MELODRAMA, “ TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN,” COMING TO THEATRE.
A remarkable attraction to be presented to Christchurch theatregoers is the J. C. Williamson Dramatic Company, headed by Leon Gordon, of
“White Cargo” fame, which appears here at the Theatre Royal for a short season opening on August 25.
A Sydney critic says: “ Novelty seems to have been strained after by Bayard Yeiller, the author of ‘ The Trial of Mary Dugan.’ seeing that he sets about creating his atmosphere the moment the doors of the theatre are opened. The curtain is up, and a busy charwoman is seen scrubbing the floor of the court room, and for an hour between rests, the tidy old soul goes on dusting and brushing and making things look ship-shape. In the vernacular, it may be described as real melodrama—with the lid off.
“ We have a woman charged with the murder of a rich man, who has so befriended her—for the inevitable consideration—that she is able to educate her brother at the best schools and make a lawyer of him: a prosecuting attorney. who researches the witnesses with a torrent of questions designed to entrap; the wife of the murdered man, who also has a secret love affair; an attorney for the defence, who is the actual murderer, and a number of witnesses—Follies girls—who titter their way through their testimony, and inform the judge that they have cars, because you can’t expect a girl to drive to hell in a wheelbarrow. “ Leon Gordon played the part of the District Attorney convincingly. His address at the opening of the case was cleverly given. Frank Bradley did excellently as the attorney opposed to him, and particularly in the final scene, when he caught in his left hand the murderer’s knife thrown to him by the lawyer for the defence. Leyland Hodson (Jimmy), a new juvenile lead, was a great success. John Fernside’s study of James Maddison, a lift-driver, was a fine piece of characterisation. Equally well placed was Elsa Willing (Pauline), Nancy Atkins (Feme), Evadne Royal as May Harris, and Daphne Bairn as Mrs Rice. “ May Collins suited the part of Mary Dugan to the letter. While she was being interrogated on the witness stand she showed an intelligent grip of a delicate part. Miss Collins played in this scene with admirable restraint.” Box plans are now open at The Bris-
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Bibliographic details
Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 7
Word Count
392MELODRAMA, “ TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN,” COMING TO THEATRE. Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 7
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