SATIRICAL FARCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23088, 13 July 1938, Page 16

SATIRICAL FARCE

OUTSTANDING PLAY A FINE PERFORMANCE THE REPERTORY THEATRE Viewed seriously, "You Can't Take It With You," a satirical comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, is an clfectivo piece of social criticism. But that apart, it is hilarious entorj tainmcnt, by far tho best of its kind | that has come out of America in the ! past two or three years, distinctive for ■ the deft handling of situations, rich in shafts of speech, and remarkable for ! the skill in which characters are reflected in a caricaturing mirror. It is 1 enjoying an exceptionally long season in New York, and tho Auckland Repertory Theatre, which staged it last night in'St. Andrew's Hall, was in tho happy position to do so as a result of an appeal to the authors, amateur performing rights having been withheld in every other country. The society can be congratulated not only on its enterprise, but for its performance, tho cast going through the paces of tho play in enthusiastic spirit, j Throughout, the audi .-nee was demon- - strative. The authors have provided one I of those curious homes of which the j contemporary theatre is so prolific, j There is a family of three generations j that would appear to be the last thing in irresponsibility and upon whom settle several complicated satellites. Strange Characters There is grandpa, one-time prosperous business man who 35 years before had suddenly decided that you cannot take riches with you Avhen you die, and a philosopher who holds the menage together. He has an eccentric son concerned With tho une<ynomic manufacture of fireworks that have a disconcerting habit of exploding at unexpected moments. Grandpa's daughter-in-law is a writer of unpublished plays who became a playwright as a result of a typewriter being left at the home by mistake seven years before. The only really normal member of the household is a grand-daughter, around whose love affair with a rich man's son most of tho convulsions of the plot are directed. A Russian teacher of dancing, a Russian princess who is a waitress, several negroes,'and a very faded actress are quaint characters who ; with the family supply drolleries, often delightfully irrelevant. Good Work by Cast It is not the custom of the society to publish tho names of performers, some of whom were outstanding. The player responsible for grandpa won honours for an easy performance. The daughter, Penelope Sycamore, was i played in happily foolish and irresponsible vein which kept the audience simmering merrily whenever the character appeared. The grand-daughter's social embarrassment throughout was always well suggested, the Russian dancing master was excellent, and. while it could not be said that the large cast was a team without a tail, the ball of humour was so energetically tossed that blemishes were never obvious. The producer, Mr. Ronald Bowie, had done some fine work. The play will bo presented again to-night and tomorrow night.