COMEDY SEASON

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10319, 31 January 1927, Page 6

COMEDY SEASON

•JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM’S LON-

DON COMPANY

“THE UNFAIR SEN.”

Higli-class comedy played by a high class company is seen <ll Gisborne, only at rare intervals, and net for many years have playgoers iad the opportunity of witnessing •such a delightful play, enacted b;> a brilliantly \ clever combination, as was. ster at. \ the Onera House on Saturday even- ) ing, when the'Joseph Cunningham \ New London Company opened a four / nights’ season. / The initial production was Jffic } Hudson’s popular farcical comedy / ‘The Unfair Sex,’ and surely no better play could have been staged to introduce the company to Gisborne. Smart, crisp dialogue, sparkling with epigrams, and extremely humorous situations, brought about in a most natural manner, it is little wonder that “The Unfair Sex” is one of the most popular comedies of recent years. That the humor was recognised to the full was shown by the continuous laughter throughout the evening. The main theme of the plot was the modern ruth' to the divorce court, due largely, according to the story, to the present-day young couples’'feverish pursuit of iileasurc, and the childless marriage. The plot centres round complications in the lives ol Geoffrey Trevor and his wife Diana, and of their friends, Harvey Fane and Joan Dclisse, the latter couple being in love with each other. The wife is carried away by the literary pose of Harvey Fane but is still deeply in love with her husband. The husband recalls childhood days with his old schoolmate Jean, and in a soft moment, kisses her. On the same day Fane tells Diana that he could give up drinking if he were given a kiss. The inpetuous young wife resolves that such a clover man should not he lost to the world, and this one kiss given him leads to all the trouble. When they are m each other’s arms a bachelor uncle, Sir Henry Heskcth, K.C., who has spent thirtv voars practising in the Divorce Courts, comes unexpectedly on the scene. He has seen hundreds of divorce cases and to his mind all started the same way—with a kiss. He, determines to teach the young wife and Fane a lesson. He sends for the husband and hints at the kissing he had seen. Unfortunately he does not make himself clear, and the husband naturally thinks it is his own delinquency, and tho astounded unele sees that lie can carry his plan still further. He contrives that each shall think the other is proceeding for a divorce, and comnlications come thick and fast, until the final scene, when the uncle’s plot is discovered hv both couples, and as usual, all ends happily. Much had been expected of the famous English actress Zillah Bateman, who appeared as Diana Trevor, but even the most optimistic theatregoers found their expectations exceeded. Of charming .personality with a r»le» sant voice, clear enunciation, and natural to a degree, Miss Bateman established herself a favorite from her first appearance. Her passionate outbreaks where she accuses the meddlesome uncle of causing all the trouble, her denunciation of his narrow views of life, and her condemnation of what lie considers his dntv-in informing the husband of the kissing incident, stamped Miss Bateman as an actress who can rise to high heights of drama as well as com<'F. Vera St. John, as Joan, her friend, is also an accomplished artiste whose work all through left nothing to be desired. Her scenes with her mother, were charming and proved Miss St. John to he also the possessor of a high sense of humor. Henrietta Cavendish was an ideal mother of the modern day, with no narrow' ideas of life but with unwavering faith in her daughter. The mother’s love episode of her younger days with the interfering uncle was well brought out and throughout a most charming performance was given. Sylvia Clifton, in the somewhat minor part of the maid, Pinter, is another talented member of the cast. The moviestruck her scenes with the uncle, in which she accepts a bribe for telling “white lies,” gave evidence of Miss Clifton’s high abilities, and caused continuous laughter. Campbell Copelin was ideally caste as Geoffrey Trevor, the amazed bushand who sees the divorce court looming in front of him and the loss of the wife he loves, and his work was highly creditable throughout. Norman Carter, as the literary genuis, Harvey Fane, caused continuous laughter with his slang talk and idiotic comments, which at times drove the bachelor uncle nearly to distraction: Much of the comedy work is in Mr. Carter’s hands, and it could not he better placed, for he scored heavily with every point. The mm pous bachelor undo Sir Henry Hesketli, K.C., with his mania for, writing letters to the Press on divorce and childless marriages, was , enacted with every success by Fran It j Bradley, and his self-satisfied air, as | lie thinks of his plot to save the young couple, was the source of continued merriment to the audience. Some beautiful dresses were worn in the play, especially hv Miss Bateman, Miss St. John and Miss Cavendish. To-night the company will present their second production, H. V. Esmond’s comedy in three acts, “Eliza Oomes to Stay.” This delightful comedy drama met with instant success when staged in London and has beer, acclaimed by the critics as the greatest of its kind since “Charley’s Aunt.’’ Tlf% cast includes Zillah Bateman as the irresistible “Eliza.” Campbell Copelin as the Hon. Snndv Verral, Henrietta Cavendish as .Lady Pennybroke, Frank Bradley as Montague Jordan, Norman Carter as Alexander Stoop Verral and Sylvia Clifton as Vere de Vere Lawrence. r l he box plan is at Tattersall and Uayly’s.