“THE WHITE CHATEAU”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22723, 8 November 1935, Page 19

“THE WHITE CHATEAU”

THE LITTLE THEATRE’S SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE “ The White Chateau,” Reginald Berkeley’s “no more war" play which had* ita first night in His Majesty’s Theatre on Tuesday and is, to be repeated on Monday evening, is an interesting production to look at. The first scene shows a breakfast room with red carpet, brown panelled walls, blue hangings at the door, handsome leather furniture, and a great bowlful of red poppies at the sideboard. The mother, in her black dress and white lace fichu, the fiancee in her shell-pink organdie, and the daughter in her blue linen skirt and blue and white organdie blouse make an effective trio in such a setting. In the next scene the room is denuded of its flowers and furniture, and the blue hangings are supplemented with a flag showing the German eagle. It is after the interval, however, that the really remarkable stage effects are seen. The first scene shows a dimly-lit dug-out, beyond the dark green top of which rises the chateau, red and orange against a vast blue and purple sky. The stark limbs of a tree provide a sharp note of contrast, and accentuate the flaring effects of exploding shells. In the next scene the chateau is a dim ruin against the bright blue sky of dawn. The foreground is composed of trenches with uneven outlines, and little by little the wide scene brightens under the rising sun. The announcement, “It’s going to be a lovely day” is one of the most moving in the play, on account of the unconscious irony of it. Thg last scene of all is also very effective. great bluish walls, grey roofs and pieces of scaffolding giving an instantaneous' impression of a castle in the making,’ and a casual pile of bi'icks, a barrow and shovel in the foreground and a heap of red sand accentuate the effect. In this scene the wife’s green frock, hat and gloves and light grey coat are very much in keeping with the general scheme.’