"THE FARMER’S WIFE."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19760, 10 April 1926, Page 23

"THE FARMER’S WIFE."

PHILPOTT’S COMEDY TO-NIGHT.

Opening to-night at His Majesty s Theatre, Messrs J. C. Williamson (Ltd.), present a new English comedy company including 10 noted London artists, in Eden I’hilpott’s clever comedy of Devonshire life, “the Farmer’s Wife.” The plav has proved the biggest comedy success of London since the war, and is still running in its third year. A play of types and quaint characterisation, the firm, to suit this, specially selected 10 noted artists in England, many of whom have appeared in the English production. Tlie Australian critics describe the piece as “the biggest laugh for years.” Eden Philpotts is well known for his fine novels, plays and short stones dealing with rural life in England. Nothing he has written is better than “The Farmer s Wife.” , The infectious gaiety of the play is said to be irresistible. The characters are richly humorous and the plot an arousing one. The younger men spend most of* their time in amorous pursuit of Farmer Sweetland’s two daughters, the farmer himself proposes to and is rejected by four ladies in turn, and Cnallv marries his attractive housekeeper. All the ladies to whom he pays his addresses, the _ fox-hunting widow, the superior spinster with her villa residence, and the coy, comfortably bum postmistress are all amusingly drawn and together with the part of the farm labourer and the farmer himself affords a clever company plenty of scope for laughter. A company described bv a Sydney critic as “brilliant” includes Doris Johnstone, Townsend Whitling. Edwin Brett, Violet Ley. Emmeline Orford. Reginald , Newson, Daphe Bairn, Doris Lascelles, Graham Stuart, Susan Richmond. Frances Cave, Millie Engler, Yotty Landau. Eardley Turner and Arthur Greenaway. The special scenery, old-fashioned dresses _ and effects and the music are all in keeping with the atmosphere of the play which is English to the last degree. The box plans are at the Bristol till noon, afterwards the Geyser soda fountain, where day sale tickets are also obtainable