SHAKESPEAREAN RECITAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19014, 9 November 1923, Page 4

SHAKESPEAREAN RECITAL.

“ MACBETH.” Probably no play in all of Shakespeare's repertoire suffers more than “ Macbeth ” from the absence of stage accessories. It is all action; yet action, other then the faintest indication, is tabooed in a reading. For this reason the selection of that 'tragedy for portrayal—if such it may be called—by the Dunedin Shakespeare Club was venturesome, but one could not wish that the venture had not been made. Apart from the fact that the presentation was as convincing as could be expected with the handicap referred to, the mere reading of the play is an education. To a student of Shakespeare it serves as a reminder of the extent to which our literature, and even conversation, have been enriched by striking phrases and sentences; while to those who are not so acquainted with the works of the Immortal Bard, the familiar'sayings are a revelation. For there is probably no play amongst those of Shakespeare that is so extensively drawn upon to garnish the conversation of even the man in the street. While there are other characters which come into the limelight on odd occasions, the drama depends mainly (almost entirely, one might say) upon the manner in which the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are portrayed. And it may be said at once that these two parts found worthy exponents'. Mr J. Fleming, as the Thane of Cawdor and Glamia—and subsequently King of Scotland after his murder of Duftcan—Mr J. Fleming left very little to be desired. Ha was always forceful, and depicted the man who “ let I dare not wait upon I .would, Hire the poor cat i’ the adage.” With marked fidelity; so that, even without the costumes and acting, the audience were made thoroughly to understand why the bloodthirsty Lady Macbeth upbraided him for cowardice. The several soliloquies put intc the mouth of the pusillanimous nobleman who was egged on to crime by his spouse were delivered with spirit and due appreciation of their moaning. One of his most effective scenes was that in which he recited “Is That A Dagger Which I See Before Me?” JJm Wakefield Holmes was equally as successful as Lady Macbeth. There was not a weak passage in her delivery, and each phase of the character of the Thane’s evil genius was delineated with marked fidelity, showing alike careful study of the character she so admirably portrayed, and very effective elocutionary effort. This was particularly the case in the scenes where she is inciting her husband to the murder of the king, in the conversation with her husband after the murder, and especially in the sleep walking scene. In the last-mentioned, even without the night attire, she made the scene most impressive, and well deserved the hearty applause with which it was greeted. From an elocutionary point of view, Macduff's (Mr H. W. Hunter) announcement of his discovery of the murder: “Awake! Awake I King the Alarm Bell,” may be ranked amongst the best of the evening. The characters 'of the three witches were taken by Miss E. M'Peak, Mrs Murray, and Hiss Lucas, and while all were satisfactory, Miss M'Peak may be credited with entering most fully into the spirit of the part. The other characters wc-re satisfactorily filled. A pleasing feature of the recital was that during the interlude Miss H. Tickers sang very sweetly “ A Birthday,” and, in response to an encore, ''Violets."