"WHEN MR PUNCH WAS YOUNG.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19905, 27 September 1926, Page 13

"WHEN MR PUNCH WAS YOUNG.”

A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS PLAY. MR C. R. ALLEN’S LATEST WORK. CLEVER JUVENILES REQUIRED. (Fboii Opb Own Cobeuspondent.) LONDON, July 30. Mr C. R. Allen has written another delightful short play, and this, along with two others which have already been seen in London, was staged this week by the Panton Players at the Etlinger Theatre, Paddington. Sir James and Lady Allen and a number of other New Zealanders were present .. , „ “Will and the Witch” and “The Four Foundlings” are now old favourites, though they have not yet been staged by a professional company. The third presented—“ When Mr Punch was Young’ is quite new. It was performed by competent actors, and consequently people had full opportunity of judging and appreciating the art of the author. That his art is of a very high standard ail will agree, and it is more than likely-that this particular play will be seen on the professional stage, preferably at Christmas time. Though the play is developed on entirely original lines, it nevertheless has an echo in it of “Christmas Carols” and Peter Pan.” The story may be briefly told. Goodhody, a doll-maker, comes home to his motherless and crippled son on Christmas Eve, when , carol singers are heard outside. There .is also the sound of the bells? They belong to the man who brings a present-, tor everybody. - Sparrow, the little son, hears them and believes. Suddenly there, is a scuffle outside. Whistler, the Punch and-Judy man. has been mobbed, his box has been overturned. and his puppets broken. He comes in to see his friend, Goodbody, carrying a broken Punch in his hand. Whistler is a cynic. He teaches with his show that all truth has something ugly m it, and the people laugh at him. Sparrow knows why they laugh. He realises that the people know life better than Whistler does. The cynic argues with the child, but because of his love for the. boy his arguments generally peter out. .I be broken Punck becomes, the property of Sparrow, for father Goodbody is to> make, » new set of puppets for the showman. . On the morning of Boxing Day Sparrow has mended Mr Punch, but he:is tired, and he sleeps while his father is out. In a moment we are-in Faerie. Punch has grown young and become a real boy . ‘‘the boy with the bell on his hat. A quaint and delightful refrain-"the, boy with the bell-on his, hat -ycomposed by the author of the play, recurs throughout the scene. Sparrow has mended Punch, so Punch—the young Punch—mends Sparrow, and they dance and have the finest fun. Judy knocks at the door. She has.been retrieved from the wreck toe night before and has been mended by a little girl. The three find a house of their own and have a jolly tea party. The bad Whistler appears in the dream play and. .demands Judy should be returned to him. He even knocks Sparrow down, and once more the boy’s lags are crippled. When he is helped to his couch again by his two companions, he sleeps, only to be roused by his father and thar real good Whistler, who kisses is 6 ’ a remarkable note of poetry and philosophy running through the whole piece: It is ovident .tbe .play requires fever juveniles, arid’’these- appeared in Brian Glennie (Sparrow), Lewis Shaw (Punch), and Lydia-Craddock (Judy), three children trained by that well-known artist. Miss Italia Conti; Mr Harrison Ainsworth, who has been with Messrs Dennie Eddie and Arthur Gibbons’s Company, took the part of Goodbody, and Mr Edmund Gordon, late of Mr Seymour Hicks s Company, played Whistler, and produced, the phantasy. The general opinion" of a highly delighted audience was expressed in the exclamation: “What a beautiful Christmas play!” ... JUVENILE .TALENT. .

The incidental music was supplied by the Wood-Smith quartet; Miss Vivian Roberts sang behind the scenes the solo “The Little Green Gate”; while the unseen students of Maestro A. M. Mprelli sang the carol. It is interesting to note that fajr-haired little- Brian Glennie played Dick in “The Lie” (with Sybil Thorndike), Michael in “Peter Pan,” as well as other important parts; Lewis Shaw has played in “Success,” “The Prisoner of'Zenda,” “The Admirable Crichton,” etc.; and Lydia Craddock has acted with Lewis in-several plays,-and has been in “The Rqse,and..thft,Rmg” at Wyndham’s, in "The Windmill Man” at the Victoria Palace, and o» topr with Sybil Thorndike in “The Lie.” In acknowledging, the thanks due to the many helpers in this production, Mr Allen mentioned the name of Miss Daphne Myers (daughter of Dr and Mrs Bernard Myers), who first put the theme of his dainty music into form. THE SOCIAL SIDE Prior to the performance. Sir James and Lady Allen gave a email dinner party, tbs invited guests being: The High Commie sioner for India and Lady Chatterjee, : the. High Commissioner for the Irish Free State and Mrs M‘Neill, Dr. and Mrs Orr, .Sit Lawrence and Lady Weaver; Mr A. P. Herbert (of Punch, who was unable to be present). Colonel and Mrs Gray, and Mrs Montgomery. In the large audience one noticed Miss Italia Conti, Sir Henry and Lady Galway, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, Miss Una Dysart, Mrs Bernard Myers and two of her daughters, Mrs O. J. Wray, F. M. B. Fisher, Mrs EL L. Friend, Mr and Mrs H. T. B Drew, and many others Mr Allen’s idea of depicting Punch when he was very young was further charmingly carried out by Mrs Bertram Murray,'who dressed an exceptionally .pretty doji as a juvenile" child Punch This, doll was' put -up to auction during the evening, the happy auctioneer being Sir Lawrence Weaver, who had a good deal to do with the book oh the Queen’s doll’s house. It was finally knocked .down to Sir James Allen for six guineas, the money being sent as a donation to the .Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Before passing to its now owner, the doll took an important part in the phantasy. It is not unlikely that “The Four Foundlings” will bo presented in Ireland at an early date.