"CAPTAIN CARVALLO"

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 34, 3 September 1952, Page 5

"CAPTAIN CARVALLO"

Farce-Comedy Rocks Taupo Audience Sb much lias already been written in advance of Denis Cannan's amusing comedy "Captain Carvallo," presented at Rickit's Ifall in Taupo on Saturday evening under the auspices of the Community Arts Society, that little remains to be said except to say that the play lived up to its reputation, and the cast worthily filled the bill. The hall was packed and the audience had a memorable evening of merriment. At frequent intervals the house literally rocked with laughter.

"Captain Carvallo" is in the wellestablished tradition of sound farcecomedy. The dialogue is clever, brist}ing with shafts of wit, some of it sardonic, but distinctly rib-tickling, and providing openings for situations, effective cuitains that combine to invigorate the piece with action. It has been said of the play that "it has no moral, and very little morals." Well, one does not expeet a farce-comedy to "provide a moral to adorn or tale." Its purpose is to amuse, and the aim of the author should be to provide fun without vulgarity. Denis Cannan's comedy stands up to the modern criterion of where the line should be drawn. Captain Carvallo is an officer in wartime with a reputation for flirtaticus dalliance with ladies whom

he meets in casual encounters. As played by Barry Lineham this personality was given an artistic portrayal and his amorous overtures were handled with restraint. Playing opposite with charm and effective changes of feeling was Margaret Simmons in the role of the wife of a partisan in enemy-occupied country, compelled to biliet Carvallo and his batmam It was a situation in which the moral issue was skillfully handled in sparkling dialogue. An excellent character role was that presented by Keith Bracey, as Professor Winke. Mr Bracey's work was sound, his diction excellent, and his manner became the part. Harold Baigent (the pr6ducer) in the role of a baron in the resistance movement, giving instruetions as to who is to kill whom, pre sented an amusing study of a character in whom sardonic humour and livcly cynicism were cleverly blended, Roderick Horn, in thbycast as the husband whose clomestlc privacy has been invaded by Carvallo and others, had to play up to the not very easy role of a man with deeply-rooted religious feeling manifested by outbui'sts of frenzy and called upon to i kill a man — all this in an atmosphere of high comedy. His was an earnest performance, though perhaps a trifle over-acted. Others in the cast, with minor roles, were Eleanor Elliot, as

a housemaid, and Kehneth J. Eing, who as Private Gross, Carvallo's batman presented a study of a somewhat cheeky subordinate infected with his superior officeHs romanticism. On the whole, an excellent show, for which congratulations are due.

At the conclusion Mr F. W. Lowery chairman of the local C.A.S. Committee, thanked the audience for its patronage and announced as future attractions the coming visit of ; a celebrated danceuse, in October, and later, the play, "Beauty and the | Beast." Dramatic Club For Taupo During an interval in the performance of "Captain Carvallo," Mr J. D. Swan, who has been actively and prominently associated with amateur theatre in Auckland in the past, announced that it was proposed to form a dramatic society in Taupo, and urged all present interested to attend a meeting to be held 'on Thursday of this week to further the project.