“BIRD IN HAND”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 636, 12 April 1929, Page 14

“BIRD IN HAND”

LITTLE THEATRE SOCIETY’S LATEST TRIUMPH Another triumph has been scored by the Little Theatre Society, and ample evidence of this was given by the large audience filling the concert chamber of the Town Hall last evening. Thunder and a continuous downpour did not deter the many enthusiasts who have learned to expect bright entertainment from those who work under the guidance of M.r. Kenneth Brampton. “The Bird In Hand,” John Drinkwater’s incisive commentary on the crumbling social barriers of the day, abounds in entertaining dialogue and has moments of outstanding dramatic tension. The play is exceptionally well cast. Arnold Goodwin, as the shell-backed old rustic who knew his station in life, carried the burden of the theme with notable success. In the light and shadow of the other characters Harold Haines, Dan Flood, Morrison Steedman, Ernest Blair and Gerald Roxburgh each found a happy and realistic part. Miss Ina M. Allan invests her matronly character with a pleasing charm and Miss Janet Clarkson, as the attractive wilful daughter, is defiant and spirited without once losing a sense of .reality.

Old Mardi costumes in the attic of her New Orleans home inspired Leatrice Joy, as a child, to mimic her friends and neighbours before delighted groups of playmates on rainy afternoons. The ambition born at that time to be an actress has since brought her roles in many celebrated picture productions, including the feminine lead in “Strong Boy,” opposite Victor McLaglen, which Fox Films is now making.