DRAMATIC RECITAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 219, 5 December 1927, Page 15

DRAMATIC RECITAL

ART OF ELOCUTION A strong appeal for naturalness and simplicity in speech was made by Mr. J. F. Montague, in a short address on elocution, given before his recital of dramatic and humorous selections in the Unity Hall, Upper Queen Street, on Saturday evening. He condemned affectation in the delivery of verse or prose. Mr. Montague said he wished earnestly to impress upon the public the necessity for keeping the Shakespearean plays before the children of to-day. He regretted the fact that in school children regarded Shakespeare’s works as having to be parsed and paraphrased. He earnestly wished that the Government or Education Board would appoint a teacher of Shakespeare’s plays to go round, and schools for the purpose of instructing the children in the production of his works so that they could learn and act them in an interesting way. Costumes should be provided, which would be returnable to headquarters after use, and the cost, shared among the schools of the Dominion, would not be a very formidable one. The recital which followed proved thoroughly enjoyable, Mr. Montague being assisted by Miss Ina Thomson, who contributed a number of vocal items. Much appreciation was evinced at Mr. Montague’s interpretation of a speech from “Henry V.,” and “An Old Silk Dress.” He also included five short poems in his programme and some humorous items. Mr. Cyril Towsey was the accompanist.