WELLINGTON PLAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 75, 30 March 1933, Page 4

WELLINGTON PLAYERS

ANGLO-IBERIAN COMEDY

"The Komantic Young Lady," a comedy from the Spanish of G. Martinez Siewa (English version by Helen and Harley Granville Barker), is tho latest play selected by the Wellington Players, and produced by Miss Elizabeth Blake. It was given at .the Y.W.C.A. Hall last night, and was enthusiastically received by a large audience, including her Excellency Lady Bledisloe. Tho title of the play is really derived from, that of a Spanish "best seller," possibly a highly popular feuilleton; but it also fits the leading character, Kosario, aged 23. who is a really romantic young lady. She is discovered chafing at the restraints convention imposes upon her sex, and ranting of freedom, self-expression, sex-equality, and all that; she wants to go out and come in when she likes and go where she pleases without asking permission, as her three brothers do —in short, to use her own words in the second act, she is

"Bored, bored, bored!" As a young woman she wants all she considers due to her, deference, recognition, and so on in right of her sex, and to be on the same level and enjoy equality with men—in fact, to have her cake and cut it too. Disillusionment comes to her through personal contact in unusual circumstances with the author of "The Romantic Young Lady." His name is a Spanish equivalent of something less distinguished than Smith or Jones, but his pen name is Luis Felipe de Cordoba; moreover, the young lady's grandmother, Bona Bavbavita, aged SO, acts as a brake .on Eosario's inclination to "so her-own way." Like the Duchess of Plaza Toro, the old lady is "by no means a beginner" in the right handling of men, for she had three husbands and yet survived. Besides, she is as sagacious as she is tactful, and as> affectionate as she is motherly in her interest in the girl.

The comedy was admirably acted and produced last night, and the awkward position between two etools, Spanish and English, was adroitly sustained by Miss Blake as Dona Bai'barita and lier wellschooled associates in the cast. Miss Alison Kirkcaldie, a young lady with a gift for characterisation, made the most of the part of Hosario and, moreover, looked it. A secondary part that could so easily have been overdone, that of an old domestic, Maria Pepe, was allotted to Miss Ailsa Newton". The terms of intimacy with the family enjoyed by old retainers in Latin households, and their freedom of saying what they think, is not easy to "get over" to British andiences, unaccustomed to look upon servants as friends of the family,, but Miss Newton succeeded in making this part most convincing Mr. C. Poppleton was given tho difficult role of the novelist. Luis Felipe de Covdoba, and handled it with ■jxeiit success, if the hilarious reception of his efforts by the audience was anythini: to go by. A clever little bit of work was done by Mr. J. K. Wilkinson as Don ilnan, a critic, reviewer, and a six-iaf pest. Miss Kara Aldridge had little to do as a secretary, but she acquitted herself with credit. The rest of the cast was sustained by Miss Given AVilkic and Messrs. A. lJnidjvß. McCawc, W. Tuekweli, and P. Cousins. Every member of the company, no matter how small-his or her part might be, spoke distinctly and was audible in the farthest corner of the hall. Tho comedy van without a hitch from first to last, and there was not a dull moment in it. As a production, it did Miss Blake very great credit. "The Romantic Young Lady" will be repeated this evening.