A SMART PLAY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

A SMART PLAY

Clever Work By A. G. Macdonell “What Next, Baby?” by A. G. Macdonell (London: Macmillan). This is a smart play, novel and entertaining. It was produced on the London stage last October for the first time, and because of the international crisis being played at the same time, there was a general impression that this was really a subtle satire on the two prominent dictators of the moment. Whether it is or is not such a satire, it is a clever piece of work, and we may make up our own minds on that point, the author’s protestations to the contrary notwithstanding. And if we do come to the conclusions that the managers of two film stars are meant to satirize Hitler and Mussolini it might be partly on the ground that-Mr. Macdonell has protested too much! The alternative name of the play is “Shall I Go To Tanganyika?” and the problem is whether these two or one or either of the film stars shall go to Tanganyika to. produce another marvellous cinema picture. The characters of the two publicity men may be lifelike; we hope not, but they seem so. The film stars certainly seem true to life. Their charming friendliness barely conceals their very sharp claws as they converse. Their colossal ignorance on matters of general import, together with their inordinate self-conceit, are revealed in many ways. Two other characters to be mentioned are the stars’ managers. They are less important than the publicity men; both are humbugs, but wonderfully successful. The story ends with the entrance of a high-powered American business man, who is completely taken down by the bright publicity experts, and the last we hear of the characters is that the American has signed a contract starring both stars for one show in Hollywood. The play moves fast all the time —at times the dialogue 'is clever, broad and even brilliant. It is to be hoped that this excursion of Mr. Macdonell into playwriting will be often repeated.