“JOURNEY’S END”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 801, 23 October 1929, Page 17

“JOURNEY’S END”

WAR PLAY FOR HIS MAJESTY’S As "Journey’s End,” which is to be staged here for the first time by the J. C. Williamson, Limited, management at His Majesty’s Theatre next Wednesday, has won international fame before it was first staged in Australia is is not surprising to know that its initial representation in Melbourne was witnessed by a record audience, which was aroused to the utmost enthusiasm by the play and its interpreters. "The close of the performance,” wrote a Melbourne critic, “will long be remembered, as never'in the history of the stage in this city has a drama been greeted with such a wonderful ovation.” “Journey’s End” had to pass through a critical test recently when a party of more than two hundred and fifty members of the Naval and Military Club attended a performance These included Sir John Monash, who made his second visit to the play. The former commander-in-chief of the Australian military forces personally congratulated the management and the producer of the drama, and expressed the opinion that no one could witness it without being deeply stirred and impressed. There have been numerous war plays, but none of them can compare with “ Journey’s End.” Although its tenseness is judiciously relieved by humour, it is not a caricature, such OiS Bairnfather has drawn. Rather, it is a living portraiture by a great artist of the real life, in a “duffout” in France in the awful clays of 1918. The dialogue in "Journey's End” is crisp, brilliant and as tense as the action of the drama. The play has achieved remarkable success all over the world, and the impression it makes is deep and lasting. The company engaged by the J, C. Williamson Limited management to interpret "Journey's End” is one of the strongest all round organisations of its kind that has yet toured New Zealand and Australia, including as it does some of London’t best known actors.