"PENELOPE"
DELICIOUSLY WHIMSICAL COMEDY
"Penelope," a comedy in three acts, by W. Somerset Maugham. Cast:— Dr. O'Farrell .., Mr. Graham Browne Professor Golightly Mr. Sidney Stirling Davenport Barlow Mr. Leslie Victor Mr. Bcadsworth Hγ. Thomas Sidney Mr. Anderson Mr. Victor Tatnell Mrs. Ferguson Miss Given Burroughs Mrs. Goliglitly Miss Ethel Morrison Mrs. Watson Mrs. Geo. Lanvi Peyton MiBB Molly Taylor Penelope Misß Marie Tempest Whether it is that the public has got out of the habit of appreciating good comedy s excellently played or not, one fools compelled, in a spirit of duty, to depart from well-established rule to inform all whom it may concern that in the company now playing at the Opera Houso they liavo nn exceptional star (in Miss Mario Tempest), siipportcd by an exceptional company, in exceptionally fine comedies. Having stated the fact broadly and simply, we pass on to "Penelope," the extremely whimsical, ahvays amusing and ingenious comedy, of Mr. Somerset Maugham, which was played last evening to rippling accompaniment of laughter from the auditorium. It is a comedy of somewhat impossiblo but nlways entertaining characters, who are exhibits rather than typos,' but each and all definitely and interestingly limned by the author, who has set himself the difficult task of demonstrating, in lighter vein, that love perishes of surfeit. "How would you like to have strawberry ices for breakfast, luncheon, and dinner every day for a month?" asks Profossor Golightly of his daughter Penelope, on her complaining that all the love she has lavished on her spouse has resulted in his having an affair with a grass widow. The wise old bird diagnoses the case as one of surfeit, and prescribes a certain treatnient which, if pursued with tact, patience, and selfcontrol, will mean the return of tho lnmb to the fold. From this it will be gathered that Maugham's treatise on "the subject shows a good deal of insight into human nature, and is not to be ignored by those likely to be similarly circumstanced. Although Mr. Sometsot Maugham may not have the rapier wit of Pinero, the epigrammatic brilliance of Wilde, or the° sardonic cynicism of G. B. Shaw, he has enough of each to make good dialogue every word of which is well placed, "and not to be missed. ■ Indeed, his very Jack of those dazzling liiorary qualities, makes his characters a liUlo more human. Tho group presented in "Penelope" were very evenly and even brilliantly played. Mies Tempest is radiantly clever and appealing as that good sport Penelope. Thore' is something akin to the lilt of ragtime in her disposition that "keeps you going" oil the time. Her refreshing naturalness, j and the perfect command she has over ! her voice, together with her outrewning I comedy sense, givo continuous and uni alloyed pleasure. Miss Tempest is an adept in tones. She can at will pinch hor voice into a comical little squeak "that nevor fails to evoke a peal of laughter, and she can attune it to the demands of strong emotion. Penelope is married to the giddy Dr. "Dickie" O'Farrell, a swell physician, who makes no bones about carrying on flirtations with pretty eligible patients, such as, for example, Mrs. Ada Ferguson, a charming grass widow. Penelope knows all from the beginning, hut she really loves "Dickie," so die listens to the advice of her easy-going, worldly-wise parent, who advises her that the more rope she allows her errant husband the sooner will he tire of Ada, because she is merely a. pictty fool, and not the kind of woman to hold any intelligent man long. That settled, Penelope plays the simpleton with wicked zest, goes in for an elaborate vrrdrobe, and lends a willing ear to tho stories of "Mrs. Mack," her husband's* fictitious patient, who has an operation every race day or whenever ''Dickie" -wishes to run over to Paris. Penelope plays the mythical "Mrs. Mack" liko a skilful angler with a four-pound trout in tricky water. So cleverly does she play her cards that "Mrs. Mack's" inventors have finally to admit that the tang-suffering |patient, is dead ;md buried. As a matter of fact, "Dickio" and his affinity have such a worrying time keeping up the "Mrs. Mack" lio that tho tempers of 'both wear down at the heel and they quarrel. The grass widow ' is/side-tracked on to gay old Undo Davenport, while Dickie returns penitent to feed out of Penelope's shapely hand. No one would, say that the play is strictly moral or the reverse, but it is all written and acted in a spirit of the lightest raillery at such domestic asides that one cannot take exception to-'it. The comedy is as thin as the summer girl's blouse, fat it is always amusing, always interesting. . Side by side with Miss Tempest's arresting performance as Penelope stands the Dickie O'Farrell of Mr. Graham Browne. It is a grateful part most charmingly played. One hardly likes to apply the word charm to an actor, but it seems to fit Mr. Browne in this role, for "Dickie" is actually a very conscience-smitten Lothario, and the actor exudes such sympathy *,hat one feels at times "-as jf he were the sinned against rather than the sinner. The playwright lot a gleam or two into the experiences and inner thoughts of the medical profession. The ecenes with the nervous patient, and that with the garrulous old lady with an unquenchable thirst for medicine, were very comical. Mr. Sidney Sterling gives a very sound performance as Professor Golightly, and Mr. Leslie Victor as that preposterous snob, Davenport Barlow, draws with a sure touch and ■with ample humour a character such as Thackeray might have "roasted" — a. vain, boastful, arrogant, silly-headed dandy. Mr. Victor's acting in tho rolo stood out where, all were good. Miss Gweu Burroughs gave a telling performance as Mrs. Fergussoh, and fairly shared the honours with Miss Tempest at "Mrs. Mack's wake." Miss Ethel Morrison was admirably suited as Mrs. Golightly, and Mrs. George Lauri was most amusing as the medicinal "drunk." The comedy was mounted in the best of good taste, and the lighting —all head lights are masked off by a screen—was both restful and definitive.
"Penelope" can only be played tonight and to-morrow night. "Jlrs. Dot," also by Maugham, takes its place on Friday evening.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 84, 2 January 1918, Page 3
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1,050"PENELOPE" Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 84, 2 January 1918, Page 3
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