“ TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN ” TO COME TO THEATRE ROYAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18545, 20 August 1928, Page 7

“ TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN ” TO COME TO THEATRE ROYAL.

When the J. C. Williamson dramatic company, headed by Leon Gordon, present the latest dramatic sensation, “ The Trial of Mary Dugan,” at the Theatre Royal on Saturday, this problem will be solved. Tlje play has been a huge success in Sydney and Melbourne. A “ Sydney Mopping Herald ” critic says: “In ‘The Trial of Mary Dugan ’ at the Theatre Royal last night, the verdict of the jury was that 'the ‘ trial* was to be continued indefinitely. * The Trial of Mary Dugan ’ is a remarkable play in several ways. To begin with, the play is a photographic representation of an American Court plus stage exaggerations. Another remarkable feature about the show is that the audience walk into the theatre and find a stage already set as a court room. And so it remains during the action of the piece. The curtain is not lowered. The intervals are really the adjournments of the court, and the audience are the jury. The play brought back Leon Gordon to the Sydney stage. Not the swearing, sweating planter of ‘ White Cargo,’ but a suave and very American district attorney. Gordon makes a good job of the character. His long-winded addresses to the jury, which is the audience, evoked much applause. It is a rather novel idea to liken a jury trying a woman for her life to a group of people at the theatre, and there is a lot to be said for the author’s assumption that, like the audience, a jury will react to the most brilliant and convincing actor. As a play, the ‘ Trial of Mary Dugan ’ can be adjudged great; as a photographic representation of a dramatic incident in a court-room, considerable evidence can be brought forward in support. There is no doubt that the play held the audience. Dramatic moments were relieved with touches of comedy at just the right moment, and the acting was excellent. Gordon scored well, and

if the American methods of trying a woman for murder are a little startling there is a little notice in the programme to warn the audience of this circumstance. May Collins played the part of Mary Dugan with fine sympathy.” The box plans open on Wednesday.