Shaw Beats Shakes By Knock-out

Chronicle (Levin), 6 September 1949, Page 5

Shaw Beats Shakes By Knock-out

Received Monday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 5. In a preface to liis reeent pnppet play "Shakes versus Shav," Bernard Shaw says: "This, in all aeturial probability, is my, last play and the climax of my eminenee." Hd eontinues "I thought my career as a playwright was finished when Waldo Lanchester -of the Malvern Marionette Theatre, onr chief living puppet master, sent me .the figures of two pnppets, Shakespeare and myself, with a reqnest that I should supply one of my famous d'ramas for them, not to last longer thnp ten minutes of thereahouts. I aeeomplished this feat and was gratified by Lanchester 's immediate approval. "The puppets have a fascination of their own beeause there is nothing wonderful in a living actor moving and speaking but that wooden headed dolls should

do so is a marvel that never palls. .Headded: "Nothing can extinguish my interest in Shakespeare." The play, which was shown at 'a recent Malvern Festival, eoneerns a mythical meeting between Shakespeare and Shaw. Their chit chat is broken up by a full hst fight between the two, better described in Shaw's own words : — Shakes: "Put up your hands." Shav: "Come on." (They ispar. Shakes knocks Shav down with a straight left and begins to eount him out, stooping over him and beatingthg seconds with his finger.) - . Shakes: "Hackerty backerty one, hackerty backerty two. etc." (At the cotint of ° nine Shav springs up and knocks Shakes down with a right to the chin.) Shav won the fight by a knockout.