ONE-ACT PLAYS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 22, 25 July 1940, Page 7

ONE-ACT PLAYS

PROVINCIAL FINAL

REPERTORY SUCCESS

With their presentation of Francis M. Renner's play "Soundings," the Wellington Repertory Theatre last night won the - provincial final of the one-act play dramatic festival organised by the British Drama League, New Zealand branch, on behalf of the National Centennial Music and Drama Council. The Repertory players will compete in the national final to take place in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall tomorrow night. Three competitive plays were presented last night. In "Soundings" the players were James Crawford, N. V. Wotton, Ernest E. Le Grove, Edgar. ,F. Kain, Bernard Withers, and L. J. Maule.. The producer was F. M. Renner. St. Matthew's Drama Club, /Masterton, presented "Hands Across the Sea," by Noel Coward, produced by Mrs. E. J. Rich. The players were Jocelyn Beetham, , W.'-C. Mann, Patricia Jordan, G. C. L. Dickell, J. M. Lawson, N. M. Irwin, Grace Gaudin, P.. Parsons, and Patricia Thomas. " Palmerston North Little. Theatre presented "The Potter's Field," by Patricia Harman. The players were Jim McDavitt, M. Cranston, L. Bullen, Mary ArLidge, E. D. Bennett, and;. E. Cook. The producer was , Patricia Harman. ' ' The adjudicator, Mr.'W. S. Wauchop, said that of the three plays. "Soundings" scored on several; points. It had the best sense of atmosphere' to start with, this, of course, being helped by the setting. : All three teams did very well, but the .other two were sadly handicapped by -very bad drapes. "Soundings" did-not depend on drapes, but used other methods to ; advantage. The play also scored from the point of view of characterisation. Every character was well played and carefully selected. He could not say the same of/the other two performances, in which there was not the same high standard throughout the cast. The winning team's make-up and speech were good, and their, gestures were also good. He did not find the climax of "Soundings" .very- convincing,- but it had held attention throughout. "Hands Across' the ' Sea, I said Mr. Wauchop, was a very-amusing comedy, full of pitfalls for the. amateur. That sophisticated type of comedy had to be played slickly, with \ great polish and sense of -finesse.. . .The play, as presented, contained . one or two gauche movements. There was a lot of good work, but the; play called for more subtlety of treatment. - • The final play was very good, although he did not' think the characterisation was on quite the same level throughout. However, he thought: the presentation was very well done. The player that impressed him most was that of Sara, ; played by M. Cranston, beautifully, and was well in the picture. He commended the players on their poise, and said that they had achieved a good sense of atmosphere. . . . i . ■ The Peter Pan Players, Wellington, presented, not competitively, R. L. Field's fantasy "The Patchwork Quilt," produced by Rosina Bligh.'