SHAKESPEARE CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 19410, 19 November 1926, Page 5

SHAKESPEARE CLUB

'ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA’ The Antony of ‘Antony and Cleopatra 5 is the Antony of ‘ Julius Ciesar,’ yet not the same. Under the enchantment of Cleopatra he has become a voluptuary, caring more for her than for Rome or for hie own reputation as a soldier and a ruler. His love is not entirely carnal,_ for, as one of the commentators has it, he loves imaginatively, and when sorrow falls upon him the poetical parts of his character are more and more developed; nevertheless his infatuation is an overpowering influence, scorching and searing. Such an Antony cannot be presented by means of speech alone, therefore the reading of ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ images only half of the leading character. It was certainly wise on the part of the Dunedin Shakespeare Club to be content with that half in the public reading at His Majesty’s Theatre last night, and forgo the remainder. Better so than to essay the impossible by venturing upon the intenser phases of the amours. Cleopatra’s part may be thought of in the same way. The cleverest reading could not convey an adequate idea of her enticements. Scenery, costumes, and real acting are necessary. What then? Are we to class the reading last night as a failure? By no means. It effected the good purpose of familiarising the hearers with this wonderful tragedy, thus supplying that which the stage proper fails to supply, for we have not had ‘ Antony and Cleopatra ’ acted in Dunedin since Louise Pomeroy produced it forty-five years ago, when, by the way, she was supported by W, J. Holloway, J. J. Wallace, W. Hoskins, W. Fleming, and Theo Hamilton. f Also, within the possibilities of a reading in which impersonation is barred, it was an interesting presentation, made so by thought and a commendable degree of skill.

It would he difficult to find in this or in any Shakespeare Club a member so well qualified for the Antony part as Mr A. C. Hanlon is. His ample voice has cadence in plenty; he knows how to make use of his stature, and needs not to strut or pose to figure nobleness of port; he has the Shakesperian instinct, and is acquainted with Antony in all the developments of the character; and he capped an intellectual reading by admirable judgment in the death scene, this being made very strong by perfectly legitimate methods, suggesting all that the tongue description leaves to the imagination. Miss Bessie Thomson, the Cleopatra of the occasion, struggled along under impossible handicaps. No young lady in evening dress can figure this Queen of Egypt. The portrayal was necessarily superficial. At the same time, in so far as it went or could go it sufficed. The “ infinite variety ” idea was expressed in scholarly manner, and in some of the scenes, notably that in which she flares up at the messenger for his nows about Antony’s marriage with Octavia, the reading; was highly dramatic. At the end, too, Miss Thomson’s brains saved a perilous situation. Somewhat unwisely the selectors inchided in the last scene the entrance of the clown with the asp basket, and the clown, speaking his lines fairly, could not avoid raising an inopportune laugh from the -audience. As acted, Cleopatra’s imperiousness puts the clown in his place, not on her plane. In a reading, where drawing room dress equalises optically, the clown’s jocularity about the worm is in competition with Cleopatra’s tragic utterances. The situation jeopardised the climax last night, and it was only Miss Thomson’s quick intelligence that effected a rescue. Thanks are due to Mr J. Fleming for his reading of the lines allotted to Enobarbus. 110 scored freely in the second scene of the first act, where, after Fulvia’s death is reported, Enobarbus breaks in with “light answers” upon Antony’s doleful musings. The scene reminds one of lago’s suggestions to Othello. Having thus early established himself in the good graces of the audience, Mr Fleming went on all right almost to the end. The description Cleopatra in state, as detailed in the speech which school children recite, commencing with “ Tho barge she sat in,” was read rather coolly, and in the later speeches Mr Fleming dropped his voice rather too low. On tho whole, however, it was a good representation. Mr H. W. Hunter’s reading of Caesar suffered in only one particular. He spoke too fast, and always at the same tempo. This detracted from a conception that had in it much dignity and appropriateness. Tho other parts arc subsidiary, but acknowledgments are due for a lot of capable work. Mr F. J. Gair’s beautifully clear voice was a groat joy in the lines allotted to Eros, and Mr A. Gorrie is to be commended for his wise proportioning in regard to the key passages delivered by the Messenger and the Attendant. Other parts were taken by Mr W. B. Quennell, Mr D. E. Dali. Mr C. R. Smith, Mr R. H. Wilson, bliss M. Hardman, and Miss H. Smith. Of these, Miss Smith did tho best, putting a lot of meaning into the reading of Octavia’s lines. Miss S. Neilson did duty as Chorus, and was easily heard in most of her announcements —not all. During the interval Miss Florence Pacey sang in a most acceptable manner ‘ Angels Guard Thce ; ’ the ’cello obbligato bv Air M. Rohilliard. The attendance filled the theatre.