GUY BATES POST

Evening Star, Issue 19196, 12 March 1926, Page 2

GUY BATES POST

■ THE GREEN GODDESS 1 Forerunning advices about ‘ The Green Goddess ’ led Dunedin theatrefoers to believe that it is a clever rama, and so they last night found it to bo. Clever in its early stages as a picture of life in the Himalayan region, and in that respect illustrating with a wealth of detail the descriptions of men who have gone that way on duty or for adventure. Clever in its climax on account of the natural way in which tragic events of the most sensational order are made to come about. Horror is heaped upon horror. That in itself is not uncommon on the stage. It used to be an ordinary requirement in the playwriting of a past generation, and to comply with that demand all sorts of impossibilities were commonly dragged in. ‘ The Green Goddess,’ towards the end, is as skilfully contrived as to show a man thrown over a precipice, -another doomed to torture, a third shot to death, the heroine subjected to the direst manhandling and the wickedest proposals, the rescue of the British hostages by the intervention of a military air force, and many minor excitemenls—all on 'the line of probable if not inevitable sequence. The illusions are thereby convincing and effective.

In the first act, and for quite awhile, the audience was entertained last night by the pictorial vividness of the 'play. The scenery is hold and characteristic. Some may say that the rajah’s palace, ns viewed from the site of the goddess’s temple, is not in proper distance, hut that is a very small objection, oven if sustainable at all. The general impression is effective. The movement is also skilfully wrought out. It seems quite reasonable that the three members of the British party should by the crashing of their aeroplane he brought into contact with the weird mountaineers, and Mr Ashton .Tarry (high priest), with his attendant tribesmen, though wrought up to frenzy by this invasion of their sacred retreat, go through their somewhat lengthy gibbering and rushices without appearing ridiculous. Wilkins, too, the Cockney valet of the rajah, is made a constant attraction by the splendid comedy work of Mr Leslie Victor, who has tho part studied to the last detail, and makes his points by lotting it be seen that Wilkins takes himself seriously. This is a really good hit of characterisation all through. The rajah, in those early scenes, is not particularly prominent. lie is laying in the groundwork of the picture that he is to finish later, and Mr Post carefully avoids any anticipating of the denouo* ment. But the Army officer comes in fully revealed at sight, and, thanks to the acting ability of Mr Winnington Barnes. Major Antony Crespin, a typical soldier of the bluff and frank sort, trustworthy to the last extremity, stands out in hold contrast to the immobile and hypocritical renegade who is posing as a valet and tho insincere raiah, who even in his lavish hospitality is contriving malignantly and thinking out how far he can go in taking vengeance for Asia generally and for himself in particular upon the woman and tho two men who have literally fallen into his hands. All these things have been worked out completely by Mr William Archer, the author, and the company develops his ideas with uncommon skill on modern lines.

Up to the middle section of the play, however, the presentation—the drama itself and the acting—is just satisfactory and interesting, not marvellous. The audience is entertained, not thrilled.

The tragedv work begins at the point where the rajah entertains the strangers nt a luxurious dinner in Paris style. Then, his duties as host over, he copies to business, and in answer to questions that emanate from uneasy minds he announces in 'formally-polite language the designs that proceed from his Babu mind. The three are to he detained as hostages for the release of his three brothers who are in the hands of the British and condemned to death for a politically-incited murder, nnd_ if the terms of release are not complied with vengeance is to bo taken on the three unless Major Crospin’s wife consents to the ignominious terms which are offered. From that point the drama is as exciting as ‘ La Tosca ’ or ‘ The Bign of the Cross,’ and exceeds them in realism because of the naturalness of the action. The experiences of the three British are exactly what might happen in real life in 1926.

Air Post, appearing as tho rajah, has got to the very inside of the part. In gait, iii movement, in speech, in cunning—in all that make for the presentation of the educated man of India who is thirsting for reprisals upon the British—his picturing is most complete, and it comes to perfection in the declaration at the finish, when he is howled out, “ Well, she might have been a damned nuisance,” thereby revealing the peculiar state of mind which can regard all the horrors which he lias promoted as but passing incidents to bo forgotten in a moment. The audience were so moved nt tlie finish as to stay m a body and applaud time after time. And these tokens of gratitude were not for Mr Post alone by any means. Air .Tarry, Air Barnes, Air Victor, also Air Erie Alnxon, who impersonated the (bird member of the mistreated party (Dr Trehenrn), were all mentally inchided in the vote of thanks, and Miss Eileen Sparks came in for special recognition in consideration nf the excellence of her emotional acting as Airs Orespin, this in a largo degree making the general success possible. ‘ Tlie Green Goddess ’ is to bo reproduced this evening and to-morrow. It may he commended, apart from the matters already mentioned, on account of its gorgeous staging and dressing.

‘ Ti!E BAD MAN ' On Monday and Tuesday nights next (tho last two nights of the season) Mr Guy Bates Post and his support ing company will present for tho first time in Dunedin the thrilling Mexican comedydrama, ‘The Bad Man,’ which is one of tho best plays in ihfi repertoire of Mr Post. As a dramatic artist lie has already established himself, and, although 1 The Bad Man ’ gives scope for dramatic acting of a high order, the comedy element, predominating, as it does, gives Mr Post an admirable vehicle for demonstrating his versatility. Pancho Lope/—otherwise known as ‘tile bad man’’--is regarded by many as the masterpiece of Mr Post’s characterisations. Pancho Lopez is a decidedly novel type of “had man.’’ He observes no laws but those of his own making, and he draws a yarn on the slightest provocation ; lie ro Ks ami plunders at will, but lie has two excellent characteristic 3 —be is loyal to hifriends, and he possesses a strong sense of humor; consequently, when he discovers that the young ranch owner he intended to rob is a man who once did him n good turn, he promptly takes if on himself to play the part of good angel and Cupid combined. Referring to the opening performance in Auckland of ‘The Bad Man,’ the ‘Pfar’ wrote: “ Seldom does an audience accord an actor such full measure of appreciation ns was given Mr Post last evening, when the auditorium rang with eouDnued enthusiasm as the second act closed, while the close of the performance was the signal for an unprecedented outburst that brought the artist bowing to the front of the stage to deliver a happy speech in the broken English whicii ho has sustained throughout the fitting tribute to the genius of Mr Post, who gave the audience a brilliant and finished ptece of character acting. The other members of the company are Bapjpiiy cast.”