APRIL FOLLY

Evening Star, Issue 20134, 26 March 1929, Page 7

APRIL FOLLY

MILNE'S DELIGHTFUL ‘BELINDA’ MiSS VANBRUGH SCORES AGAIN Tlio delicious humour of ‘ Belinda ’ and the charm of Miss Irene Vanbrugh in the title role of that refreshing little romance were a source of great delight to everyone present in His Majesty’s Theatre last evening. The fanciful pen of A. A, Milne could bo discerned in every Jine of a brilliant comedy of Devonshire in the scented air of April time. The spontaneity that distinguishes all Mr Milne’s engaging sketches could not have been better cxemplifid. Subtlety had no place in the performance last evening—care was flung aside, and the joyous spirit of youth predominated. CAST. Belinda Tremaync Irene Vanbrugh. Delia (her daughter)...Rowena Ronald. Claude Devenish Ronald Ward. Harold Baxter ~..Dion Boucicanlt. John Tremayne. J. B. Rowe. The role of Belinda was one that suited Miss Vanbrugh perfectly. It was a splendid characterisation in voice, manner, and gesture. Charm and vivacity, allied with consummate artistry in interpretation, distinguished a singularly charming performance. The art of life, according to tlio principles of Belinda, was to be fancy free. Her husband had in a petulant mood left her shortly after her marriage, but apparently that was of little consequence to Belinda. For nineteen years she proceeded to enjoy herself to the full, refusing to recognise the flight of timo and its incidental impairment of her youthful vivacity. Two ardent wooers sought her hand—one, a stolid statisticiim. distinctly of the earth earthy, and tlio other an msthetic young poet. But Belinda very cleverly diverted them to her daughter, and alter many amusing complications exercised her charm once more on tlio recalcitrant husband. Miss Vanbrugh was simply bubbling over with the spirit uf her delineation, and prestmted a study that, was irresistible in its charm. Her performance dominated the whole comedy.

The complete mastery of stage craft that is the gift of Mr Boucicault was again afforded striking exemplification. Ho was, perhaps, just a tritlo too ponderous in his delineation of"the role of Harold Baxter, tho unimaginative statistician, but his performance impressed deeply. Of attractive presence and style, Mr Ronald Ward was singularly pleasing as Claude Devonish. He was a veritable Bunthorne in his _ sham iKstheticism. Mr Ward has a delightful personality and a cheery style, and may bo relied, upon for consistently pleasant work. Mr J. B. It owe was eminently sound as John Tremaync. giving a restrained ami very effective interpretation of that part. His performance was one of judgment and artistry. Miss Rowena .Ronald, an accomplished'young actress, scored decisively ns Delia, the attractive daughter who induced a dreamy poet to shed his exaggerated locks and return to earth. Miss Ronald was particularly charming in all she did, and graced the production with her presence and style. Tho minute attention to detail in colour and setting that distinguishes all Mr Boucieault’s productions was again an essential feature iu the atmospheric charm of the entertainment. ‘ MR PIM PASSES BY * To Mr Dion Boucicault and Miss Irene Vanbrugh, nine years ago _ in London, fell the distinction of giving the first performance of A . A. Milne's great English comedy, ‘Mr Rim Passes By.’ Since then those two great English artists have marie the principal characters of the play, Mr Rim and Olivia respectively, peculiarly their own. ‘ Mr Rim Russes By 1 will be the last play to be staged by the Irene Vanbrugh-Diou Boucicault Company in New Zealand. Its short season of two nights will commence to-night and conclude to-morrow evening. As this is the very last occasion on which these ditinguished English artists -will ever be seen in New Zealand, theatre-goers should on iio account miss this opportunity of forming their last and lasting impression of them. As Mr Rim Dion Boucicault lives his part, so that the audience arc not conscious of the actor, but are Ailed with the character. Wellmeaning Mr Rim is all unmindful or the consternation he causes in a family on which he calls as he passes by. Loss of memory leads him to apply wrong names, and to leave sentences incomplete, sowing the seeds of fear and suspicion in the mind of a recentlymarried widow, who is led to the belief by Mr Run (all unconsciously that he

is the cause) that her former husband is not dead. The creation of such a situation gives Miss Irene Vanbrugh as Olivia the opportunity of showing to the full that she is not less great ns an actress in her part than Dion Boncicault is a great actor in his. When one makes allowances for the pathetic old figure of Mr Rim passing by, it is impossible not to fad into roars of_ laughter at the disturbance lie unwittingly makes. It wdYdd be difficult to name a finer comedy, clean and wholesome, and certainly it would be impossible to find an actor better suited than Dion Boueicault to do justice to one of the most whimsical and most original characters at present on the stage. Others in the cast are Mr J. .13. Rowe, Miss Rowena Ronald, and Mr Ronald Ward.