BROAD FARCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 118, 20 May 1932, Page 3

BROAD FARCE

"HE WALKED IN HER SLEEP" :

■ Norman Cannon's farce, "He Walked laHer Sleep," was produced, in the Townr Hall Concert Chamber last evening' byf Mr. Harold G. Hobday, who had soma capable talent from the-Stage Society of New Zealand to assist him. The audience,' although not large, laughed continuously,' applauded spontaneously, and showed it» appreciation by presenting numerous bouquets at the final curtain. "He Walked In Her Sleep" is the broadest of farces,' and distinctly modern, including a bedroom scene, which is supposed to be tha hallmark of modernity. It would certainly, sho.ck early Victorian susceptibilities, but; last night d audience was composed of tha modern generation and laughed all the time: the thinner the ice skated upon,the louder the laughter. The plot is complicated and rather. far-fetched, but it serves to create a series of situations to teep the audience tittering and expectant, Mr. Tankers loves his second wife, but not nearly as much as he loves hia golf. She hates his golf, but adores bridge nearly as much: as he hates it. Hence things in.' the Tankers s household are only middling. However, the fortuitous engagement of a butler, who is really a law' student out of a job, and who incidentally id in love with June, the daughter of the first Mi-s. Tankers, provides Mr. Tankers with-th« idea for making his wife realise what » fine husband she really has. He plans to disappear while his wife .is quietly 'sleeping—"to walk in her. sleep," but^a very; modern young man, one Jeffrey -Beacon, who alsto happens to love June (or think* that he does), unwittingly, upsets tha scheme by mistaking the room in which Mrs. Tankers is snoring peacefully for that in which his enamoured is awaiting vhimi This mistake, incidentally, is engineered by the girl herself, arid what happens at midnight in the wrong bedrooms'1 is ths means of restoring peace and happiness to:: the Tankers household, and all get what they deserve. . ■ .

The honours of the evening -undoubtedly lay with Miss Joyce Neilsen -and with Mr. W. J. Mount joy (jun.) .'-. The former as June Tankers, the modern young lady, who looks upon husbands ai) an acquired taste^—like' tomatoes—was excellent, and the latter as the ultra-modern young inaa went to the limit without any undua exaggeration. As the scheming Mr; Tankers, garbed for. golf as man was nevef garbed before, Mr. L. J. Maiile made'a palpable hit,, and Miss |Ethel Oldburyi' Jones, as Henrietta, hisf second, venture in matrimony, henpecked him vigorously and. effectively. That the part, of tha lover-butler hardly suited Mr. Alia Howard's mannerisms was .not his fault: -ht did his best with it, and. did welL -Miss Eileen Congreve made the very Frenchiest of French maids, and the niinor.'parts ,'o£ cook and gardener were jfaccesifully: played by Mr. D. D. Wilson. Too.high praise cannot be meted out for. the .stag* settings, especially when .the limitations of the Concert Chamber are taken'into account, and quite ingenious wag ■ tho climax of the bedroom'scene. But if-it i« necessary to have a gramophone.in place' of an orchestra, could not a less raucous1 instrument and more melodious records ba found? ■;■.-::■'..:

"He "Walked In Her Sleep" will be repeated again to-night and. to-morrow! night. '".-. .. ■.- - "-•■•.:■•• .-..■: .' .•■..:'■•. :