“NOBODY’S WIDOW”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 301, 12 March 1928, Page 15

“NOBODY’S WIDOW”

A HOPWOOD COMEDY “Nobody’s Widow,” a comedy in three acts, by Avery Hopwood, presented at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday evening- by W. J. C. Barr, by arrangement with J. C. Williamson, Ltd. CAST Betty Jackson - -- -- -- - Rita McGee Ned Stephens ------- Dan Flood Fanny Owens - -- -- -- - Verna Bain Duke of Moreland - - - Eric Harrison Roxana Clayton - - - Sybil Atliolwood Count de Fayier - - Thomas McDermott Peter - -- -- -- -- Warwick Hill “Nobody’s Widow” belongs to Avery Hopwood’s early days—long before he had learned to skate over thin ice with the skill he used “The Best People,” “Meet the Wife,” and others still more daring. It is a pleasant little comedy, not particularly intriguing, and requires a good cast to extract its most subtle points. Mr. Barr’s new’ English Comedy Company (the title, apparently, is merely a courtesy one) improved the shining hour of introducing vaudeville numbers into the piece and then took up the threads of the widow’s love affairs with hearts refreshed. Roxana Clayton, the widow’ of the play, caught her husband kissing an old friend on their wedding day. Her girlish virtue affronted, she decided there and then to leave him and told her friends that he had suddenly died. On returning to Palm Beach she found that her “dead” husband was among the friends who had gathered to meet her. She spurns him; he makes violent love. The audience knows the secret, but the other characters do not, and are naturally a trifle bewildered. By the end of the week the husband has successfully wooed his wife again, but she, unknown to him, has obtained a divorce. Ail goes well until the husband arranges to have supper quietly with a vivacious lady of the party. Again Roxana’s girlish virtue is outraged and in the best melodramatic manner “her love turns to hate.” But the husband becomes almost primitive. He declares that he will spend the night in his wife’s room. Roxana, with a fine display of spirit, declares that they are no longer ihan and wife. Still the ex-husband, with passion unabated, pursues her, and the altar is reached after an unravelling of Mr. Hopwood’s little skein of tangled love. Saturday evening’s audience seemed to enjoy the vaudeville turns as much as anything. Miss Bain, if our memory serves us right, was last in Auckland with a Fuller revue. Her eccentric dances are more athletic than graceful and she puts plenty of vigour into her work. Mr. Flood, who has been seen in Auckland with the Humphrey Bishop Company, the Amateur Operatic Company and the Little Theatre Society, played the part of a dilatory lover. Miss Atholw’ood, daughter of the well-known actor, James Atholwood, is making her first appearance in New Zealand. She is called upon to play a role of varying emotions and acquits herself reasonably well. Mr. Harrison as the persevering husband was particularly enterprising. Miss McGee is another newcomer to Auckland. She played her part in the lively manner demanded of it. Mr. MeAuckland. She played her part in a lively manner. "Nobody’s i Widow” will be presented at His Majesty's Theatre for the remainder of the week.