“TELL ME THE TRUTH”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 July 1940, Page 5

“TELL ME THE TRUTH”

COMPLICATIONS IN VICTORIAN HOUSEHOLD

LITTLE THEATRE SOCIETY PRODUCTION.

AN EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE.

Doings in the Tweedie household, a family of spinsters, in the midst of the gay life of New York city, and their reactions which follow when a ne’er-do-well nephew appears in their midst, bringing with him many complications of a highly diverting and amusing nature, were pleasingly enacted by the Masterton Little Theatre Society at the Opera House last night, when the opening performance of Leslie Howard’s comedy "Tell Me The Truth” was presented. The evening’s entertainment was an excellent one and it is a pity that there was not a larger attendance of the public. Another performance will be given tonight. All the characters, except of course, the scapegrace nephew and a “deputy-assistant-mortician” ably conveyed the atmosphere of Victorian purity which permeated the household of the Tweedies. As the fountain head of all the trouble, Mr J. A. Kennedy surpassed himself as Worthington Smythe, the nephew whose intrusion so much upset the serene affairs of the family. He gave a delightfully refreshing performance of an inebriated individual who was in such a state of intoxication that he was quite unfit to meet his prim aunts, though one of them, much to the horror of the others, was willing to accompany him on an excursion of doubtful propriety. Mrs R. Miller, who as Elizabeth Tweedie, fell under the influence of her nephew, thinking he was someone else, gave a capable characterisation throughout. Mrs H. H. Daniell, as May Tweedie (a sister) and Mrs A. Stubbings as Mrs Cass (the widowed ex-nurse of the Tweedie family) also filled their roles with credit and provided good foils for Elizabeth Tweedie. Miss Barbara Hair, as the attractive Amelia Tweedie, had a big part to play, in which she gave an interesting interpretation of the responses of an unsophisticated young girl to love at first sight. Mr J. KentJohnston was effective and convincing as George Appleway, the family solicitor, whose dilemma was one of increasing difficulty as events developed, much to his consternation and against his wishes. Wrigley, the “deputy-assis-tant-morticifm,” was enacted by Mr M. Armstrong, who devised means to enter the Tweedie household so that he might again meet Amelia. Mr Vivian Joseph gave a dignified performance as Vane, the Tweedie butler.

The play was produced by Mr John Lawson and the stage manager was Mr C. Kyngdon. A feature of the production was the excellent stage settings. An overture and two entr'actes were played by an orchestra. The proceeds are being applied to patriotic purposes.