WHAKATANE W.I. PLAYS PRESENTED AT FESTIVAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 75, 28 July 1950, Page 5

WHAKATANE W.I. PLAYS PRESENTED AT FESTIVAL

ROTORUA, yesterday

Two plays presented by the Whakatane Women’s Institute drew much praise at the second evening of the British Drama League’s festival last night. Comedy and tragedy was combined in each and a large attendance showed their appreciation in no uncertain terms. The first Whakatane presentation was “The Goose Chase,” a farcecomedy by Mabel Constanduros and Howard Agg with an all-women cast. The producer, Marion King, had assembled a nicely-balanced team of six which showed uniformly good work. The characterisation was clear, and the action sustained at just the right tempo. Louise Grant, as the earth-bound Lizzie Fogden, had a simple part; most of the laugh lines were in those of Grace Mortensen, as the ancient crone in the chimney corner, whose make-up was very effective, the acidulated Aunt Hannah, cleverly portrayed by Edythe Ranby, and the desperately dull dairymaid, Cowslip, well acted by Ann Teasdale. Lizzie’s daughters, Janet and Peggy, were adequately represented by Sally Angus and Bessie Woods. It was a very satisfying show, altogether. Tragedy And Relief

High tragedy and light relief were carefully blended in the second Whakatane play, “Shadows in the South,” by Helen Hall, portraying an incident during the Spanish Civil War. Honours in this cast went to Jean Wilson, as the Spanish girl, Lolita, a blend of Maupassant’s Boule de Suif, Shakespeare’s Juliet and Hinemoa. Her role was well sustained and she showed unusual dramatic ability in a part that made heavy demands on her.

She had a fine foil in Mavis Stokes as a Cockney dancer stranded in the backwash of war. This player was equally effective in her brighter moments and in her last tragic scene, in which she falls victim to a stray bullet. Louise Grant, as the Englishwoman of county class, all bounce and tweeds, and Dorothy Sims, as her demure and dutiful daughter, made a good showing, and Ruby Murphy, the nurse, and Myrtle Rugg, the spy excellently disguised as a nun, completed the bill in well-rehears-ed roles. The producer, Mrs Sutcliffe, is to be congratulated on the excellent work of her team.