MORTALS AND FAIRIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 174, 13 October 1927, Page 15

MORTALS AND FAIRIES

SHAKESPEARE’S COMEDY OF FOOLS

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a comedy by William Shakespeare. Presented at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening by Allan Wilkie. CAST Bottom Allan Wilkie Thesus Frank Clewlow Egeus » .. .. Vincent Scully Lysander John Cairns Demetrius John Cameron Quince William Lockhart Snug Milton Sands Flute Arthur Keane Snout Glen Liston Starvling Alan Ranlgin Hippolyta Mona Duval Helena Dorothy VJarr Hernia Lorna F jrbes. Oberon Herbert SheJdrick Puck Dennis Barry The Singing Fairy .. Dulcie Cherry Titania Miss Hunter-Watts Last evening humans laughed with the fairies at human foolishness. The fantastic, delightful “Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, in which he made fun of frail man. “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” There, in Puck’s own- words, is the reason for the play. There are foolish lovers, wandering in a wood and in their own bewilderment; the uncultured villagers intent . upon the rehearsals of their truly lamentable comedy, and all of them made still more foolish by the fairies. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is Shakespeare at his imaginative best: pure amusement for amusement’s sake. To-day comedians still borrow his clowning from ‘the absurd play scene and audiences still laugh at it. How ageless the poet is! “The Dream” is rich in characters. The delightful fairy folk are inspired; and where are there more foolish mortals than Bottom and his players? Throughout the comedy there are verses of exquisite lyric beauty and songs of infinite tenderness. There is no doubt that Shakespeare loved flowers and music. He introduced them in his sonnets and his comedies just as they crept into his darkest tragedies. And always he speaks of them with affection. One has only to think of “I know a bank . . .” in “The Dream,” Perdita’s exquisite words beginning “Daffodils, that come before the swallow dares . . .” or the praise of Imogen by Arviragus, “Thou shalt not lack the flower that’s like thv face, pale primrose . . .” to realise his joy of them. Once more Mr. Wilkie and his comformance. The company gave us a edy element goes most enjoyable perto the mortals, the dignity, with one exception, to the fairies. Mr. Wilkie and his “Pyrarauß and Thisbe” company, eccentric in behaviour and appearance, extracted; humour in excellent quantity from , the “lamentable comedy. Mr. ilkie’s fooling was excellent, as was that also of Messrs. Keane, Lockhart, Sands, Liston anci Rankin. Their handling of the comedy before the Court left nothing to be desired in the way of ridiculousness. Mr. Barry, with elfin grace and dev* ilishness. was a fascinating Puck, a perfect clown among the fairies. Mis?; Hunter-Watts looked strangely fey in her blue-grey fairy draperies, and gave us an extremely graceful Titania. Miss Cherry sang the lyrics with

charming ease. Mr. Clewlo**, from whom an intelligent and interesting interpretation can always be expected, gave an added dignity to the Duke of Athens. Mr. Sheldrick was an impressive O heron. Miss Forbes and Miss Carr both interpreted their parts with understanding. Messrs. Cairns. Cameron and Scully played their parts with ability. “The Dream” will be repeated later in the season. This evening “Hamlet’ will be played.