A GALSWORTHY PLAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12596, 5 November 1926, Page 3

A GALSWORTHY PLAY

“STRIFE” IN CONCERT CHAMBER “The Skin Game” is still fresh in the memory. It was the first professional production of a Galsworthy play in New Zealand, and now follows Mr ■Stanley Warwick with his Repertory Club players in “Strife,” another plat by the same author. Galsworthy’s position in the modern theatre calls for little comment. His work is more important because oi its moral implication rather than because of its artistic power. He is first a novelist, and his novels are voev complete pictures of contemporary society. His plays, lrom “The silver Box” to “Escape,” are often experimental ethics, though occasionally in such tilings as “Loyalties” and “The Skin Game” he reaches greatness. The chief article of his faith is that the moral is the keynote of all drama, but his code is not the code of the audience or of the twenty most, intelligent men he knows. It is best shown in such plays as “The Silver Box” and “Justice” and “Strife,” where he gives both sides of a situation quite impartially and leaves the rest to the listener. “The faithful and undistorted presentation of things as thef are for their own sake” might be called his creed, and his treatment of them, since Galsworthy is essentially a man of judicial mind, is cold and impartial. Justice is kinder to the rich man than his poorer brother, labour suffers more than, wealth in modern industrial warfare. These are his themes, the first of “Justioe,” the second of the play which the Repertory Club gave for the first time ill the Concert Chamber last evening.

“Strife” might borrow the title of one of Granvilie Barker’s best known works, and be called “Waste.’A For waste is as much the subject matter as anything else. Tho beginnings of a strike, the development of class hatreds, the rallying to 'class warcries only set the stage for a protracted struggle between tho directors of the Trenartha Tin Mate Works and their employees. That and a picture of how the strike affects two homes concerned is what the play gives. The action revolves round Hie outstanding figures of John Anthony, the chairman of directors, and David Roberts, leader of the men. Both are defiant, fiery, stubborn characters. Both, at the end, are discarded by their followers. And so at the close Tench, the company’s secretary, is able to say of the settlement: “These terms; they’re the same we drew up . . . and put to both sides before the fight began. All this—all this—and what for?”

The Repertory Club in choosing “Strife” chose ambitiously, but well. The play has a very large cast, hut is not as difficult to produce as may be imagined. The club deserves well when it sets out to stage such interesting things as this. The acting was of quite high standard. Outstanding work was done by Mr Stanley Warwick (as John Anthony) and Mr J. W. G. Davidson as David Roberts. A good character sketch was given by Mr William Petty as old Henry Thomas, and Miss Clarice Leah played the part of Mrs Underwood, Anthony’s daughter, with sincerity. The rest of the large cast is as follows: — Edgar Anthony (P. Dornan), Frederic Wilder (Cedric Gardiner), William Scantlebiiry (Noe! Lewis), Oliver Wanklin (Cyril Hestei). Henry Tench (Vernon Oswin), Francis Underwood (Percival Merganti), Simon Harness (Robert Horrobin), John Buigin (Thomas Page), George Rous (<’. N. Irvine), Jago (D. J. Dalgiis’.i', Evans (L. Ardley), Lewis (Arthur Wilson), Henry Rous (Huia Dinks., Frost (D. J. Dalglish), Jan (William AVithy), Annie Roberts (Mona Mann), Madge Thomas (Norah Burt), Mrs Rous (Enid Upchurch), Mrs Bulgin (Marjorie Collins), Mrs Yeo (Isa McLeay), men and boys on strike (Bernard Williams, Roy Ivory, Jim Tasker, William Dillon, Richard O’Connor, John Witseyj Dennis O’Sullivan, Eric Treadaway, James Murphy, A. D. Lewis, J. M. Dean, Jas. Skinner, J. Beaglehole 0. B. Thomas, G. N. Greer). “Strife” will be repeated to-night and to-morrow night.