DAME SYBIL THORNDIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21404, 31 January 1933, Page 11

DAME SYBIL THORNDIKE

BOX PLANS OPEN TO-MORROW It is a happy inspiration of the J. C. Williamson, Limited, management to introduce the famous English actress Dame Sybil Thorndike to Auckland playgoers on Saturday evening in comedy, for it is a domain in which this gifted and versatile artist has had few equals, although many of her triumphs have been won in the field of tragedy. The approaching season, which is necessarily limited to a brief period, will give local playgoers the unique opportunity of witnessing every facet of a talent that amounts to genius, for the brilliant bravura portrait of Lady Cicely Waynflete ia "Captain Brassbound's Conversion," a play rich in comedy and witty dialogue, will be followed by the Greek tragedy "The Medea," of Euripides, and "Saint Joan," a drama written by a great dramatist"for an equally great actress. These productions will bo succeeded by "Macbeth," "Madam Plays Nap," and other famous productions, in which Dame Sybil and her husband, Mr. Lewis Casson, have won world fame. The period of "Captain Brassbound's Conversion" is 1899, the scene is laid in Morocco, and the principal personages are an altruistic and "managing" Lady Cicely Waynflete, a judge of the English criminal court, a rascally smuggler-pirate captain of British paternity, a "Cockney foremast hand, a missionary, and some fanatical and murderous Riffs or Tuaregs. The play is rich in humour and Dame Sybil's genius in this direction is enjoyed at its best. Mr. Casson, who is recognised as one of the world's leading producers, will be responsible for the mis-enscene of all the plays in the company's repertoire. The productions, settings, costumes, etc., will be replicas of those used in the Wfcst End theatres in which Dame Sybil has appeared. The box plans for the first six nights of the season will be opened at Lewis .Eady, Limited, to-morrow morning.