LIGHT FARE

Southland Times, Issue 22131, 27 September 1933, Page 6

LIGHT FARE

WORKSHOP THEATRE FOUR ONE-ACT PLAYS AN ENJOYABLE EVENING The groups of amateur players attached to the Workshop Theatre are nothing if not industrious. After a recent season with a powerful English drama the society has relaxed momentarily to enjoy itself with four light modern plays. With perhaps one exception, no great demands are made on the players, yet the productions are interesting to a degree and altogether highly entertaining. A very good first-night audience had assembled last evening in the Orphans’ Hall when the curtain rose. Although a generous fare is provided the last scene ended at a relatively early hour. This was due to smart work behind which gave shorter intervals than are the rule between one-act plays. Although nothing elaborate had been attempted the scenes provided by the scenic group were in every way adequate.

“ON DARTMOOR.” Timeliness in play writing is always a factor in success. The author of this one, however, is blissfully unaware of how opportunely this one arrives. The lines dealing with prison life and the treatment meted out to the inmates . have a really topical flavour. Muriel Armstrong (Miss Joyce Gilmour) and Leonora Astley (Miss Erin Moffett) are two young ladies of very modern ideas occupying a house on Dartmoor. They are invaded first by a crook disguised as a convict (Mr T. A. Clark) and later by his accomplice who professes to be a detectivesergeant (Mr D. Deacon). Their beliefs about the treatment of prisoners make the girls easy victims and after entertaining the “convict” and the “detective” royally give the crooks every opportunity to collect all the booty they desire. When a real convict arrives all their former principles are abandoned. Miss Gilmour and Miss Moffett have a good stage presence and pleasant voices. Some of their philosophy was rather recited than uttered with conviction. In spite of their sophistication there were moments when they ought to have been quite concerned, but escaped convicts, detectives, the loss of £2O and the ransacking of their rooms hardly disturbed their joyful equanimity. In fact, had they pulled the house down the girls would have been delighted. Mr T. A. Clark was quite natural as the convict and made the most of the humour in his part, while Mr Deacon as the susceptible detective filled the part effectively. The audience found the production enjoyable enough, but a more serious air throughout would have made the humour keener.

“SAVED.” “Faint heart never won fair lady” is an old proverb, and if we turn it round to the feminine aspect it is the serious vein underlying this comedy. No men appear in the cast. Miss Minnie Tremaine (Mrs R. S. Mclnnes), the domineering elder sister of Miss Emily Tremaine (Miss Ruth Brookesmith), has successfully prevented the marriage in earlier years of the younger girl. Another such situation develops, but Sue (Miss Beth Hoyles) is made of sterner and more modern stuff and has the courage to elope in spite of Minnie’s unbending attitude.

The play opens with a delightful sewing-guild scene in which the “gos-sip-dialogue” carried on by three of the guild, Miss Sutton, Miss Molly Macpherson and Mrs D. Palmer, is very well done indeed. The humour was most effectively handled and the dressing, which had received careful attention, was most amusing, but too many periods were represented. Mrs Mclnnes, well cast as Minnie, presented a clear cut character and always had a little in reserve. Rather deliberate action and over-emphasis in gesture were the only flaws in a very good performance. Miss Brookesmith as the gentle and yielding sister presented a well-defined picture, but allowed her voice to fade in emotional parts. Miss Hoyles presented a rather too modern Sue, but was in every other way quite satisfactory. This is an interesting comedy of sentiment with particularly well-drawn characters. It is unusual in construction yet the action develops smoothly. The suspense, however, until Sue successfully elopes is too long and the “ginger-bread” device to remove the elder sister from the scene is a little too obviously a mere piece of dramatic machinery.

“INTERLUDE.” The meeting of husband and wife after being divorced for nineteen years has been dramatized not very successfully in this play. There is practically no action and the merit of the play lies in clever, if rather unnatural, dialogue. In the intimate passages between husband and wife the audience feel rather like eavesdroppers. The part of Kitty Gannion, the wife (Mrs E. H. J. Preston) is most difficult and would tax the ability of professionals. Mrs Preston had her good moments when she spoke and moved delightfully, but there was much to mar her performance. As a rule her words were rapid to the point of indistinctness, and there were times when one prayed that she would stand still. As the anxious mother Miss Muir interpreted the part successfully, but here again with so much depending on the dialogue, clear speaking was not a feature of her performance. As the husband Mr J. N. Fraser had a good stage presence yet his character was rather colourless, and Miss Mary Webb as the daughter of the divorcees was quite satisfactory.

“THE SAME OLD THING.” This play is in some respects very far from being the same old thing. It contains a very novel and effective surprise. The author, Mr R. C. Megrue, has in the first part produced an interesting version of the eternal triangle, although the course of the play does not matter very much. Just at the moment when a highly melodramatic situation has developed the “surprise” arrives, and the fun after that moment is quite exhilarating. In “Mrs Tanqueray” there was just enough in Miss Nancy Nicholson’s “Lady Orreyd” to suggest that she would do well in a lively farce, and as Peggy Hale, an actress, she is able to give in this play free rein to her excellent gift of burlesque. The “back-chat” she hurls at the producer is quite masterly. Mr R. B. Giller, as Billy, the admirer of Peggy Hale, had a part which suited him well. His movements and general bearing were quite natural, though once or twice he did not listen to Peggy. Mr Alan Gilkison as the producer, Miss Gwen Cowie as the maid, and Mr J. T. Blampied as the Other Man were in every way quite satisfactory. The audience heard every word, the action was well sustained and the diverting situation sent the audience home in good humour. The farce is full of action which does not call at any point for stage-work of a particularly serious nature. Yet the players made the most of it and produced a very bright entertainment. The four plays will be produced again this evening and on Thursday evening. —A.J.D.