DRAMA FESTIVAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 233, 14 September 1934, Page 6

DRAMA FESTIVAL

REMARKABLE ACTING Napier Players’ Triumph PLAYS FOR TO-NiGHT Acting with a power and beauty very near to artistic perfection. the Napiei Repertory Players’ Ao. 1 Group gave a striking performance of "the itoad oi Poplars'’ at the Drama League Festival m Hastings last evening, ft is a play which deals with the emotions of two memory-ridden ex-sold.ers, and tne leading character is "Charlie,” m whom the war has left a strain 01 that divine madness-' or is it a super-sanity t— m winch the. dead are seen and speak, it was a part winch only a horn artist could have acted wiiu artistic adequacy, and a tcucu too Heavy by even a uttie, or.too light, woual have spoilt n utterly. Mr tiale Spencer, who player! Hie part, was magiiiucent, anu Alex Lunuinguam, who took the part oi an English ex-officer who has come back to Ypres hypnotised by the memories oi what happened to linn there, was littli less to be praised, ft was a tremendously moving performance, and certainly thy . most notable ot any yet given under the auspices of the Hawke’s Bay Drama League. flu other three players in the east hue less to do, but it would be difficult, aim also ridiculous, to point out any fault in such splendid a;ting. To anyone it would have been deeply stirring; to any “man who had such memories as Charlie’s lingering in his lile, it , as almost unbearably beautiful. Two other playa wore presented, mid this evening, which will bring the fes tival to an end, the Hawke’s Bay Little Theatre. Society will play “Cui de Sac,” by Essex Dane, the Napier Boys’ High School Group “Thread o' Scar let,” by J. J. Bell, and the Otane Women’s Institute “The Signal,” « New Zealand play by Helen Gordon. The following, were last evening’s plays, aad a synopsis of each, togetbei with Miss King’s criticisms, is append ed: — H.B. LITTLE THEATRE SOCIETY (No. 1) “THE FIRST AND THE LAST” Y (By Johu Galsworthy) ■ Characters: Keith Parrant, K.CJohn KelseyLarry Darrant (his brother) lan McPhail WapdaMargery Kelsey Produced by Leon Fail. Larry Darrant, a black sheep, conies to his brother’s home and confesses that ho has . murdered Wanda’s husband. Wanda’s husband has in the past ill-treated her and deserted her, and Wanda takes to a life of sin. She and Larry are mutually redeemed by their love for each other, aad Larry, after having been brutally struck by Wanda’s husband, who has returned to pester her, strangles him, and takes the body along a Soho street, where he leaves it. An innocent man is arrested and, tried for the murder. Keith Darrant, K.C., is as much concerned about the family honour and his pending appointment to the judiciary as about his brother’s escaping the gallows. Larry and Wanda die in a suicide pact, am! Larry leaves a note confessing his guilt, thus providing the means of escape for the innocent man. Keith Darrant finds the confession and burns it, so’that his honour may remain unsmirched so far as the public gaze is concerned. In short, the until of highfalutin’ morals at the last issue falls lower .than his black-sheep brother. Miss King remarked that a play of this sort was difficult on account of the fact that its note of deep tragedy was unrelieved by any lighter moments. It was adequately staged, but the lighting was badly used, and spoiled the effect of the acting. The two men were rather stiff in their actions and attitudes, though Larry’s voice and emotion were rather good. Their phys leal aspects were not in accord with their eniotional aspects. Keith lacked surprise when Larry told him of his guilt, and did not appear shocked enough. His acting was too level. Wanda was the reverse of the men, and her action and voice flowed easily, though her voice was restricted and was marred by narrowed “b’s.” The actors should have used the shortened forms to express “I did not” and other negatives, though they were spelt in full in the text; to take such a lib erty was recognised as quite allowable on the stage. Keith did the last scene well, and it was evident that all three members of the cast has worked hard. They made a very good attempt.

ST. MATTHEW'S DRAMATIC CLUB “ST. JOAN” (Act. 1.) (By G. Bernard Shaw). Characters:.

Robert de Baudric.ourt ... W. E. Rose Steward H. Chapman Bertrand de Poulengey T. Hale. Joan, (the Maid) June Burton.

The scene is rather inconsequential torn from its context. It shows Joan seeking to persuade Robert to give his material support to her crusade against the English, and there is the “ well known earlier part of the same scene in which Robert and his steward argue about eggs Miss King's comment was that the players were tackling a great play, but it was better to attempt something ol the kind than something unworthy . There was a tendency, however, to play the scene as low comedy, and the costuming was more comical than Shaw intended it to be. The steward had a good sense of low comedy, though he did not play his part as Shaw meant it to be played. Joan was too modern, and lacked breadth She was rather lightsome, and at times almost flippant. She did not give the impression of being inspired. Polly played his part adequately. NAPIER REPERTORY PLAYERS “HIE ROAD OF POPLARS.” (By Vernon Sylvaine). Characters: Charlie (Nicknamed “Le Fou,” an English exsoldier, now drink server and utility man) ... Hale Speucci A Local Customer C. B. Menzies .Marianne (Charlie's Marion Hindmarsh A lonrist (An English exoflicer Ilex. Cunningham A Figure (.Called Richardson Ronald Kennedy The scene is the parlour of an estamin et on the Menin Road, Ypres. , Charlie has married Marianne, a French girl, and set up an estaminet in

Ypres. Owing to a war injury he is subject to spasmodic mental trouble, and his condition of mind is such that at all times his memories haunt him. On many a night he has seen and heard the dead marching along the road —Tommies and Jocks and Germans arm in arm, going up the line. ‘We are going to straighten it pH out,” they tell him when they talk to him, as they sometimes do. Into Charlie’s estaniinet comes the tourist, the ex-officer who is also haunted by his memories. He has come to stand again where, through misreading an order in war-time, he lost 48 of his men. Onlylie and Charlie, whom he does not at tirst recognise, survived. Charlie and lie, in the state of mind into which they bring each other by recalling their terrible recollections, both see the dead going past. The officer racognises Richardson, one ol his lost men. aad Richardson answers to his name when the officer calls to him. The officer pleads with Richardson to take him with him. Charlie shoots the office!, and Richardson takes him off to join his comrades without whom lie cannot bear to live. Was it only a figment of the imagination of Charlie, or did it really happen!' The play does not tell us, hut leaves us also haunted. Ln a brief criticism, Miss King |aid that the applause given by the audience was well deserved. The members of the cast obviously felt their parts intensely, and conveyed wonderfully the sense of “wrought-upness.” ‘‘The play held me all through.” said Miss King. Several enjoyable numbers were played by the orchestra under the direction of Miss Mary Collins.