“WHITE HORSE INN”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22826, 10 March 1936, Page 3

“WHITE HORSE INN”

PANORAMA OF COLOUR The box plans for the opening performance and subsequent presentations of “White Horse Inn,” J. C. Williamson’s gigantic musical play which will commence a short season on Saturday night, will be opened at the D.I.C. at 9 a.m. to-day. “ White Horse Inn ” was recently described as a gorgeous panorama of colour, melody and movement, gloriously surpassing all existing standards of entertainment. Based on Erik Charoll’s original Berlin production, it is staged by .1. C. Williamson. Ltd., by arrangement with Sir Oswald Stoll, who produced it at the Coliseum Theatre, London. “It was remarkable,” wrote a critic, “ how ingeniously Mr Locke, as producer of ‘White Horse Inn.’ and Miss Morris, as arranger of the ballets, bad marshalled their forces so that the stage never seemed overcrowded. At times there were so many people on the scene that every square inch of space seemed to be occupied, yet there was no feeling of jostling and the movement of the stage pictures remained easy and fluent. At times of greatest multitude a few of the chorus moved out to extensions of the stage floor which had been placed over the ends of (he orchestra well. This not only left more space in (he stage proper, but, in addition, it added to the apparent width of the proscenium —an effect which was heightened throughout the play by the fact that all (he boxes had been remodelled and redecorated in Austrian peasant style, so that they carried on the scheme of the houses behind the line of the curtain. Another new feature which gave ‘ atmosphere ’ to the play was the absence of the customary curtain which ascends and descends. This remained invisible all the evening. In its place there were curtains harmoniously decorated in green to represent a wood, and it was these which swept together for a few moments (o mask each change of scene. Fifteen such changes occur in the course of ‘ White Horse Inn.’ There were quite a number of changes in ‘ Dnbarry,’ and it was extraordinary how quickly these were accomplished without the aid of a movable stage. But a revolving stage is essential for the representation of ‘White Horse Inn.’ In ‘Dnbarry* an alteration of deep and shallow settings allowed n good deal of scene shifting while (lie action was going on. But in ‘White Horse Inn’ every scene is a large scene, and the action before the curtains that represent ‘the woods’ lasts only a minute. These interludes are simply tiny bridges of transition to carry on the dramatic movement while the circular piece of stage turns on its pivot, carrying all the scenery with it. If there were any in the audience who wondered just how all this was done, their curiosity was set at rest, in the last scene. In the foreground the stationary principals and chorus sang a reprise of the more important melodics of the play, and as each song was heard the scene associated with it swung boldly into view, bringing with it crowds of actors merrily singing and danciflg.” The forward staff of mechanists, electricians and technical experts has already arrival here to prepare principally for the revolving stage, two of which had to be built for the New Zealand tour.