FARCE COMEDY SEASON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20311, 20 January 1928, Page 8

FARCE COMEDY SEASON.

■ “Cl/' RICHARD! HOW COULD YOU?” “Oh, Richard! How Could You?” a farce comedy in three acts by Eric James and Donald Stuart was chosen as the second ottering of W. J. C. Barr’s Company and was presented at His Majesty’s Theatre iast evening. The authors of the production hold the distinction of being perfectly frank and candid with their public. It is obvious that in devising a medium through which laughter may be broadcast, they cheerfully and openlyabandoned any thought of writing a play and set themselves to concocting a means by which a number of broadly-funny scenes could be strung together and extended over a period of some two and a quarter hours. This ideal was not a particularly high, one, but the result of their efforts has the virtue of being distinctly amusing, and if a theatre-goer is prepared to malje any allowance providing that his funny-bone is tickled “Oh, Richard! How Could You’’ is worthy of his attention. The piec.e is an uproarious farce, purely and simply, and there are no subtelties of plot. The witticisms of dialogue are limited to a few smart sayings placed in the mouths of one or two of the principal characters, while the setting is made as simple as possible. It follows, therefore, that the success of the production as a comedy venture, lies entirely in the hands of the players, and the performance of W. J. C. Barr’s comedians last evening showed that they appreciated this to the fullest. The farce was well performed by players who sacrificed everything to make their audience laugh, and their efforts were fully appreciated by an audience that entered into the spirit of the thing. . . The story was really a minor consideration, but such as it was, it described the adventures of an enterprising young man who proposed to three girls on end after being refused by the only one he ever wished to marry. Unfortunately, each girl accepts, and to mako matters infinitely worse, his only loye changes her mind and calls on him to “ make it up. While this is going on the rivals put in an appearance, one after the other. There is a vampirian French dancer, a frightfully ugly spinster, and a pretty little flapper whoso interests are being well looked after by a fiery uncle. The gay Lothario calls to his aid a friend who is staying with him, and after the principal characters come to grips—as it were—in the first act, the fun continues fast and furious until the final scene of the iast act. There are several extraneous details, including an excited Frenchman who appears as a lover of the dancer, and a overpowering wife who _is regretfully claimed by the gay Lothario s friend. In the part of Dick Lawrence, the person chiefly concerned, Mr Billy 0 Hanlon gave a much better, performance than that presented by him in “Up in Mabel s Boom.” His comedy had an element ot restraint, and he proved himself capable of extracting §very possible ounce of humour from such a part. Mr A. Brandon Cremer was prominently oast as Dick Ross, the obliging friend, and bis fun-making was also highly successful. Both P a .y° r3 were ably supported by Miss Shirley Cooke, who did really excellent work in the character part of / the spinster; Miss Zara Clinton, whose personality was well attuned to the role of the French dancer, and Miss Alice TStewcome, who acted sombrely but efficiently in the riart - r T Hazel, the fiancee who changed her mind. Miss Hilda Attenboro was thoroughly at home as the masterful wife, and Eric Harrison made a satisfactory old warrior uncle. Smaller parts were taken by Mr Warwick Beattie as the Frenchman, and Miss Sybil Athohvood as the flapper. ‘‘Oh; Richard! How Could You?” will be repeated this evening.