ONE-ACT PLAYS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 40, 3 March 1937, Page 6

ONE-ACT PLAYS

Three Performed by Napier Players FORGOTTEN LINES Even allowing for the hard, wooden eeats of Foresters' Hall, Napier, there was every excuse for a slight fraying of tempers when lines were forgotten in the first two of three one-act plays produced by Napier Eepertory PJayers at the opening last evening of their 1937 season. A critie of amateur playacting who is genuine in his desire to offer eonstructive criticism cannot refrain from pointing a large, accusing linger at this serious fault, which, uufortunately, Has never been absent from the Players' since they lirst started their aetiviti,es. The first play, " vv urzel-Flummery, ' was a bright coniedy from the pen oi A. A. Mnne, stiowmg the reaction o± two memoers of Parliament who are olfered £o0,000 on the condition that they change their nam.es to VVurzeiFlummery. Briton Chadwick and Gordon Madigan were outstanding, the rest medioere; but there was, pernaps, soine exeuse for one of the cast iorgettmg her lines, because, being a uewcomer to t^.e amateur stage, siie was no doubt nervous. fStiii, the generai public was not to know this, aud there were many embarrassing shuti'les i.i seats. The cast was: — Viola Crawshaw .... Betty Swinburne Eichard Meriton ........ Ken Douglas liobert Crawshaw .... Briton Cliadwiek Margaret Crawshaw Dorothy Cuniiingham Denis Clifton Gordon Madigau lt is rather .difficult to understand why the second play, ' ' Official AnEouncement" (Eleanor M. Elder), w.as ehosen, for it was the type of production which demands the highest quality treatment, perhaps out oi the reach of all but the best amateurs. As an indieation of the severe persecution of the Jews by modern Germany it was iuteresting, but as played last uight it lacked much of the force and tenseness which the authoress must have intended. Herrick Tonkin, a uewcomer to the stage, and Gretta Btark, were ths outstanding players. The cast was: — Liesel Gretta Starli Karl Wiess Eon. Kennedv 1'iaud Hertha von Arnheim Madeleine Barnett Heiarich von Anheim Herrick Tonkin Hedda Grunfeldt Kathleen Price Heimuth von Arnheim Uiric Williams ln leavmg their best performance Lo Ihe last, the Players showed wisdoiu, for "Mr Hacket's Prize" (H. V. Purcell) was oue of the most uproarious comodies over played in the history of the society. Lt brought to light a hilarious coruer of Peckham, and with May MacDouald in her merriest mood, this deliglitf'ul skelch went with a swing from start to finish. Not a eue was diopped; not a diill moment txperienced, Tn shoi't, it was just the type of play that amateurs can produce with a full degree of certainty as to liow it will be received. The cast: — Honry Haeket Bromley Bennett Mrs Haeket May MeDormld Mrs Ohickcnbothom .. Freda O'Connell The Salosman Lester Bull The evening concluded .with suppsr and a dance. 1