REVOLUTION AT THE REPERTORY

Evening Star, Issue 23379, 23 September 1939, Page 7

REVOLUTION AT THE REPERTORY

‘ GLORIOUS MORNINE' [By C. R. Allen.] ‘ Glorious Morning,’ which the Repertory Society is presenting next week, may bo said to proffer an antidote to the Russian propaganda plays concerning which Mr St. John Krvine had something to write in the columns of the ‘ Sunday Observer ’ a year or two back. Since the Little Theatre Society put on ‘ Till the Day I Die ’ in Dunedin two years ago, nothing quite comparable to ‘ Glorious Morning ’ has been seen here. Sagnira resembles Ituritania only in that it is a fictitious title. There is nothing Ruritanian about this grim play. There is no red-headed Rudolph wilh his attendant double. There is no Flavin. There is no Colonel Sa.pt. It is a grim account of a struggle between two ideals, or, to borrow a term from modern revolutionary jargon, two ideologies. It is presented with an economy of effect which dissipates after the opening passage any idea that we are to be reminded pleasantly of Tolstoy or Gogol. Mr Norman MacOwan gets to business, and we are presented with a ruthless ikonhunt in the cause of the slogan that “The State is all.” The Repertory Society seems to have adopted the policy of alternating the light with the serious. Certainly ‘ Glorious Morning ’ presents an effective contrast to ‘ Children to Bless You.’ In the original production at the Duchess Theatre, in whoso management Mr J. B. Priestley plays an important part, such wellknown players as Herbert Lomas, Jessica Tandy, and Reginald Tait figured. Mr Lomas played Anton Veerkind, the old man who sacrifices himself for the remnants of the old faith, in ‘ Till the Day I Die ’ Clifford Odets presented the struggle between Nazi and Communist. In ‘ Glorious Morning ’ Mr MacOwan presents the struggle between the Bolshevist and Christian. There are peasants remaining in Russia who cling to the faith which sustained them and their forefathers in the days of .Tsardom. Some of these are effectively represented by Mr MacOwan. ‘ The Cherry Orchard ’ presented us with a set of sentimentalists. ‘ Glorious Morning ’ gives us ' something better. The last scene might almost bo described as a cameo auxiliary to ‘ The Sign of the Cross ' This is a play which will demand much from both players and producer. . Much will depend upon setting and grouping. In the revival of this play by the Repertory Society the part created in London by Mr Lomas will be essayed by Mr Fred Avent. Those of us who remember Mr Aveut’s remarkable performance in ‘ Libel ’ will not need to be reassured that this key part will be in capable hands. Miss Mary Jolly is to play Anna. Miss Jolly’s performances in ‘ Pygmalion ’ and ‘ There’s Always Juliet - ’ will be fresh in the memories of Repertory playgoers. It may be said of ‘ Glorious Morning ’ that it fulfils the requisites of a Repertory play. It is essentially a play of ideas, depending for its success on team work rather than upon the exploitation of stars in the lead. The members of the cast have already been advertised, so it will suffice to say here that such tried players as Mr Frank Lanyon and Miss Elsie MTeak are taking part, and that there are several who are making their first appearance in a major production.