CERCLE FRANCAIS PLAY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 279, 22 August 1944, Page 3

CERCLE FRANCAIS PLAY

“Tovariteh,” the four-act play by Jacques Deval which bad such success in Paris and London a few years ago, was presented at last Thursdays meeting of the Cercle Francais. The local production was splendidly cast and the players, tinder the direction ot Madame Phillis Jeffries, gave an adequate and convincing interpretation of the comedy. The story tells of a Czarist general ami his wife who take refuge in Paris. Hie general is trustee for the sum of four billion francs bold in the Bank of It rance for the Imperial Government, but even in the direst poverty he refuses to use one sou for personal ends. He and bis wife become the servants of a French politician and at u dinner part.v they have to wait on a Soviet commissar, ffhe commissar explains to the general that unless the U.S.S.R. can have the hit ter s four billion francs to buy agricultural machinery it wil have to. grant large concessions to foreign oil firms bi order to raise the required sum. The general, in spite of his hatred of the new regime, gives the money for the sake of luissia and the commissar docs him the honour of calling him “comrade.” Those in the cnst were Madame Jeffries. Madame Finlayson. Misses Francis; Huntington, Marjorie Bennie, Kdilh Hannan, Mi. Neuberg', Professor Boyd-Wilson. Messrs. A. AV. Griffin, Alistair Hall. Marriott Brett and Charlton. . Appropriate incidental music was l''ayod bv a trio consisting of Miss A alone Collins, piano, Miss Valerie Wolton, ’cello, and Mr. Gordon Martin, violin. Madame Arnaud was hostess for the evening.