‘SAINT JOAN'

Evening Star, Issue 21319, 25 January 1933, Page 7

‘SAINT JOAN'

DAME SYBIL THORNDIKE'S TRIUMPH STRIKING PRESENTATION OF HISTORICAL PLAY Pronouncements of Dame Sybil Thorndike’s mastery of the name part in Bernard Shaw’s much-discussed chronicle play, ‘ Saint Joan,’ preceded the visit of the celebrated English actress to Dunedin. People fortunate enough to have been present at performances in other centres had returned here full of enthusiasm for the artistry of Dame Sybil in a role which fits in singularly well with her accomplishments and which is acted by her in a manner that has won the full approval of the author. The counsel of those who had seen and heard the result of the happy combination of the Shavian and Thorndike talents was that, on no account, should ‘ Saint Joan ’ be missed. ~ , Advice of this nature could do nought else than consolidate expectations that already had been born. The name of Dame Sybil Thorndike is written too conspicuously in the annals of contemporary stage history to permit such a visit to pass by without the bestowal of appreciation that can be expressed fully only by a very large audience. For the 'first Dunedin presentation of the drama His Majesty’s Theatre was well filled last night, the audience sitting enthralled while Dame Sybil and Mr Lewis Cassou, aided by a company of players whose lustre was dulled only by comparison with the brilliance of the principals, interpreted what is perhaps the most appealing and inspiring historical story the world has known. Judged by modern standards, the play is a long one—it takes nearly three and a-half hours in the acting—hut the wealth of engrossing entertainment provided so grips the attention and transports the imagination, as though to another sphere, that time means nothing. At the end of each scene the artists were warmly enough acclaimed, but these bursts seem in the memory to dwindle into obscurity when one recollects the demonstrative applause which broke out at the fall of the last curtain. It was only when the spell was finally broken that the audience realised that the time had come when, in a fit and proper manner, they might thus give full expression to their feelings. Once again Dame Sybil Thorndike, the first actress to play Joan in London in 1924, had triumphed. Most people are familiar in a general sense with the historical conception of Joan of Arc. It is probable, however, that comparatively only a few are acquainted with Bernard Shaw’s portrait of her. In their chronicles of what occurred during the period of the Maid’s glamourous rise to leadership and fame, students of history differ, and there are no grounds for believing that Shaw has succeeded in attaining strict accuracy in a play which seems to be intended primarily as an entertainment and an outlet for the expression of the "downright Shavian viewpoint. In a brief review of the drama, therefore, the point of accuracy in detail may be waived. There is so much else to engage the attention. As read in book form, the drama presents a wide field for comment of a laudatory nature—even though Shaw’s Joan, because of certain minx-like attributes, hardly reaches the heights of dignified womanhood to be expected iu the saviour of France. According to Shaw, Joau is a level-headed, shrewd country girl—a girl possessed of great strength of mind, hardihood of body, and the will to conquer. So far, so good. But, although she has a deep-rooted love for the church and a lofty imagination, she has had attributed _to her in this case a certain pertness in conversation, unmellowed in the presence of rank or royalty, which seems to be out of keeping with the mediaeval atmosphere. This trait, along with the sometimes ingenuous but often satirical quips of other characters, fashions excellent comedy material out of the earlier scenes, and, fortunately perhaps, supplies a histrionic palliative against the pain of anticipating the tragedy that is to follow. Early in the play one follows with relish the extraordinary events coincident with Joan’s rise to the exalted position of military leader. Then one finds oneself being carried on relentlessly to the grim, highly dramatic episode iu which the Maid, according to Shaw, is tried for heresy, witchcraft, and sorcery. The epilogue, something of an anti-climax, by the way, is an intriguing piece of work, written once more with Shaw’s lighter quill, and dealing with the attempts of posterity to make amends for the execution.

The genius of Sybil Thorndike is reflected in the wonderful simplicity of her Joan. Indeed, one ventures to suggest that, all unwittingly and in response to the natural impulse of her art, she has dared to improve on Shaw’s plans for the presentation of the Maid’s qualities. Dame Sybil’s winsome personality and sweet, mellow voice have robbed the part of its bold masculinity and substituted a delightful ingenuousnoss and sincerity one would imagine, were the very traits that won for Joan the respect and obedience of the French soldiery. In short, the artist has probably wooed more from the part than Shaw thought was possible. Incongruous as it may seem, it can be said that there was.some resemblance between her work in this tragedy and in the comedy ‘ Captain Brassbound’s Conversion.’ For, despite the inevitable gulf between the youthful buoyancy of her conception of Joan and her more advanced naivete in the comedy, she was called upon in both cases to play the woman dominant. Always she made it clear that the character she represented was bending men to her will. In the first scene of * Saint Joan,’ in which she impresses the blustering Robert de Baudricourt with the feasibility and importance of the Maid s mission, she won the hearts of the audience with the fascinating cajolery she used jis weapon to gain the authority she desired. Joan’s success in the throne room at Cbinon was made all the more appealing by Dame Sybils methods of handling the weak-minded Dauphin and by tho irresistible note of command which she cleverly disguised as persuasion. Appropriately enough, she infused a reactionary plasticity into the scene in Rheims Cathedral after the coronation, only to swing back to increased fervour when, in accordance with the heightening of the Maid’s ambition, she decided on further conquests. It was in tho trial scene, however, that Dame Sybil reached tho peak of her triumph. The steadfast loyalty of Joan to her voices and visionary saints, the proof of her human frailty when tbo certainty that she was about to burn imbued her with the idea that her voices had deceived her, and nor frenzy when she was mado to realise that the best she could hope tor,_ oven after renouncing her beloved ‘ voices, was imprisonment for life were tho culminating features of tho main poitiou of the play to which the actress gave treatment of groat power and beauty. Always the purity of her diction was perfect, and always she adhered to the quaint accent of the country lass. , Space will not permit the appreciative

analysis of their efforts which the leading members of the male cast deserve. The acting of the whole company is uniformly excellent, a fact which indicates not only inherent talent on tho part of individuals, but also the knowledge and understanding possessed by the producer, Mr Lowis > Casson. Dir Casson, whose superb voice and faultless enunciation merit the highest praise, introduced himself with a robust characterisation of Robert do Baudricourt, and then went on to give his audience a grimly impressive portrayal of Peter Cauchon, the bishop who presided over the trial of the Maid. Shaw maintains that Cauchon, although largely responsible for the conspiracy which ended in Joan’s indictment, gave the girl a fair trial, and Mr Casson instilled full value into the persuasive efforts made to prevent the execution. The satirical shalts released by the author at the English were neatly speeded on their way by Mr Bruce Winston (Earl of Warwick), Mr Norman Shelley (Chaplain de Stogumber), and Mr Casson, Both Mr Winston and Mr Shelley were to be admired for performances noteworthy for an intelligent conception of the Shavian ideas. As the Dauphin, Mr Michael Martin-Haryey provided a wealth of comedy, in which appropriate gesture and expressiveness of feature combined with animated recitative powers to make an unblemished delineation. The soldierly Dunois was ably represented by Mr Atholl Fleming, while Mr Albert Chevalier’s work as the Archbishop of Rheims and later as de Courcelles carried the hall-mark of the polished artist. Another fine performance was tliat of Mr Christopher Casson, who, out of three roles, was seen at his best ns the Inquisitor. The spirit of tho drama was capably maintained in various parts by Mr Donald Ecoles, Mr Jack Cannon, Mr Vivian Edwards, Mr Arthur Dodds, Mr Philip Starr, Miss Hilda Davies, Miss Zillah Carter, Miss Kathleen Robinson, and Miss Phyllis Best. < Saint Joan ’ was presented at a matinee this afternoon, and will again be staged this evening. REMAINDER OF SEASON. To-morrow night, in response to numerous requests, the ‘ Medea ’ of Euripides will be presented. In ‘ Medea, with its jealousies, its terrible passion, its pitiless murders, Dame Sybil is on the stage for over two hours without a break, and she holds tho audience spellbound for every moment of that time. ‘ Medea ’ will be preceded by a series of classical dances by Michael and Hester Martin-Harvey. These _ dances were received with great enthusiasm in Australia. On Friday night ‘ Macbeth ’ will be played, and tho season concludes on Saturday with the comedy ‘ Madame Plays Nap.’