"ANTHONY & ANNA"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 53, 25 November 1937, Page 7

"ANTHONY & ANNA"

Successful Play Ends Little Theatre Season A POPULAR COMEDY A most successful conclusion to the season 's pr'ogramme tvas achieved by tlie Hawke's Bay Little Theatre Society last evening, when they played "Anthony and Anna," in the Mumcipal Theatre, Hastings, to a goo-d audience. The presentation proved popular and entertaining^ and was played in a capable manner by a cast which had obviously had . intense practice, The choice of a modern comedy for the iinal play of the season was a happy one, and the story of the play itself proved populaT. The only fault found by the audience was that the third act took too long to come to tne climax at the end, but this was obviously the fault rhther of the play tlian the players, who all performed their parts faithfully. ' ' ANTHONY AND ANNA." A Comedy in Three Acts, by St. John G. Irvine. George, proprietor of the inn, of St. Peter's Finger (Jack le Comte). Hubert Dunwoody, the well-known popular novelist (Cyril Watson). Anthony Fair, a gentleman at large (David Neil'son). Jacob Penn, an American millionaire (Guy Hardenberg). A-nna Penn, his daughter (Christina Williams). Lady Cyntlaa Speedwell, a reduced gentlewoman (Molly Averill). James Jago, an English businessman (Ted Rivers). Fred, a waiter (Allan McCormi,ck). (Produced by Leon Fail.) The dining-room of the "Inn of St. Peter's Finger," where business is so tslack . that the appearanee of a prosjiective guest incites the proprietor to tell his waiter to "look as he were wora out with work,'' is the locale of the first act. There enters Hubert Dunwoody, a well-known popular novelist, hot on the trail of an American millionaire, with whose daughter he has fallen in love, and.he proeeeds to'hoH the stage until interrupted' by the airival of Anthony Fair, attired in hiking gear and an auf a of audaeity. There is little hope for Dunwoody after this as Fair commences in efficient and speedy style to' woo the millionaire 's only child, Anna Penn. Just to. make it mbre interestingt of .course,, sho pretends to hate him, but it is obvious- that the heavy flirtationt of the smitten Dunwoody is going to take second place to the audaeity and ready tongue of Fair. An air of mystery is introdueed regarding Fair's occup^ation, which is described as "adventurer." The millionaire,. suffering from dyspepsia, his daughter from intense curiosity, Dunwoody from the pangs of love, the innkeeper from pseudo-philosophy, and Fair from Jack of money, contrive a prctty situation by the end of the first act. Three days later, and still at the inn, it appears that Anna's resistance is weakening, and despite her rage at his flippant manner and secrecy, Fair continues his love-making and finishes the work of proposal in short time. Then his distant cousin, Lady Cynthia Speedwell, most firmly attached to a wealthy profiteer arrive, and Fair, who has just explained that he earns a living by being pleasant at slow parties and by playing cards, is aecused of having cheated. The rest of the act movect quiekly. The hero gets his face slapped, , and the heroine makes a hurried and tearful exit, the hero is oifered a position if he will work, but declaiming a constitutional disincliSaTTon to worl% departs, his romance through. The .third act results in Anna taking " matters in hand. Her proposal to Fair is refused, as he cannot support her and refuses to work, but with valuable assistance from George, she overcomes all difflcult, even to arranging the wedding. ' x Honours for acting must' go to Jack le Comte for his performance as George. He was not a vital part_ in the plot, acting merely as a genial adviser to the principal charaeters, an amateur philosopher, and a baekground to the aetion of the play, but it was played with , "perfeetion. It is a tribute to Cyril | Watson that his stage part as Dun- j woo'dy was thoroughly unpopular by the | end of the evening; Christina Williams i portrayed her part well; David Neilson, • whe had to do most of the talking, f -showed a fluency that fitted his part well. • A • gleasing feature was the clarity of the vojces of all players, and, apart from slips of memory by tw'o of the pTincipal players, the performance went over without a hitch.