THINGS TO COME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 375, 30 August 1946, Page 4

THINGS TO COME

A Run Through The Programmes

Victorian Among Cannibals [N the later Years of Queen Victoria’s reign, a traveller arrived in West Africa locking as though she might have come straight from a church meeting in an English country town, voluminous black skirts, umbrella and all. It was

that remarkable woman, Mary Kingsley, come to study native customs and collect specimens of fish, and the story of her adventures is told in the BBC feature "Victorian Traveller" which 1YA will broadcast at 7.30 p.m. on Mon-

day, September 2. Nothing in the dangerous, disease-haunted life of the White Man’s Grave daunted Mary Kingsley. Cannibal tribes, crocodiles, hippos-she 'met them all with serene courage, a rich ‘sense of humour, and an almost devastating degree of common sense. But she 'was a true Victorian for all that-she did not think that "shooting things with a gun was at all lady-like."’ She died a heroine, nursing Boer prisoners in the South African war. The programme has been written for the BBC by Nesta Pain, with Gladys Young in the name part. About Ourselves HE Dutch have been discovering New Zealand again, coming here in ships and going away again as they did in 1642. And again we have detained some of them, but this time without force and without bloodshed. One of the ones who are staying is a novelist, Mrs. P. Kruys, who came here with the others from the Netherlands East Indies and is still here. (The nearest we can get to the pronunciation of her name, she has said, is to call her Mrs. Krooz). Mrs. Kruys has noted down some of the things about us that have interested her, and she is going to give a talk from 2YA at 10.25 am. on Tuesday, September 3, called "A Dutch Visitor Looks at New Zealand." What's In A Name? OUND about the time when the films Demi-Paradise and This Happy Breed came out, Miss C. A. Lejeune, of the London Observer, remarked that John of Gaunt’s famous speech about This England was being overworked by authors, film studios, etc., as a source of titles, but even so she had some bright sugges‘ions about possibilities in it that were stil] untried-for instance, "This Other Eden" (a political film) and "This Blessed Plot" (a story about a film producer tearing his hair), John of Gaunt’s speech is one place where you will find signs of pillaging, but some queer things have happened in the rest of English literature too. Dr. Gerda Eichbaum has written a radio talk called "Noble Titles Without Nobility" on this topic, and it will be heard from 3YA' at 9.25 p.m. on Friday, September 6. It is an inquiry into some of ‘the names of books and films. "Remember Caesar" EARING in mind that Gordon Daviot is the author of that brilliant historical play Richard of Bordeaux, one

might reasonably expect that ‘"Remember Caesar," which she wrote for the BBC, has an historical, even a tragic, theme. That, however, is far from the case. "Remember Caesar" has a 17th Century setting, it is true, but it is a witty little comedy about the dangers of rushing to conclusions, and will give you an amusing half-hour’s listening. It will be heard from 3YA at 10.0 p.m. on Monday, September 2. Gordon Daviot studied and practised as a physical training instructress before she turned to writing. Having made the plunge, however, she -became a success and has several plays-stage and radio-to her credit, as well as books and short stories. Emlyn Williams Playlet [-EMLYN WILLIAMS has written a grim little study of overstrained nerves in "Thinking Aloud’’-a new BBC "short" te be heard from 2YH at 8.14 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4. In shis immensely successful play Night Must.

Fall he showed his. genius for the macabre, both in writing and acting, and this playlet has the real_-Emlyn Williams’ touch about it. Practically all the action takes place in the minds of the two characters, played by Adrianne Allen and Emlyn Williams himself; and is gripping right up to its climax. Somerset Maugham Story IKE so many stories by Somerset Maugham, "Gigolo and Gigolette" has its setting on the French Riviera, where the famous novelist made his home before the war. Its theme, however, might be set equally well in any place where people pay money for the thrill of watching somebody else risk their nécks for their amusement. "The whole bally stunt’s only a trick," says a spectator. "I shall go on doing the show to-night and every night till I kill myself," thinks the performer. A _ strong plot of this kind makes good listening, as you will hear in this dramatised version of the story, adapted for the BBC by Joan Buckridge and produced by Felix Felton. Station 1YA will broad--cast it at 8.35 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3. Felix Felton, the producer, joined the BBC as soon as he came down from Oxford, where he had attracted a good deal of attention through his activities with the Oxford Dramatic Society. That he had a natural flair for broadcasting was shown by the speed with which he threw himself into the job of producing features and plays. He has also had a big hand in training newcomers to the microphone. Being a keen

amateur pianist and composer, he takes a very close interest in the use of music in broadcast drama. A Play About A Conscience HE NZBS has produced a new play by Tom Tyndall called "I Am Invited In" which 2YD will broadcast at 9.2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4. It is about an elderly woman who harbours an affection for another woman’s husband. Whenever her elder sister mentions the wife’s name, she hears footsteps on the stairs, which always turn out to be the figments of her own conscience. Her conscience becomes persistent and even talkative (she has a conversation with it), and it almost leads to her putting poison in a cup.. Who the poison was for, what the conscience said, and whose the footsteps were, we leave the listener to hear from 2YD. Sometimes A Ass N Auckland lawyer, Llewellyn Etherington, has recorded for the NZBS three radio talks called "Ourselves and the Law," the first of which will be broadcast by 2YA at 7.15 p.m. on Thursday, September 5. They don’t constitute an attempt to tell the ordinary

citizen everything he might need to know about the law, which would take considerably more than three talks, but they will tell him some curious things about the law as it stands-about some strange provisions

that still exist-and what might happen if these were literally interpreted and rigidly enforced.

ALSO WORTH NOTICE MONDAY 2YA, 9.40 p.m.: "Sun" Aria Contest. 3YA, 9.15 p.m.: Talk: "Cathedral Choirs and Church Music.’ TUESDAY 2YA, 7.30 p.m.: Music of J. S. Bach. 4YA, 7.45 p.m.: "English Eccentrics" (No. 1). WEDNESDAY IYA, 7.42 p.m; Clarinet Quintet (Mozart) 4YA, 8.55 p.m.: Concert by Solomon. THURSDAY IYA, 8.8 p.m.: Recital by Peter Dawson. 4YA, 9.25 p.m.: Violin Concerto in B Minor .(Elgar), FRIDAY IYA, 8.35 p.m.: "The Worst Novelist in the World." 4YZ, 9.0 p.m.: Concert by Solomon. SATURDAY IYA, 8.0 p.m.: Auckland Competitions (Demonstration Concert). 2YA, 85 p.m: Wellington Competitions Festival, SUNDAY 2YA, 9.30 p.m: Opera "The Magic Flute" (Mozart). 3YA, 2.30 p.m.: "Book of Verse-The English Sonnet."