“THE SPORTING GAME,” A FINE TURF COMEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18043, 31 December 1926, Page 8

“THE SPORTING GAME,” A FINE TURF COMEDY.

CUNNINGHAM COMPANY HAS ANOTHER SUCCESS. “ The Sport of Kings,” a comedy in three acts, by lan Hay, was presented in the Theatre Royal night by Joseph Cunningham’s England Comedy Company, CAST. Algernon Spriggs . . Joseph Cunningham Barmaid Sylvia Clifton Sir Reginald Toothill . Campbell Copelin Pulcie Primrose Zillah Bateman Mrs Purdie Henrietta Cavendish Amos Purdie, J.P Frank Bradley Bates . Norman Carter Cook Beryl Barraclough Lizzie Sylvia Clifton Jan® Sybil Jaye Albert Jack Phillips Katie Vera St. John Joe Chas. M’Callum Newsboy H. Hardwicke Police Sergeant Gerald Armstrong Panama Pete Jesmond Deane Counted as one of the finest light novelists of the day, lan Hay has been just as successful in his recent excursions into drama. Several plays of his have run well, and “ The Sport of Kings,” presented first in 1924, has been, perhaps, the most successful of all. Hay is a man with an extraordinarily light touch, but he has broad Vision, and says shrewd, penetrating things in a casual, almost inconsequential sort of way. He knows life, and speaks about human frailties with kindly tolerance, but his criticism of modern manners is none the less powerful. After all, unrelieved severity is not so effective as the gentle rebuffing correction. Hay’s work to the casual reader may seem to have been written merely for entertainment, but those who study it will discern the greater depth. " The Sport of Kings,” his second latest play, is a first-rate ccmedv-farce. It is too cultured to be pure farce, and yet it is a little too unrestrained to be pure comedy. It has been constructed skilfully, and the plot works logically upwards to a brilliant climax. The dialogue is bright and quick, and the author does not strain to be oversmart, with the result that one has a feeling that the play has balance. This gives more solid enjoyment to an audience than a play which opens with the flashing of a meteor and ends in paling light.. That disagreeable quality has marred many modern plays, but lan Hay being a man who knows how a play should be constructed, has avoided the danger. The play is full of amusing situations, and the brisk, illuminating dialogue keeps the audience constantly amused. The thesis which lan Hay had in mind when he wrote the play was that in everybody alive there lurked the gambling instinct. "What is the British cry?” asks one of the characters. “Ninepence for fourpence,” was the reply. According to Algernon Spriggs, the accomplished punter cf the piece, every Britisher was a gambler. Either a gambler on the turf, or a gambler in commerce. The instinct which craved something for nothing was, to his mind, irrepressible. His associate. Sir Reginald Toothill, was disinclined to agree with this, so they make a wager that Spriggs will not be able to persuade Amos Purdie. J.P.. to put money on a horse. Reginald and Algernon go as paying guests to the Purdie home, which the owner takes pride in keeping as a clean Christian household. When Mr Purdie discovers that his guests are racing men coming to attend a meeting in the neighbourhood, he immediately orders them out of the house, but the silver tongue of Spriggs is equal to the occasion. He tells Amos how large sums of money are to be made through backing the right horses, and after a little cajolery Mr Purdie is inclined to think that the sport might not be so vicious after all, especially when the profits from it might go a long way towards paying the aggravating super tax. The result is that Purdie, although not announcing the decision to his guests, decides to have a “little flutter.” His first horse comes home at 20 to 1. and then the fever gets him. Inside ten days he is well over £IOOO down. Faced with this appalling loss, he is determined to carry on until his luck changes. His butler hears him ringing up the bookmakers, and then endeavours to do some blackmailing. However, the upshot is that Purdie and the butler go out to the racecourse and take a stand, with disastrous consequences. But in the end all ends well, and Amos Purdie comes out square. Joseph Cunningham, who made his first appearance of the season, did a brilliant piece of acting. His character work was marked by a wonderful and effortless attention to detail. He did not exaggerate in any way. but gave a thoroughly good study of a horsey man. When, in the third act, he became the tender lover, he was just as convincing in his work. Zillah Bateman did not have a big part, but what she did was marked by simple artistry. Campbell Copelin gave a careful study of the ineffectual Sir Reginald, and Frank Bradley did brilliant work in a difficult part. He was restrained and convincing. Henrietta Cavendish was perfect in a small part. The remainder of the cast worked creditably. “The Sport of Kings” will be pr» sented to-night and to-morrow nignt.