“FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24372, 9 August 1940, Page 7

“FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS”

UNIVERSITY DRAMATIC SOCIETY A COMEDY SUCCESS The Otago University Dramatic Society's interpretation of Mr Terence Itattigan's farcical comedy, "French Without Tears," in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last night, was uproariously funny. The audience found it so. though it was not a very large audience—a very small one, in fact, considering that these young players have devoted an arduous time to successful rehearsal for a cause as worthy as the funds of the Red Cross Society. "French Without Tears" is not what might be called a considerable play. The story must be taken at its face value, and then all that is necessary is to sit back and enjoy it without reserve. But- as entertainment it is manna from heaven in these difficult days—like a glass of sparkling water straight from the spring. Like many a brilliant comedy before it, "French Without Tears" comes to Dunedin per the modest but useful medium of the amateur stage with all the prestige that a record London season can give it. and the play could have been memorable instead of merely diverting had the very eager and. determined young cast possessed a little of the leaven of experience to assist them. Their achievement, however, was an excellent one. and it is probable that not a single member of the cast of 10 will begrudge a full tribute to the work of the producer. Miss Kathleen Falconer, who undoubtedly left the impress of her quiet and tastefully effective style on everything from the stage setting to the delicate concealment of some of the obvious dubieties of. technique and interpretation The glib, sometimes over-articu-late, people who fill the living room at Miramar in the South of France may not be real people in lots of ways but they are capable of being presented as interesting creatures, and the real merit of the. piece lies in its plot and its humour. The plot would some years ago have had the commercial advantage of being mildly scandalous, but to-day it may be said to have an almost old-world charm. The play, nevertheless, is capable of holding any audience, and the manner in which it did this last night was a credit to the theatrical competence of the producer and a performance by the players which transcends anything of which the University Dramatic Societv has been able to boast for some years. In fact, there can be no excuse for passing this show. by. . The story is set in the house ot Professor Maingot in France, where the young scions of English houses go for. the cramming in French which will inter alia, admit them to the diplomatic or some other service. Conveniently domiciled among them is Diana, beautiful, but a tiger woman, who hunts men. not for food, but for the sheer joy of the kill. The possibilities are obvious. It is not easy to single out the best performance. Several are uniformly good. Diana, as played by Miss Jacqueline Fraser. is a cold, sort of marble smooth portrait, the sort of woman who can clutch without feeling, and kiss without warmth (which she certainly does), but the study has polish and an easy selfconfidence that helps everybody. Special mention must be made of Mr I L Hutchison's Commander Rogers, a naval man in search of tuition, who is lured to his doom in spite of full warning. Gaiety of movement and originality of gesture, and a general air of enjoying himself compensated for any violence that may have been done by him to orthodoxy and he had an enthusiastic partner in this in Mr N. F. Gilkison who. as the Hon. Alan Howard, presented a delightful patchwork of clever portraiture and sheer theatricality, but never achieved anything quite as good as Mr Hutchison's engaging effort at alcoholic humour Mr W. D. Dawson threw himself wholeheartedly into the role of Maingot, and succeeded admirably in giving the impression that he was completely at home. It is possible that he was. but Gallic vehemence of utterance frequently produced an incoherence that made it impossible to judge his lingual

perfection. Miss Cecile Jones was very deft and charming as Jacqueline. A little more gesture would be more effective, and perhaps a dash of the mercurial in her reactions to indifference would give more colour to the part. Mam'selles do not as a rule take neglect as kindly as Jacqueline did. But for all that, her appearance and movements were charmingly effective. Mr W. D. U. Fraser could have been more aggressively the rake. The Brians of this world do no' exhibit themselves alone in their speech. There is something in the look, the movement, and the cock of the head that reveals them for what they are. Mr Fraser presented an excellent verbal picture only. Mr C. B. Cameron displayed a boyishness that had not to. be achieved, but the effect was all that was required, and Miss Minnie »Barrowclough filled her small part in cap and apron well. The players were fortunate in the character, if not the size, of their audience, and the evening lost nothing from th e work of a string orchestra under the i direction of Mr Spencer Cooke. " French Without Tears " will be presented again this evening and on Saturday evening and it should be remembered that the entire proceeds are destined fcr the coffers of the Red Cross Society.