ONE-ACT PLAYS

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 99, 17 December 1943, Page 4

ONE-ACT PLAYS

FOUR PRODUCED AT SOUTHBRIDGE

DRAMA GROUP'S GOOD

PERFORMANCE

Four one-act plays were produced ,at the Southbridge Town Hall last night by ths Southbridge Drama Group. They were performed before a full house and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the performances. All the plays were well furnished with the appropriate stage fittings and the dressing and costuming were also in keeping with the plays, all of which had present-day settings. On the wnole very good performances were given by the players individually as well as by teams, and although there were imperfections, the plays were generally wellfinished and well produced and creditably acted. They were produced under the direction of Mr G. A. Worthington, of Canterbury University College Extension department, who also acted as .coach and instructor, and was assisted by Miss Tui Eldridge. Only about five weeks had been allowed for preparation and rehearsals, and under the . circumstances, the performances given were very good. Most of the players knew their lines, little prompting was noticeable. The four plays produced were simple plots .and straight-forward dialogue and what acting was required was well done. In two or three of the plays there was some difficulty in hearing what was being said but a great contributing factor w,as the noise made by the audience. Despite this, however, some of the players could, with advantage to their lines and greater pleasure to the audience, have made more use of their voices.

The funds of the Red Cross will benefit to the extent of £10 16/3 by the effort, as Mrs R. F. Pilkington president of the sub-centre, remarked when returning thanks to the members of the group ,and the public for their assistance.

Mr Worthington, when responding, remarked upon the noise from some of the audience which had prevented the words of the players from being clearly heard, and gave a vocal demonstration from the back of the stage to show, that the acoustics of the hail were not faulty. In all but one play the casts were all women. The first was entitled "Men Are Missing." The scene was set on the terrace of a country house in Ireland after dinner, where the women guests gather to await the menfolk. They do not appear, a search is made and they are found to be ( missing. Mild apprehension is felt, when it is discovered that the telephone wires have been cut and that the party of women are isolated from assistance. A masked armed stranger appears who demands money and jewels, but the request is not taken seriously at first. At last the position is realised and in turn the guests hand over their valuables, but the contents of—the handbags reveal well-hid secrets in one or two cases. The climax comes when one of the guests, a novelist, confesses that she had arranged for a "fake" hold-up so as to provide material for a novel from the reactions of the guests. She had not bargained, however, for what actually happened—the "bandit" departed with the loot.

The following took part in the play: Miss A. M. McGahey (Nora) • Miss H. Carter (Marie Howard', novelist); Miss O. Fleming (the hostess) ; Miss M. Nidd (Mrs Osbaldeston, the vicar's wife); Mrs B X Gilmour (Hilary Nield, an actress);' Miss J. Newton (Mrs Barry Delemane); Mrs E. Hopa (Madame Selenrik); Miss A. Stewart (the stranger); Miss B. Green (Phyllis a maid); Miss Creedworthy (Miss T Eldridge).

Afternoon," the second play, was another version of the eternal clash of ideas between the young and the not so young, this time as between father and daughter, the latter possessing very definite ideas of what she should do and how to live her own hfe. Then a mysterious letter appears, the daughter is accused of being the recipient and fireworks occurred in a scene between her and her father. As a contrast the happy married life of father and mother is made much of, but suspicion enters the door when the mother explains that the letter was part of the stage props of a play in which she took part some years ago However, her mother diplomatically steers the family over the

adults, Mrs Pocock and Mr J. BowwTs PthTMc * MUSiC Mr F' H6SIOP

„,»?■ Presentati°n to Miss Hume, SohJfVtf 1 relievi«g assistan teacher at the school during the _Wprerm' J? S i_made foy Marshall Hunter on behalf of the.pupils. Mr *• W. Brooks, chairman of the n?^ tee ' alS° SP°ke he ex! pressed appreciation, on behalf of the parents at the manner in which Ul£f S WS assistants had £oked, after the educational w-i----addedl ??„ Children" Mr B^t added that the inspector's report on the work of the school was once more highly creditable to the teachers, and he congratulated them on the results achieved.

troubled waters. The play "had a small cast and was done very well indeed. Those taking part were: Mr G. A. Worthington (Major Anthony Wing), Mrs B. K. Gilmour (Lady Fellowes, his mother-in-law), Miss A. M. McGahey (Dinah, his daughter), Miss M. Marshall (Susan, his wife). The action .^ took place in the lounge of the** 4 Wing's country home. That some people have dual personalities, "or rather, that they present the best side of tiieir characters to visitors, reserving the worst for family use, provided the subject for the third play, "Favour is Deceitful." To her visitors Mrs Frensham (Miss J. Newton) was a charming old lady, and the vicar's wife, Mrs Jackson (Miss M. Nidd.) and Miss Braithwaite, an, old maid (Mrs Steel) were unanimous on this, point as they brought gifts to her. But to Susan, her daughter-in-law (Mrs E. Hopa) and to Alice (Miss W. Thomas) and Kathleen (Miss B. Green) her granddaughters, she was the reverse to charming. In the family circle bickerings and uncharitable remarks led to a sordid quarrel. The final play of the series, "Far, Far Away," also dealt with the con- . sequences of harbouring uncharitable suspicions, due to lack of understanding. The scene is laid in the kitchen of Mrs Consedine's home when the news is received that a valuable family heirloom has been stolen on the eve of the daughter's wedding. Suspicion falls on one of the maids, but when the daughter takes a hand in clearing up the trouble she finds that the girl is innocent but suffering from homesickness. The mystery of the missing bowl is satisfactorily cleared up and everything ends happily. Excellent interpretations were given in this play by all the cast, which included: Mrs J. Strutton (Mrs Ladslove, the cook), Miss J. Hickman (Queenie, the parlour maid), Miss O. Fleming (Penny, the kitchen maid), Miss T. Eldridge (Mrs Consedine), Miss M. Marshall (Miss Grimwade, her sister), Miss F. Montgomery (Nancy, Mrs Consedine's daughter).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS After the performance, Mr Worthington thanked the players lor the way in which they had worked together. He had enjoyed himself In Southbridge and he hoped to be able to work with the group again next year. He especially thanked Miss Eldridge for her assistance at rehearsals and Mr Miller for his work behind, stage. Mrs J. Strutton, on behalf of the group thanked Mr Worthington for his work and presented him with a gift accompanied by the best wishes of members. Miss Eldridge expressed her gratitude to the members of the group for the way they had- co-operated with her during the period of rehearsals. Mr Miller congratulated the group on its performance that evening which reflected great credit on the members and on Mr Worthington. He also thanked members of the Red Cross sub-centre for their hospitality in providing supper