POLLY WITH A PAST

Southland Times, Issue 20209, 21 June 1927, Page 7

POLLY WITH A PAST

VALUE OF WICKEDNESS AN AMUSING AMERICAN FARCE MISS RENEE KELLY’S SEASON OPENS The principal virtue in a past is that h prognosticates a future. It has been declared that on the piled bodies of failures people rise to higher things, but if that is can these corpses be regarded as the carrior of blunders—they are the unconscious preparations for the ultimate achievement. In the field of romantic fiction, of course, there is no doubt about this. Scientists, particularly those who adhere obstinately to the evolution doctrines, in spite of the efforts of Tennessee to prove them wrong by legislation, have made it clear that even newly born babies have pasts, so it is impossible to deny the adult the luxury of acts and experiences he does not wish revealed. But there are pasts . . . and pasts. Some people have pasts not worth talking about, dull records that spell hopelessness—the cynics who complain of the monotony of a vista of unblemished white —and these usually look ahead to nothing more interesting. Others in these modern times take good care while they are young to splash colour about, and whether they know it or not, they are investing in an interesting future. The modern idea is to see in “Your sins will find you out,” not a warning but a promise. This is the foundation of the amusing play which Guy Bolton and George Middleton put together under the title of “Polly With a Past.” They called it a modern comedy, but that little blunder in grading is explained by the fact that it is an American work. Most of the Americans use the term “comedy” when they mean a farce, but as they build very largely with a mortar called sentiment they are able to convince their audiences that their extravagances, the apparent madness in their methods, are really naturalistic and not sins against that form of dramatic writing ranking next in importance to tragedy. Of course, the fact that in these exciting times life frequently becomes farcical because restraint is old fashioned, can be advanced as an excuse, but the continued existence of the term “English comedy” shows there is still need for a distinction to deal with a difference that is real. “Polly With A Past” is farcical in its general character. It is bright, amusing, youthfully naive even when it attempts to be bold: it lacks the sophistication that will be found written brilliantly in a comedy like Lonsdale’s “The Last of Mtrs Cheyney,” to be produced as the second course of the Renee Kelly season in Invercargill. The frank, boisterous good humour of “Polly With A Past” carries it through —for its humour is built on situation rather than on writing. It takes the case of a young lady who has no past and therefore no future. With the idea of assisting a young lover to win the interest of his soulsaving sweetheart, this young lady, Polly Shannon, is provided with a past as lively as the ingenuity of two experienced young men can devise. And the result of it is that Polly’s future is assured. The morality of this is all wrong, or would be all wrong if the authors had not taken care to retain enough of the Cinderella story to ensure success for their labours. Polly, attired in magnificent clothes and flaunting her acquired wickedness, goes to the home of the mild and harmless Rex Van Zile, and by involving him in her notoriety endeavours to inspire in the home mission sweetheart the desire to save him. This altruistic young lady is also interested in vivid pasta, as long as they provide her with opportunities for snatching brands. Of course, this being an American play, the scheme goes wrong in order to go right. In other words, after shocking Rex’s home with her brilliant naughtiness, Polly gives them a bigger jolt by revealing the truth about herself and the love which has united her to the mild young man she set out to help. All this was inevitable from the beginning, and it is safe to say that nothing in the play devised by Messrs Bolton and Middleton was unexpected, with the possible exception of the rapidity with which the piece tumbles to pieces for the finale. As soon as the goodness of Polly is revealed, nothing is left but a hurried exit and the trams. This play can boast a liberal allowance of good healthy fun, it evokes loud laughter, but never once does there occur a line to earn that quiet gurgle which betokens the recognition of wit. It depends very largely for its humour on the audience’s knowledge that thoroughly righteous people, who are made to appear as snobs, are being glorious deceived, and for ite sentiment on the fact that the' good little Polly ousts the selfish Myrtle as surely as Cinderella defeated her ugly sisters. Polly has a fabricated past; “Polly With A Past” is a fabricated play. Such a play presents few obstacles, but favourable opportunities for experienced players, and no matter how much one enjoyed the piece it would not be fair to estimate the capacity of Miss Renee Kelly or any of her colleagues on their performances in it. Miss Kelly has a skill, she looks and Is charming, she wears beautiful dresses and she uses a liberally stocked palette in the painting of Polly. But it is a part which gives no chance for the display of finesse—tflere is no reticence about it—and all the while Polly vocally was rather vigorous. The contrast between Polly Shannon and Pauline, the French siren, was physical rather than intellectual. But there were signs that in a role like Mrs Cheyney, she would find material to suit her much better. The cast supporting her was generally skilled, though, of course, it used a tempo in keeping yritfi the farcical characteristics of the piece. Mr Pirie Bush as Clay Collum, was more settled than Mr Jack Dunne as Harry Richardson, his fellow conspirator, and therefore rather more intelligible, but both parts were well handled. Mr Ronald Ward emphasised the comedy of Rex Van Zile, but never lost the sympathetic interest of the audience, which was something of an achievement in the circumstances. A remarkable feature of the cast was the aptness with which Miss Margaret Darner established a relationship with him. She appeared as Mrs Van Zile, and in voice, gesture and general characteristics suggested that there was a blood relationship between that flurried woman and Rex, her son. It is not often that this is seen on the stage. Miss Phyllis Best was an excellent Myrtle Davis, the woman who loses Rex, and Miss Emma Temple, of course, was quite sure in her handling of Mrs Davis. Mr Jackson Wilcox’s little picture of Stiles was executed with considerable skill, and it stood out, while Mr Leslie Victor made the Stranger equally convincing. Mr Reginald Wykeham and Mr Hylton Allen in distinctive roles were also satisfying. MRS CHEYNEY TO-MORROW. Speaking of the opening performance of “The Last of Mrs Cheyney” in Melbourne, the Age states: “Judged by her rapturous reception by a full house at the King’s Theatre on Saturday night, it would appear that it will be quite a long while before Melbourne audiences see the last of Mrs Cheyney. The reason is not far to seek. Frederick Lonsdale’s play, ‘The Last of Mrs Cheyney,’ gives all that a modern audience requires—vivacity, witty dialogue, epigram, extremely racy language, and a set of improbable character thrown together into improbable situations from which they extricate themselves in the most improbable manner. Since Frederick Lonsdale wrote ‘Aren’t We All?’ he has decidedly moved with the times. To achieve his ends he brings to bear his full battery of quick-firing wit. Epigram follows epigram with a rapidity that is staggering. Renee Kelly will be seen in a role that suits her admirably. A new-comer in the person of Mr Ellis Irvine will play a prominent character, whilst the rest of the cast will be well sustained by Miss Kelly’s very best supporting company.”