was being bandied about and the brusque young pseudodoctor of the final act. Beline, the stepmother, was played on smooth insinuative lines 'by Miss Coralie Smythson, and the assertive Toinette was very smartly played 1 by Madame Renee Finlayson. , ’

There was nobody m the east more effective than Dr. Carbery as Purgon, the physician. Looking like a Hogarthian picture of Dr. Johnson, Dr. Carbery presented the pompous and assertive old man with the firmest of touches. Another excellent bit of character work was the Thomas Diafoirus of Mr. P. C. R. Wills. Long and lean of shank (in his black tights), and with open vacuous mouth, he looked the perfect ninny; M. Diafoirus, the father, was also well played by Mr. W. F. C. Balham. Cleante was competently played by M. Todd, and Flerant, the apothecary, found a natural exponent in Mr. F. K. Flynn. Mr. K. J. Hollyman impersonated M. de Bonnefoi, the notary. Hearty applause followed the fall of the final curtain. Mrs. du Chateau'deserves credit for the smoothness of the presentation. To enable those without French to comprehend the drift of the comedy, Dr. Keys gave a resume of the plot before each act. The performance was in aid of Queen Carnival funds, through the Commerce Queen (Miss - Luckie), who was present.