"THE DOVER ROAD."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19391, 28 July 1926, Page 14

"THE DOVER ROAD."

LITTLE THEATRE'S COMEDY. To open its current season, the Auckland Little Theatre Society is giving playgoers a taste of the recent work of that accomplished English dramatist, A. A. Milne. The first, performance of "The Dover Road" Was given before a numerous audience ai the Town Hall concert chamber last evening and was adjudged a decided success, in which the producer, Mr. Joseph M. Clark, and all concerned may be given credit.

In "The Dover Road" Milne entices the cream of comedy from some cleverly-con-ceived situations. , A well-meaning old gentleman devotes his wealth and his native shrewdness to save erring couples irora the pitfalls of ill-planned marriages. When the play opens two young couples, masquerading as husbands and wives, have, been trapped in his mansion on the Dover Road and are there prevented by the amiable hospitality of their host, and, it is true, a show ot force, from taking the boat to Calais upon what are obviously going to be unprofitable elopements. The genial Mr, Latimer—he is not very communicative about himself —finds intense philosophical amusement in watching the ardent' spirits of' the guests cool and freeze in the unromantic light of a plain everyday environment. Ho is greatly delighted when a stubborn cold in one of the gay Lotharios starts an everwidening breach in the wall of domestic bliss, and he is hugely satisfied when the attachment of the other two people falls to pieces through a gross excess of petting-

There was one outstanding performance during the evening and that was Mr. Jack Gordon's extremely finished work in the role of Mr. Latimer, A- better portrayal could not be conceived. Ho was the benign, gentlemanly humanitarian to the life, completely justified in his selfassurance. A reserve of manner made the performance doubly attractive, while his command over gesture, as evidenced in a thoughtful lift of the eyebrows, the assumption of a bemused expression, and the manipulation of a monocle,, gave to the character all the charm and fascination intended of it. In the reflected light of Mr. Gordon's triumph the work of the other players "cannot expect to shine with over brilliance. Mr. H. McKail Geddes did some vigorous work which did not seem to ring true until the second act. Gwen Youngs was active and vivacious as Eustasia, "one of those women who must cosset or be cossetted." She wept most realistically and was delightfully spontaneous in several amusing situations. Constance Clark made an attractive Anno out of somewhat uninteresting material, but spoilt her performance by indistinct articulation. Mr. Fred. E. * McCallum was unable to do very much with the role of Nicholas, while Mi*. Robert Finlayson had the smaller role of Dominic.

The play will bo repeated this evening and tomorrow evening, with a special nerformance on Friday as a benefit to Mr. Herbert J. Bentley, the society's originator and first producer,, whose illness is a source of much sympathy to all interested in the local repertory movement.