SHAKESPEAREAN COMEDY

Evening Star, Issue 20140, 3 April 1929, Page 7

SHAKESPEAREAN COMEDY

ALLAN WILKIE IN ".TWELFTH NIGHT’

* Twelfth Ni"h.t,’ the Shakespearean comedy, which was so excellently treated;■ at His Majesty’s Theatre last night by Mr Allan Wilkie ami his company, is 000 of the immortal bard’s lighter inspirations. What the scheme lacks in neatness is amply compensated for by , abounding mirth and slight satire, tempered with all the charm of poetical romance. The importance of bringing out these qualities in a tasteful degree has not been lost upon . Mr Wilkie, Miss Hunter-Watts, and the capable coterie of artists' who shared .with them tho honours of the eveningThe four characters decreed by Shakespeare’s pen to maintain tho love interest of tho tale were admirably portrayed by Mias Hunter-Watts (Viola), Miss Lorna Forbes (Olivia), Mr Alexander Marsh (Orsino), and Mr Herbert Sheldrick (Sebastian), They proved themselves much too well versed in their art to fall into tho many traps for the unwary which sometimes lead to exaggeration and a lack of balance. The amorous complications which ensued immediately'after Olivia fell m love with Viola, disguised as y a page bov, were handled with skill so delicate that not even the uproarious roystering of Sir Toby Belch and his colleagues could rob the comedy of its liner elements. , , . But good as the general rendering o£ tho play was, there was soiiietbnig quit© outstanding about Mr AVillvic s Malvolio. With an inquisitorial air that was really the steward’s pet form of harmless and dignified conceit, ho .held the attention of the audience to every spoken word, and the change ot fortune which followed Malvolio s gullibility was clearly defined by a corresponding change in both dcmeanoui and vocal inflexion. With the aid of a tom-tom sounding beat from tho orchestra, his stately tread was made ail the more impressive, and tho servants who attended him foil in readily with the spirit of the thing. Ono cannot imagine a more faithful portrayal ot the exquisite Malvolio, who deigned to pick up the supposed letter from Olivia than that given by Mr Wilkie last Viola, always one of Shakespeare’s most lovable women, had all her innate charm brought out to tho full by tho superb acting and elocutionary ability of Miss Hunter-Watts. Naturally, the part was one of varying moods, made still more difficult by quick changes m the mannerisms peculiar to each sex. With her beautifully modulated voice under perfect control, Miss HunterWatts gave an interpretation which lias never been excelled on a Dunedin stage. Her demeanour when, as Cesano, she discovered that the Lady Olivia was in Jov© with her was a splendid example of real artistry. But this was merely one phase in a series of dehghtlul appearances. ■ . Miss Hilda Scurr had much to do in the capacity of Maria (waiting woman to Olivia), and whether she was essentially the maid or the mischievous sprite who conspired with the boister- ■ ous men folk to achieve the downfa 1 of Malvolio, she attained a very high standard in her art. Her stage appearance was very much in her fayour, for she looked exactly like one’s conception of a fresh, healthy maiden of the period. Mr John Cairns (Sir Toby Belch) and Mr Arthur Keane (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) were concerned mainly with the underplotiot the play, and in going througa the inimitable buffooneries leading up to the playful designs upon Malvolio they had the audience in the gnp or uncontrollabl© laughter. The kitchen .scene, with the two cronies helplessly intoxicated, is ono which borders on tho crude, but in the present instance everything undesirable was swept aside in a torrent of irresponsible capermgs and madcap ragging which were a positive source of delight.. Moreover, an edo’O was put on the hilarious humour of "Sir Tobv by tho sharp waiting maul wit of Maria, and this fact helped to save the conspirators jrom becoming absolutely aimless in their rollicking. Mr Alexander Marsh invested the part of Orsino with all the appealing melancholy of a rejected lover, and Mr Herbert Sheldrick did full justice to the peregrinations of Sebastian. Mr Dennis Barry’s interpretation of Festc was one of the triumphs of the evening, and ho embellished a neat conception of clowning with a splendid rendering of the musical numbers falling to Ids lot. Miss Lorna Forbes hnd.no easy task to infuse the part of Olivia with the strange mixture of grief and romance combined with the nature of a child of wealth, but her effort, well controlled in every way, was ono of outstanding merit. There was not one weak unit in the cast, and the lesser roles were well enacted by Miss Mildred Howard and Messrs Milton Sands, William Lockhart, Keith Hall, Alan Harkness, Charles Honton, Charles Devon, Waiter Plinge, Bussell Chapman. Miles Hastings, Ronald Henley, and John Fielding. ‘ THE TAMING OF THE SHREW ’ ‘ The Taming of the Shrew ’ will Ire played again to-night. The highly eulogistic reports of the latter production, which was first staged on Monday evening, should ensure an appreciative audience to-night. To-morrow ‘Hamlet’ will bo staged, with another performance to follow on Friday of ‘Hie Merchant of Venice.’ On Saturday, at both the matinee and the evening performance, the popular fairy fantasy play, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ will bo seen once more, but on this occasion Mr Wilkie promises a much improved entertainment, with special musical numbers, and a ballet engaged locally for the fairy, dances. Shakespeare lovers will be delighted to renew acquaintance with the unctuous performance of “Bottom,” the Weaver, as presented' by Mr Wilkie, the airy grace imparted, to the role of , Titania by Miss Hunter-Watts, and the impish spirit of mischief displayed by Mr Dennis Barry as Puck. Mr Alexander Marsh will also be seen lor the first time in Dunedin as Lysander in -‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’