DUNEDIN SHAKESPEARE CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17503, 20 December 1918, Page 8

DUNEDIN SHAKESPEARE CLUB

."MJLT.US CiBSIAR."

fho interest in readings from the works oi Shakespeare by members of the Duneriin Shakespeare Club is fully maintainedotherwise there would not have been tho audience in His Majesty's Theatre that assembled last night to hear excerpts from Julius Caesar. Tho attendance was perhaps, a little short of what it has sometimes teen at similar performances, but the falling oft" -was too slight to indicate waning interest, and may possibly have been due to the effects of the influenza epidemic The selections read embraced much of the finest matter met with in Julius Cajsar, and the reading, in general, was quite up to tho usual standard, and was highly appreciated, none of the performers failing to secure approval. Mies A. Austin's reading of Portia was very cordially recognised, as it quite deserved to be. It was not a largo part to fill—in fact, ladies find but little room for an exercise of their elocutionary talent in Julius Cffisar. Miss lienn, as Calpurnia, had an even lighter task than iVIisS A-ustin, and the only other lady assisting in the production was Miss Owen, who acted as Chorus very efficiently. Mr T. G. Brickcll, well as he read the part of tho great Roman, was hardly weighty enough in his delivery of what falls from Julius Oajsar. Mr A. C. Hanlon was loft practically undisturbed in the earlier part of the tragedy, but when Marc Antony comes on the scene, immediately after the death of Cffisar, ho added very largely to tho numerous successes ho has already scored as a reader of Shakespeare. In Marc Antony's oration over tho dead body of C<esar ho was remarkably fine, and moved tho audience very strongly with his delivery of tho passage commencing " Friends, Romans, countrymen." Mr S. H. Osborn has to be credited with a good reading of Brutus, but like Mr BrickelT, ho did not impart tho necessary weight to the part. Mr J. Fleming was quite a success as Casshis, and tho other parts were read by Messrs C. L. Calvert, A. 11. Driver, W. B. Qucnncll. R. H. Wilson, E. J. Smith, E. V. Slyficld, and —. Chapman. During tho interval Mr John Leech sang the Kashmiri song from Landon Ronald's Indian Love Lyrics so acceptably that he received a most decided recall.