THE FIRST MRS FRASER’

Evening Star, Issue 20853, 24 July 1931, Page 4

THE FIRST MRS FRASER’

BRILLIANT COMEDY, SPLENDIDLY ACTED ART OF MISS ETHEL MORRISON That a ei'evcr stage play, capably presented, can still make a strong appeal to a modern audience was shown ju unmistakable fashion at His Majesty’s Theatre last night, a largo firstnight house being thoroughly delighted with the presentation by a J. C. Williamson Company of ‘ The First Mrs Fraser,’ a skilfully-constructed comodydrama by St. John Levine. Mr Lrvinc is one of the best-known dramatists of the present age, and, what is more, tie is definitely one of the most popular. A master of stage technique, he knows how to weave a story, and (possibly the most important of all) ho depicts the modern generation as it is, not as he would have it. ‘ The First Mrs Fraser ’ is one of tho best examples of bis craft. It is a sparkling, witty picture of the post-war generation, of chc present-day young,” those who throw a challenge to their ciders by remarking provocatively : ‘ ‘There never have been any young like us.” ‘ The First Mrs Fraser ’ was first produced at the Theatre Royal, London, in July of 1929 by W. Graham Browne and Marie Tempest. The cast of the present company is : Niniuu Fraser John "Wood Mabel (maid) Eileon Morris James Fraser J. B. Rowe Janet Fraser Ethel Morrison Philip Logan Leslie Victor Mrs Murao Fraser Noel Boyd Murdo Fraser Roger Barry Elsie Fraser Mary MacGregor Smart in dialogue and with a splendid acting part for Miss Ethel Morrison, the talented New Zealand actress, who played the title part of Janet Fraser with dignity, sincerity, humour, and charm, ‘ The First Mrs Fr-'.ser ’ Avon the emphatic applause of the audience from curtain to curtain. Even if the play were not worth seeing on account of its originality of plot and its entertaining quips ana phrases, tho acting alone makes it well worth a visit. It has been said that Mr Ervino wrote tho part for Miss Mane Tempest, and certainly it is a typical Tempest role. Miss Morrison has much of tho suavity aud poise of that great comedy actress, and her work was superb. The recognition received from the house “was no move than a just appraisement of her dramatic gifts. Siie gave a delightful interpretation of tho wise, level-beaded, maternal woman wlio refused to allow her life to be broken by divorce. Deserved recognition of his or her work was also given without exception to every other member of tho company. Indecle, it would not bo easy to .secure a bettor balanced cast for the presentation of this sparkling play. It was splendidly enacted.

Obviously tho dramatist lias intended the play as a subtle satire on divorce. In the first scene ho contrives an extraordinary situation, when the stolid, humourless James Fraser, divorced by his first wife five years before, comes to her Hat; —where tho whole action of the play passes —to consult her about the behaviour of his second wife, who is now seeking to divorce him because she wishes to marry a scion of the aristocracy, brainless, but heir to a marquisate. In real life such a situation would be incredible, but Mr Ervine mak?s it plausible, and the three participants in the scene—Miss Morrison, Mr J. B. Rowe as Fraser, and Mr John Wood as young Ninian Fraser—acted last night as if it were tho most natural event in the world. Fraser is courteously received, and ho informs Janet that his second wife wants her freedom in order to marry tho imbecile with tho title. The joke of tho situation is that Elsie, the second wife, with youthful inconsequence, is relying on her husband to take all the blame “ as a gentleman should.’’ Janet, wise with her years, comforts her former husband, and advises resistance. Thou comes a Mrs Fraser the second calls on Janet and beseeches her to induce James to agree to tho divorce. Tho shrewd Janet proves more than a match for her successor. Tho first act closes with a splendidly-acted scene between tho two women, this dramatic situation being admirably played by Miss Morrison and Miss Mary M'Gregor. The self-centred young woman was played effectively by Miss M'Gregor, intent upon her ambition, and hard and calculating in mood. With fine spirit both artists sustained the duel at this point, as Janet told the younger woman how she despised her and denounced her as one of a generation, “ greedy and mean anti horribly cruel. . . . You don’t care whoso

feelings you hurt as long as you got your fun.” A powerful situation, the most dramatic of tho play, comes in the third act, when Janet completely shatters Elsie’s prcntenccs, and, trapping her into an admission, of infidelity, compels her to leave Fraser and run off to Paris with her half-witted admirer. Janet stands by and gives orders as the young woman makes her now plans over the telephone. Janet’s whimsical exclamation, “ This is the first elopement I’ve ever had anything to do with, and really it's quite enjoyable,” coming with a curious sense of comedy relief at the end of tho scene. While Miss Morrison played her part with the necessary severity, in a tou'o of deliberate authority, Miss MacGregor maintained with rare judgnjout her share of tho scene—at first expressing’ hot indignation and amazement at tho charges!! and then cowering sobbing in tho chair as she admitted the truth. Miss Morrison’s histrionic abilities wore also strikingly displayed in her interviews with her former husband, a part admirably .played by Mr Howe, who depicted the self-centred husband with conviction. When tho first stage of the divorce from tho second Mrs Fraser has been obtained, Fraser blandly discusses his plans with Janet, only to discover, to his astonishment, that she does not intend to remarry him. With fine skill Miss Morrison depicted the generous mood of Janet, scorning to triumph over her vanquished foo, and resolved in her shrewd way to bring Fraser to a better sense of his responsibilities. ' The curtain, however, falls upon a scone in which all Janet’s doubts arc resolved by the arrival of a costly pearl necklace from Fraser, causing her to exclaim: “ He’s beginning to court ino all over again . . . and I rather like it.”

The young Australian actress, Miss Mary M'Gregor, also showed herself to he an artist of considerable ability. She rose completely above the disagreeable mists that surround tho character of the second Mrs Fraser, and found scope for some brilliant histrionics, particularly in tho scene in which her illicit love affair is ruthlessly exposed by her predecessor. Mr Leslie Victor’s work as the lover of the first Mrs Fraser was admirably done, and the parts of tho maid and of Mrs Mnrdo Fraser wore filled with excellent understanding by Miss Eileen -Morris and Miss Noel Boyd respectively. Mr lloger Barry, as the elder son of the first marriage, shared amusingly in the discussions over the domestic affairs of the household, and Mr John Wiyjd, as the outspoken son

from Oxford, was another effective_ representative of the younger generation. ‘ The First Mrs Fraser ’ will bo staged again to-night and to-morrow, night, and there will he a matinee performance to-morrow afternoon. It can he most cordially commended to theatregoers.