"AS YOU LIKE IT"

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 74, 25 September 1916, Page 2

"AS YOU LIKE IT"

ALLAN WILKIE SHAKESPEARE

PLAYERS.

"As You Like It" received quite adequate treatment at the hands of Mr. Allan Wilkie and his Shakespearean Company at_t.be Grand Opera House on Saturday night, in fact, Mr. Wilkie kept the best wine to the last-(or very ri'ear it). As the comedy in question was. played on.Satu-rday night it -Would have made an auspicious opening to the season, and would probably have played a week, perhaps longer. Eyerytliing, however, ,w4_ in its fayour. The'house was, full in every part, an atmosphere of-genial sympathy' enveloped both player's and audience. The. one, set itself put to entertain, the other yielded itself lip to be so treated. A good imdeTstandihg was manifest at the outset, a smooth and delightful reading: Of the play was assured from the beginning. '-Mr. Wilkie himself gave further proof of his great ver_atility.. He was cast for the melaijch-ly. Jaques, with not very much. to do but to, make his allotted lines iritis true a_id to. demon-* strate their beauty. This he did to the full. With cultured intelligence, he brought out the rare gems of the "Seven I Ages" speech, likewise those which stud' the s'pfeech—r"A ; fool! A fool! I,met .a i fool i' the forest." Something oV the;' cynicism of Hamlet was - imparted to the: lines .p'erliaps, but their great beauty wasi presented.as the co-knrrs Of a, pfi&m seen' from an unaccustomed angle.

Miss FredrsWyde Hunter-Watte gave a captiratitig*:apd_ exceedingly clever interpretation of Rosalind. The part liked her well. With cohsumate skill she main-,' tamed her womanliness and characteris-' tics when masquerading as a man. Rosalind's wit,' too. as drawn out by Touch-; | sbono, was furnished fresh: and sparkling; as _ draught fr&m a spring in A-Sen. '; I Mr". Landor's' Touchstone was admnV 'able in every reSpect. It was, above all, artistic in the t_usst senie of. the word.' There is-as not the faintest suspicion of buffoonery; moreover, -the fool Was never j allowed to overshadow the mail. A offite dignified banish-d.dul_S "ttra* furnished by Mr.' 'John C.'iVt,wlK.;wai:ol.yioissly given a congenial, part. " Mi-. Walter Hunt's Orlando, was ah excellent piecfe. of act-: ing. He- -Was in high' faA'p'tti- With the audience 'from first to. last. Manly, modest, magnanimous—and a gentleman through, and;,through, warp and woofy That -was tlie way Mr. Huiit represented--Orlando's character.- Miss Elwyn Harvey was admirably cast as Celia, showing excellent taste a*nd judgment in her reading of the. part of, the. loyal, loving, womanly friend. Le Bean and-. Silyius '•were both -well taken 'by Mr. M. D. Bellbridge. -Miss Ruth Norreys gave a dainty conedptioh of Phoebe, and Miss "V. Sidney was a most laughable Audrey.. Mr.. P... "V. Scully's Adam-was_the. work of a sound, capable actor. The -other lesser parts were also well taken. '. _Tie scenery is pretty, especially^ the forest, and the stage management is to 'be 'commended ,f&r *its celerity, ■; and the freedom from long waits between the acts.

"As You Like It" -will, he repeated this and to-morrow evenings.