“THE DOVER ROAD.”

Wairarapa Age, 11 April 1929, Page 5

“THE DOVER ROAD.”

GOOD WORK BY REPERTORY PLAYERS. A NOTEWORTHY SUCCESS. In their presentation of “The Dover Road” at the Opera House last evening, the members of the Wellington Repertory Theatre Society had a most appreciative reception that was thoroughly well deserved. The audience was fairly large and unmistakably enjoyed: the excellent entertainment provided. Free tribute was paid to the skill of the players in laughter and' applause. There was a ripple of merriment from the opening scene to the final curtain fall. The comedy is written in A. A. Milne ’s happiest vein. The dialogue is witty and sparkling, though the fuin never becomes riotous. The play is of a kind to demand clever acting, and the Wellington players did full justice to its possibilities. The central figure of the story is l the wealthy and eccentric Mr. Latimer, who makes a hobby of waylaying and detaining runaway couples who are travelling down the Dover Road over the first stage of their journey to France. Mr. Latimer’s methods of inducing the runaways to pause and think before they take an irrevocable step are gentle but compelling, and in the scenes of the comedy some' very good philosophy is most pleasantly sugar-coated with wit and humour. Every part is well taken. In the character of Mr. Latimer, Mr. O. N. Gillespie showed himself a comedian of exceptional gifts. He achieves pointedly humorous expression with every appearance of effortless ease and was at all times on excellent terms with his audience. Bright and clever work was done also by the ladies of the company, Miss Zita Chapman as Anne, and! Miss Dorothy Hadfield 'as Eustasia; and Mr. R. E. Pope, as Leonard, and Mr. A. Hebb, as Nicholas, did full justice to their very dissimilar parts. Mr. Charles Ashford was capital as Dominic, the solemn butler, and the subsidiary parts were capably taken. The settings and stage-management of the play were excellent and did credit to the producer, Mr. Harison Cook. The stage furnishings were provided by Messrs. Hoar and Permain. AN INTERESTING SUGGESTION. In response to the ovation with which the company was greeted at the final curtain fall, Mr. Gillespie said that they would bring on the producer, Mr. Harison Cook, whose work made “ordinary Wellington duffers" into reasonable people to put on a show of this kind. Mr Gillespie spoke gratefully of the way in which the company had been, received and assisted in Masterton, by tradespeople and others. They had been given a wonderful reception in Masterton. Next year they hoped to- give another show, “which,” said Mr. Gillespie, “may be worse than this one, I don’t know.” (Applause.) Mr. Harison Cook, who was received , with warm applause, said he wished to endorse what Mr. Gillespie had said about the kindness of the people in Masterton. The company had been provided with all that it needed 1 for the stage setting and so forth. He hoped that all who had so kindly lent the things would get them back. Masterton, he went on to observe, was now very close to Wellington. Why should not Masterton have a branch of the National Repertory Theatre Society 1 (Applause.) They had started about three years ago in Wellington, and in that time had done something like twelve plays. If a branch were formed here, after each production in Wellington, they would come up here and give a performance of the same play. Anyone who eared to take up the project should communicate either with him or with the secretary of the National Repertory Theatre Society in Wellington. If the people here wanted to start, a branch independently, let them go ahead and good luck to them., but it would be much easier to co-operate with Wellington. (Applause.) Mr. Cook said he had an announcement to make that would be news even to some of the players on the stage. Their Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Alice Forgusson had accepted the positions of patron and patroness of the Wellington Repertory Society. (Applause.) This showed that their work was being appreciated. He again urged that a branch should be formed in. Masterton. In three years, fifty-five different members had taken part in the productions in Wellington. Ont of these two were now filling principal parts- on the London professional stage, and one was filling a principal part in Australia.