OUTSTANDING COMEDY

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXV, Issue 3291, 6 April 1935, Page 4

OUTSTANDING COMEDY

“THE WIND AND THE RAIN” • COMING TO CIVIC, HAMILTON The brilliant triumph achieved at Hamilton recently by the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., company, which presented “Ten Minute Alibi” so admirably to play-goers of the Waikato, has induced the management to present on Thursday, April 18, the same origination in tlie phenomenally successful romantic comedy, “The Wind and the Icairi,” which is still the reigning attraction in London, where it has been playing continuously for the past .15 months. Its success in New Zealand is without a precedent, in the theatrical history of the Dominion, the seasons in each of the large centres having to be greatly extended, and even then the comedy had to be withdrawn while it was still in the zenith of its triumph. The production of “The Wind and the Rain” is of the utmost importance here because of the fact that it was written by Dr Merton Hodge, who is a native of New Zealand. Dr Hodge was a student. at the Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand, and for several years he was attached to the staff at the Wellington Hospital. Afterwards he wont to the University of Edinburgh, and it was there that he wrote “The Wind and the Rain,” which has won for him the reputation of being one of the finest play-wrights the English stage has ever known. In “The Wind and the Rain” the brilliant comedy in six scenes, Merton Hodge has, it is said, achieved bright entertainment by dramatising lodginghouse life, with medical students as the lodgers in a Scottish University city. His character drawing has been described as faithful and with true types in relief the humour in action is profound and natural. A perfect combination of dramatic and comedy stars is headed by the brilliant young London leading man, Mr George Thirlwcll. Miss Jocelyn llowarth is said to have achieved her best success in the part of Anne Hargreaves and Arundel Nixon, a notable London actor, has scored an outstanding triumph as Dr Paul Duhamel. Mr Tommy Jay, as Gilbert Raymond, has the audience in roars of laughter the whole time he is on the stage. The company also includes Gwen Munro, R. L. Atholwood, Richards Fair, Ronald Roberts, Nan Taylor and other wellknown artists. The box plans will be oponeu at Lewis Eady’s on Tuesday morning next.