WORKS OF DICKENS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 38, 13 August 1935, Page 10

WORKS OF DICKENS

INTEREST IN AMERICA

STANLEY BROOKES'S VISIT

During an extensive , tour of America,. Mr. E. Stanley Brookes, who a few years ago was a judge at the Wellington Competitions, has had much success with his lectures on Dickens's works and with his recitals. In a letter to a relative (Mrs. Conlon), of Lower Hutt, he writes interestingly of his touring in the United States. While having "a marvellous time in this very wonderful country," his many engagements meant much hard work, and he mentions that in one week he was driven 1800 miles and gave nineteen lecture-recitals in the colleges and universities.

The interest created by his peformances and lectures was really surprising, and he had received some very flattering Press notices, one of which stated: "Stanley Brookes; Dickensonian lecturer and head of the Public Speaking Department of th<* University of Melbourne, Australia, today justified his reputation as being 'Australia's leading Dickensonian' when he presented 'to high school students at Ritchie Auditorium three character sketches from Dickens's works. Mr. Brookes, of pleasing personality and ■^exceptional dramatic understanding, portrayed Squeers, the ugly, mean schoolmaster of 'Nicholas Nickleby,' Sam Weller of 'Pickwick Papers," and Scrooge of 'Christmas Carol." The accomplished artist, beside being highly entertaining, awakened the students to a new understanding of Dickens and a new interest in his works. He represented probably the finest bits of acting'seen in the Sault (Michigan)' for many years. .. . Mr. Brookes began his lecture by giving a humorous narrative of his learning of the American 'language,' and went on to point out that Dickens wrote only with the view to reforming evilsin society." In his letter Mr. Brookes mentioned that from Chicago, where one of his recitals had been given in a hotel with its own theatre (seating 4000 people), he was going to Hollywood, and then to New York as a broadcaster and to take a special "teachers' course in the great Dramatic Art Academy there. Subsequently he was to go to Canada for more broadcasts and recitals, and then across .to Scotland and through Erfgland to London for film work, broadcasts and more study.

Among other items in his letter was one to the effect that they did not get much "foreign" news ill the American papers, and another that the stories of crime in America were greatly exaggerated. He had been delighted to find that "the Americans with very few exceptions have a friendly feeling towards Australians and New Zealanders."