DUNEDIN REPERTORY SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 23128, 30 November 1938, Page 17

DUNEDIN REPERTORY SOCIETY

FINAL SOCIAL EVENING FOR 1038 Lovely bowls of roses, peonies, and poppies made the tables very bright for the final social evening of the Repertory Society, held on Monday in the Concert Chamber, while tall vases of purple irises were used to decorate the stage. Three short plays were presented, and made an entertaining programme. During an interval Mr W. D. Young announced that the next social would bo on the last Monday in February, when lan Hay’s ‘The House Master ’ would be given. He welcomed home the president of the society, Mrs Richard Hudson, who was greeted with applause as she appeared before the curtain. She wore a becoming gown of , black chiffon with a motif design in , grey lace. In expressing pleasure at , being home again, Mrs Hudson gave a f short talk on plays she had seen in . London. The most outstanding, she . said, was 1 Amphitron 38,’ which had so far had a long run. ‘ Lot’s Wife ’ . and ‘ French Without Tears ’ were still favourites, and one thing she noticed was the enthusiasm of the audiences, [ who loved their favourites, and often ! called for six or seven curtains at the ' conclusion of a play. ‘ Dear Octopus,’ 1 with Marie Tempest and John Gielgud in the cast, was another delightful performance. With Miss Bessie Thompson she visited Stratford-on-Avon and the Birmingham Repertory, where she saw ‘ The Boy David,’ pronounced there a great success, although a failure in Loudon. Miss Thompson, she said, was very busy in London studying dramatic j art and production. i | ‘Oh! Theodore!” : The firt play produced on Monday i evening, ‘Oh! Theodore!’ by members • of the drama class, was quite an amus- ■ ing effort, brightly presented. Those taking part were: —Sybil Henderson, i Merle Ridley, Kathleen Nees, Leslie ■ Alexander, and James Tannock. > ‘ False and Real.’ The second play was from the pen of | a local playwright, Mrs Roberta White, 1 and proved a most amusing farce. The , plot centred round a jewel robbery, and | Mrs J. Hamer as a talkative char- , woman created some amusing situations, , the final curtain falling on an excellent ’ note of anti-climax. The author, Mrs , White, gave a good presentation of a , policewoman. Others in the cast ' were:—Mrs MT’hail and Miss Joyce , Clark. The play was produced by Mrs , Hamer. ‘ The Second Visit.’. The third play, produced by Mr Douglas Skene, was a most unusual one, with a weird setting. Clever lighting effects were a good feature, and this was undoubtedly the most interesting effort on the programme. The sinister role of the Silent Figure was taken by Cecil Oaten, while that of Marvyn was portrayed by Charles Smith. Mr Claude Grey was seen as George, and the producer, Mr Douglas Skene, was well cast as the Rev. Mr Gordon. The role of Mrs Foster was in the capable hands of Miss Doris Nees, and Miss Katherine Napier was seen to good advantage as Joyce. The remaining member of the cast was Miss June Williams, who filled the role of Nettie in an acceptable way. The scene was set in White Lodge, the homo of Joseph Marvyn. At the conclusion of the plays supper was served by members of the Social Committee, and an enjoyable dance followed.