78 NEW PRODUCTIONS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20887, 19 August 1939, Page 17 (Supplement)

78 NEW PRODUCTIONS

STAGE IN LONDON—GOOD RUNS OF GOOD PLAYS

A survey of the 1938-39 theatre season shows one heartening thing, despite the succession of international crises that held back productions and kept audiences at home, says a London writer. At least four new playwrights of distinction have been discovered—h Morgan (“The Flashing ! Stream”), Jack Jones ("Rhondda j Roundabout” , Morna Stuart i “Traitor's Gate”), and, in collabora- • lion, Andrew Cruikshank and Reginald I Beckwith (“Adults Only”). \ The older-established playwrights J have been represented, but not al- { wavs by the best plavs. Janies Bridie gave us “The Last Trump” 17 per- ! formances ; Milne, "Gentlemen In- ; known” 37 ; Shaw, “Geneva” 23S ; -I‘riestley, . "Johnson Over Jordan” 75 ; and "When We Are Married” < 175/ ; and Coward, “Design for Livmg" 193 to date From the younger guard we have ' had Er»ilyn William’s "The Corn Is Green” 32 i to date, ; Keith Winter’s ; “We at the Crossroads'’ 15); Rod- : ney Ackland's "Remembrance of Things Past.” (a Sunday performance) ; and the adaptation of “Sixth Floor” • (8); Dodie Smith's "Dear Octopus” ■ 324 to date / ; Terence Rattigan's "After the Dance;” Max Gatto’s "They Walk Alone’’ 156) ; Patrick Hamilton’s “Gaslight” 117); and Benn Levy’s “Jealous God” (12). In a season of forty-seven weeks,

from August to the end of June, seventy-eight new plays and musicals have been produced publicly in the West End, as against ninety-three in the 1937-38 season. Only two c*f these, “Dear Octopus” and “The Corn is Green,” have gone past the three hundreth performance; eight—“ Flasing Stream,” “Room for Two,” “Quiet Wedding,” "Goodness, How Sad!” “Running Riot.” “Geneva,” "Black and Blue” twice nightly), and "Under Your Hat” still running)—have passed the two hundredth. The Best Plays Sixteen productions had over one hundred pertormances. Imirleen had between fifty and one hundred performances; twenty passed llieir twentieth perlormancc, and cighleon had un ' ,er twenty performances. Apart from these there were 17 revivals, n "t counting the \ic. or ilie OpenAh; productions, of which three were Shakespeare and three Shaw.. The six best memories of the season, to me, are "The White Guard,” "Nora,” "The Flashing Stream.” "Traitor's Gate,” “Bridge Head,” "The Corn is Green.” All had not only writing, but acting, and often production of the finest. After these, "Rhondda Roundabout,” "Family Rcunion,” "Johnson Over Jordan,” and The Gate and Little revues as runners-up.