PLAYWRIGHT’S RUSE

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 March 1931, Page 10

PLAYWRIGHT’S RUSE

STORY OF A DREAM.

“Good morning, Herr Skilbeck! Db you speak German? How goes, it With Herr Neusser?” ~ . “Herr” Skilbeck ilireW, back hib youthful head and laughed heartily, when thus addressed lit. German. “SO the gaffib is upi”“hfe exclaimed in- his excellent native Hifglisli to a “Daily Express” representative; “You lihve discovered my secret? You know that Herr HeinrichNeusser exists—only in my imagination?” The conversation was a sequel to one of the best practical jokes ever played by a playwright on his audience. At the Everyman Theatre in London a nbw play, called “Daiigfer! High Tension,” was produced. It Whs stdted oh the programme that it whs by f-lerr Heinrich NeusSfer, translated by Mr Oswald Skilbeck. It was a careflilly dbVblbPed study in psyclib-aii'alysis based oii a ge'ffii'iiie dream. The.play Was splendidly received. Highbrow studeilts of psychology sat ariibiig the audierifce and raved about the G’drnian dramatist, whose production they ranked With those Of other Ceiitral European “moderns.” Tli'e h'ext morning the critics were generous in their praise. “We are convinced,” wrote one, “that Herr Heinrich Neusser is a genuine playwright writing about men and women, and that in Mr Oswald Skilbeck he has found a capable translator.” . “The working of Herr Neusser’s mind is worth watching,” stated another, and added, “Herr Neusser has perhaps started tod many hares.” Only two people in the theatre that night knew that “Herr Neusser” did not exist. The play had ben Written by Mr Skilbeck, who had made a simple discovery—that British theatrical producers will accept plays by unknown foreign playwrights in preference to those written by unknown Englishmen! Mr Skilbeck is only 28. He has had experience of different kinds of stage and film Work. He > produced “Journey’s End” for Maurice Browne in Germany. He is acquainted with the best type of German stagecraft. “The play Was turned down by two producers to whom I sent it under my own name,’ said Mr Skilbeck, “and then it occurred to ma—it might be much easier to get a play by ‘an unknown German playwright’ accepted. And I found that my theory was right.

“I have been worried but of my life by ‘Herr Neusser.’ People have asked me who he is and where he lives, and I have longed to kill the poor old man. No one guessed it Was licit a translation. Some friends have compared the play With the Work of Pirandello, ail'd a Russian woman kindly assured rile slid thought it Was as good as that of Tchekovl “I studied psychology lit Cambridge. Ono day our professor described a dream to us—that of. a man who dreamt that lie Was in A tfte'Atre arid was suddenly called on to deliver a

long speech on ‘A Fight to a Finish. The story of this dream impressed me and my play is the. result.”