PINERO COMEDY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 28, 2 August 1923, Page 10

PINERO COMEDY

'PRESERVING MR. PANMURE."

Sir A. W. Pinero's clever four-act play, "Preserving Mr. Panmure," was staged at the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last evening by "Tho Thespia.ns," under the direction of Mr. Cul-ioi-i Bell. It was the first timo'that the camedy had been produced in Wellingtotn, and, considering the fact-that they li3id.no professional example.-'to follow, the members of tho company did very viell indeed.. There were faults, of course, such \as over-emphasis and, at tf.ines, slowness of action, but one canncit expoet a first-night amateur performance to run as smoothly asa professional performance. Tho story of the comedy in a simple one. Josepha Qnarendon, .5,-overness at.:"The Clewers"," Ufe'.'count?y home of Mr.: Panmure; a blustering, self-satisfied, but very'stupid'. English gentleman., is. kissed, asi-she. terms it, in ,'i most brutal manner. Panmure is the ( culprit, but Josepha promises that she will tell no one of the occurrence , Through the efforts of a Mrs. Hebble- | waite, the .'busybody wife of a member of Parliament, however, the secret is | discovered, and the womenfolk of the house set abou.fc'Uo find the culprit. Mrs. Panmure decides that her husband is the man to properly investigate, the matter. He is not successful,: however, hut the Right-Hon. Reginald Stulkely,' M.P., is, to the discomfort of Mr.' Panmure. Talbot Woodhouse, Mr. Stullcely's private secretary, accepts the blame, and thus Mr. ; Panmure is preserved. Miss Isobel Hanmgan carried off the.honours of the evening as Josepha, her acting bein<* natural and her elocution good. Miss Phyllis Adams' was well-placed'as Mrs ■.Panmure, and Miss Lirinie Nicholas was pleasing as Mrs. Hebblewaite. Miss Annie Fraser was at home in the part of Dulcie Anstice, and Miss Aggie Atkins was sufficiently precocious as Myrtle 1 anmure. As Mr. Panmure, Mr Fred Paynes was inclined to overdo the part, and was lacking in humour. Mr Hale fencer was good ?a Stulkely, Mr. Stanley Airth was well cast as Woodhouse and Mr. Barton Ginger was satisfactory as Hugh Loring. ' ' "Preserving Mr. Panmure," the proceeds of which are in aid of the Terrace School funds, will be repeated tonight.