"CHARLEY'S AUNT"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3082, 12 May 1917, Page 11

"CHARLEY'S AUNT"

Some little time ago a party of Wellington amateurs made a striking success with a production ot the evergreen farce-comedy, winch in its day was a record breaker, -Charley's Aunt,' and out of that success there grew tlie "Charley's Aunt" Club. This club ha, had other successes, but it is still best in the old favourite, and last evening li.r. company concluded its recent season with a revival of the story of tne lady who came from Brazil, and ot the ad«n- , tures of a substituted "aunt, who did - not come from Brazil. The theatre »*, more than ordinarily well filled, and the laughs were frequent enough and generou« enough to please players with a wider popularity than the members of the "Charley's Aunt Club. There is nothing much m this etoiy except'one huge joke, which was turned rather badly against its ™*™>"£ tho only function of the players s to make fun themselves or to bo foil tor the wit of the others. So it is that the chief part is that of Lord Fancourt Babberiey, a young gentleman who it ne were alive to-day would bo ca led a snort" He it was who became the em rgoncy relative, and Mr. Norman Aitkeii had tho role. He h" *me U before, and he does it very well. M"* Mabel HanUnge-MaJtby, as the real aunt, had the right proper ions of dignity and subtlety and. frivolity and.ltogether made n striking success of hu nnrt Mr. C. Bentlev Russell plays Jack Ssney always very; well, and ho pbged the part quite as well as ever ... tin last production. It is not necessary to particularise among TRe others in tl' caste, -except to say that they were all quite exceptionally good ama>eurs. J tr--1 nps tho test characterisation was tl at of Mr. Kenneth Aitkeu us Mr. &">Higiie. Tl,; others in the St. John (EIU- Mahay) Miss I »°' aid Snettigue), Miss Ruby bcott Witty Verdun). Mr. AY. W.-Crawford (Sir Francis Chesnoy), Mr W. B « (Charlie Wickbam), and Mr. Plupp* » "- linms