HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.
“JOURNEY’S END.” Many theatrical pattons are agreed that the old plays are the best, and this opinion is supported by Shernffe s Journey’s End,” at present occupying the boards of His Majesty’s Theatre. It m, however, necessary that a play to be successful must be performed by a capable company, and the Maurice Gordon Proprietary is certainly entitled to be classed as that. “Journey’s End belongs to a class of drama that is popular and more than ordinarily rational It is not a one man or a one woman play its presentation in an attractive form depends upon the whole, not upon a part of a company, and the combination of artists forming the company now appearing at His Majesty’s Theatre is unusually conspicuous for an absence of any weak- 1 ness that would inevitably mar a successful performance. The author has presented war in the aspect he found it, and does not branch off for the sake of effect. The play comes nearer to reality than what is generally seen even upon , the stage, and for this reason appeals all the more strongly to an audience. Every character is effectively presented. Mr Reginald Newson, as Captain Stanhope, plays superbly, makes the most of his opportunities, which are many and varied, and handles a character by no means easy of portrayal in faultless style. He is particularly successful in the emotional scene in the dugout just before he goes out to meet his death in the trenches. Mr Guy Hastings is admirable as “ Uncle,” and in his scenes with Raleigh he is exceptionally clever. In these scenes he receives very able support froffi Mr Digby Marriott, who, as Raleigh, contrbiutes largely to their effectiveness. Mr Leslie Gordon is very “amusing as Private Mason, Mr Allan Chapman “breezy” as Lieutenant Trotter, and Mr Hamilton Henry's Lieutenant Hibbent is a carefully studied and effective character. The remaining more important parts are capably filled by Messrs Claude Cartier, Brett Randall, and Harold Henshaw.
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Otago Daily Times, Issue 21257, 11 February 1931, Page 8
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333HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. Otago Daily Times, Issue 21257, 11 February 1931, Page 8
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