INSTANTANEOUS SUCCESS

Evening Star, Issue 21317, 23 January 1933, Page 11

INSTANTANEOUS SUCCESS

SYBIL THORNDIKE'S FIRST APPEARANCE G. BERNARD SHAW'S “ GILBERTIAN " COMEDY A happy bow to Dunedin audiences was made by tile celebrated English actress, Dame Sybil Thorndike, and her husband, Lewis Casson, on Saturday night at His Majesty’s Theatre in the exuberantly joyful George Bernard Shaw comedy, ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion,’ presented here for the first time. With this play Shaw came to the end of his first phase as a playwright. The plays of that period were linked by plots of the most romantic and melodramatic character; ‘ Arras and the Man ’ and ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion’ arc definitely joined in a display of the fantastic. Produced first in London in 1900, ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion ’ was revived six years later, when, as Lady Cicely Waynfleto, Ellen Terry had one of her most charming roles; and it is a part in which Dame Sybil has scored many successes on tour both in England and abroad. The Cast: Rev. Leslie Rankin. Michael Martln-Harvey. Felix Drinkwater Norman Shelly. Hassau S. Wells. Lady Cicely Waynflete. Sybil Thorndike. Sir Howard Ilallam .... Atholl Fleming. Marzo Arthur Dodds. Captain Brassbound ...... Lewis Casson. Hedbrook Donald Eceles. Johnson Vivian Edwards. Osman Christopher Casson-Sidi-el-Assif Jack Cannon. The Cadi Bruce Winston. Captain Kearney ...... Albert Chevalier. “Morality is custom’’ is a Shavian quip of ago and a certain degree of celebrity, and in his thrusts at convention, the foibles and peccadilloes of mankind, and the idiosyncrasies of the artistocracy and the professions Shaw makes a light-hearted successor to Don Quixote on his Rosinante. With his lanco sharpened to pin-point fineness and brilliantly burnished, he tilts at full charge at his windmills —the structures of the intelligentsia and of the advanced civilisation. In ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion ’ G.B.S. aimed his lanco of satire at theology, the judiciary, its ermine and its fi5,000 per annum emoluments ; the silken-robed barristers, the missionaries, and the American Navy. His witticism is crisp and sardonic, and his moralising is sharply defined. Not even in those days of authorship did Shaw care two snaps of his fingers for public opinion, which the doleful Dean Inge has described as “ a vulgar, impertinent, anonymous tyrant who deliberately makes life unpleasant for anyone who is not content to be the average man.” In the plays of that period Shaw seemed always to have an eye out for the conventions that ho could smash, and throughout ‘ Captain Brassbound’s, Conversion ’ he thrusts with gusto -at the accepted. In defying public opinion Shaw is at his wittiest. ; Were it not for the Shavian satire and quips this play would have little to commend it, as by no standard, save that we apply to Gilbert’s ‘ Pirates of Penzance,’ are any of the characters or the action life-like. It is a typical comic opera play with a Gilbertian story but no lyrics. Its stage setting is Moroccan, and its characters mainly English brigands, a pompous judge, an unusually captivating and domineering lady with a lineage, a missionary with “ only one convert in twenty-five years,” and a London Cockney for relief—with sheiks and barbarous desert raiders introduced’ for colour. ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion- ’ is sheer comedy, cleverly done, and rollicking good fun. Written thirty-four years ago, the piece is still as fresh and sparkling as the - day Shaw completed it ; the perpetual freshness of the lines wil) ensure the play always being read with relish, and when presented with any degree of ability similar to that shown by the Dame Sybil Thorndike Company it will have an unfailing appeal to those who enjoy rich comedy. Shaw’s flair for rhetoric is very evident in this play. Rhetoric is one of the strongest parts of a dramatist’s armoury, for all good actors are orators —likewise _ all good orators are actors —and Shaw is nothing if he is not facile and original. But non© of the superficial characters of ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion ’ are like the puppets of some of his later plays : —mere ventriloquial dolls, created merely for “ spouting Shaw,” as his caustic critics would say. Most plays have immbdiate success or failure, and then drop out of existence. Shaw’s plays have kept their attraction so far. In the main, stage societies, repertory theatres, coterie theatres, little theatres, and amateur clubs have kept his plays alive, but the revival of ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion ’ by Dame Sybil for her New Zealand tour will stimulate interest in the works of Shaw. This comedy is immensely amusing. Charm, daintiness, and piquancy are essential for anything approaching a convincing study of Lady Cicely Waynfiote, u. character so unusual as to be in keeping with Shaw’s ideal of the antithesis of the average. Dame Sybil has those qualities. From her perky entrance in flowing grey, with a neat toque tilted at an acute angle over her eye, Dame Sybil conveyed an immediate impression that Lady Cicely was a woman of distinguished prepossession and grace, who could exert her authority without scorning to do so, and could twist, the boldest and worst men round her fingers. By her speech and action, both so ingenuous and refreshing, Dame Sybil astounded the more critical with »

her delineation of the youthful and buoyant character. Her art enabled her to present with undiminished completeness and freshness a captivating portrayal of a young woman, before whom all men bow and forgo their male arrogance. Such a sympathetic yet forceful woman as Lady Cicely is not met with in a week’s travel, yet Dame Sybil made her live most persbnably and naturally. The most ruffianly brigands and the greatest scoundrels of desert raiders fell under her sway. With her spontaneous ejaculations or What a nice face! ” and other kindly references, totally belied by appearances, Lady Cicely wove her way into the hearts of the men, even the stern and fearless Captain Brasshound collapsing to her charms. As the character sweeps her way to genial affection and support in the play, so Dame Sybil captivated the affection and admiration of her audience. In the second act, when Captain Brassbound and Sir Howard Hallam were enraged and viciously vindictive, she preserved the greatest res'erve and indifference, capping a supremely talented piece of posing in the end with ' a positively talented humorous episode when she mended the coat of the surly brigand. But it was in the last act that Dame Sybil gave her most studied acting. Her conduct of the inquiry and her telling of the “ exact truth ” about Captain Brassbound must be classed among the gems of whimsicality. _ At the climax, when, without restraint, she exclaimed: “ What an escape! ” as the -captain hurriedly departed for his ship without waiting, for her acceptance or rejection of his hand, Dame Sybil Thorndike overwhelmed with her naturalness. A remarkable ovation was given her by the packed house, and after four curtain calls she made a brief and happy little speech in appreciation of the big house’s warm welcome.

. Mr Lewis Gasson was a splendid Brassbound. His dramatic sense was seen at his highest in the middle act, when he revealed his identity to the judge and threatened unrelenting vengeance. Throughout, he was a thorough brigand, and his stolidness and truculence fittingly set off Lady Cicely’s happy spirit in the many amusing passages.. Mr Gasson preserved bis character unfailingly, even when he appeared in the court scene, attired like a lugubrious and none too savoury undertaker, with his borowed silk hat and tail coat. He was an inspiration to the other male members of the cast. Mr Atholl Fleming’s Sir Howard Hallam was a dignified portrayal. Every line of his was clearly spoken, a relief after the almost inaudible dialogue between Mr Martin-Harvey and Mr Shelley at the opening. With the appearance of Mr Gasson, Mr Shelley was more forceful, and attacked his many comic lines with happy freedom. His comedy developed apace, ultimately winning for him the honours of the supporting cast. The other ■ members were satisfactory, playing their parts to typo, and Mr Chevalier was sufficiently successful in his assumption of the Yankee twang in the final act. ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion ’ was very well staged, the production, which was in Mr Casson’s hands, going smoothly throughout. The packed house was so obviously delighted with the comedy that the company has every cause to look forward to a highly successful season in Dunedin. ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion ’ will be presented again to-night. . THE FROCKING. The frocking for the play, although interesting,was not elaborate. Dame Sybil as Lady Cicely Waynfleet—the only woman in the play—made her entrance in a travelling outfit of the “ naughty ’nineties,” for many in the audience the general effect of femininity and 1 correctness of detail took them back to girlhood’s years and yet, with iust a few touches, the frock could have been ultra-modern. The skirt of the bolero-coated costume of beige delaine swept the floor, while the demure white blouse was finished by a narrow emerald bow tie to match the sailor hat of coarse straw, swathed by a white gossamer veil. A “ husband beater ” parasol of mauve silk, and long white gloves rucked over her sleeves, completed the costume. The addition of a white apron, and the removal of her hat, gave her a fascinating domestic appearance, as she sat, in Act 11., at the table in the brigand’s castle, mending her captor’s coat. In Act 111., a house frock of peacock blue taffetas was worn, with elbow sleeves, below which her exquisitely moulded white arms appeared, a Swiss belt of wide cherry satin, tied in sash ends reached to the hem of her voluminous skirt; the bodice featured the charming square cut neck of the period, and was finished with a row of tiny bows down the front. Some picturesque Moorish clothes were worn : in Act 11. by the men, gay browns and golds, rose-pinks and seagreens making an excellent contrast to the rough sailor suits of Captain Brassbound and his rogues of sailors. REMAINDER OF SEASON. It was planned that ‘ Saint Joan,’ Dame Sybil’s best-known role, should be played on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but the management has yielded to a very pressing request, and will present (as in the nqfth) the great Greek tragedy the Medea of Euripides on Thursday evening.