ONE-ACT PLAYS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 141, 1 July 1937, Page 6

ONE-ACT PLAYS

St. Matthew's Drama Club ■ FINE PERFORMANCES Two one-act plays and a numiber of variety items were presented last evening by the St.' Matthew's Dramatic Club in the St. Matthew's Hall, Hasings. The standard of the performance was high, the producer having "choseii a technique which' the players were able to handle with .conspicuous ability without being too ambitious. *The plays wera; — "MY KINGDOM FOR A Eleanore (daughter of the King of Poldayia Phyllis Wharton. Ernestine ... Nancy Mortjmer-Jones Olive Molly.Lay Shirley Ray Sutherland Annet.te Vera Edwards ltosamund , Alice Brown Hilda (the maid) Eileen Tc~lor Miss Mollison (teacher) Nola Taylor Miss Farthingdale (headmistress) Mary Talbot The action takes place in a draw-ing-room of a "Finishing School for Young Ladies," iu Hampshire, England. The theme was simple but well done. The schoolgirls did just what one would expect yourig girls in similar circurastances to do. Being all about the game age as the characters they had to p'ortray, they were able to give a very natural performance. Their headmistress (Mary Talbot) , to whom fell the task of breaking tragic tidings to one of her pupils, haudled a difficult situation with admirable restraint and without over-acting the part.' "THE SILVER BULLET" Jardin (a Gypsy girl) ...* June I^urton Raphael de la Cruz ... Keith Wilson Sister Teresa ... Beatrice Hainsworth Raul (a, Gypsy boy) ... Rupert Dyer Currito (his brother) Robert Cushing Civil Guards Alan Boshier and Diok Brace This play was a tragedy requiring more intense acting than the other, but it was equally well done. The action takes. place on the outskirts of a town in Spain during the present civil strife. The plot centres on the inurder of a Spanish bull-fighter, wellloved by the Gypsies, who thought- only a silver bullet could penetrate the charms stirrounding him. The sounds 6f rifle-lire and desperate fighting in the streets outside form a dramatic backgrounj to the plot, and the play ends with the sensational and thoroughly unexpected shooting of a refugee nun from a convent right in front of the civil guards. Items on the supporting programme were: Pianoforte solos, the Rev. K. Liggett, L.R.A.M. ; club-swingjing and skipping, Miss Vera . Edwards and Messrs Tod Taylor and Duke Maddox (of St. Matthewis Gynmasium Club) ; songs, Mr W. A. Bryant; sailor's hornpipe, pupils of Miss Ballantyne; songs, Mrs O. B. Spinney ; Dutch duo dance, pupilp of Miss Ballahtyne. An improinptu humorous item by Messrs W. Hainsworth, S. Warren and C. Broadhurst was greatly appreciated, the performers - creating -considerable inirth by their first-class clowning. The hall was filled, about 330 persons being present. The proceeds, which are to be devoted to the fund for eliminating an overdraft, amounted to over £14. At the conclusion of the eveningt's entertainment a bouquet was presented to the producer, Mrs W. Hainsworth, by the girls taking part in the first play. Acknowledgements were also made to Messrs Leete, Maurice Boshier and John Sutherland.