STATE OF THE ENGLISH THEATRE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 457, 25 March 1948, Page 10

STATE OF THE ENGLISH THEATRE

Repertory Producer's Gloomy View

HE recent arrival from England of Frederick Farley, the newly-appointed producer for the Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society, provided The Listener with an opportunity of obtaining a first-hand account ‘of conditions in the English theatrical world since the end of the war. Mr. Farley is a professional actor with considerable experience in both repertory and commercial theatre abroad, and one of the ‘reasons he gave for leaving England at the present time was his dissatisfaction with whet he called the disorganisation and lack of unity that exist now in the theatrical profession there. _ "During the war the theatre in Eng‘land, like all the arts, enjoyed a boom," Mr. Farley told The Listener in an interview in Wellington last week? "In those days London and _ provincial theatres were always packed, and there were plays in army camps, factories, hostels, canteens, and air-raid shelters. But although these new audiences are still there to-day, the economic situa-. tion of the theatre, always a hopeless muddle at the best of times, has deteriorated alarmingly," he said. * Theatre Monopolies "Practically all the theatre buildings in London, and most of those in the provinces, are: owned and controlled by a few big business syndicates who have established a monopoly which has made any kind of private enterprise virtually impossible. These syndicates are for the most part composed either of business men with no leve for or knowledge of the theatre, or of managers

whose main interest is the variety and musical comedy stage. The business men regard their theatres as buildings to be let to the highest bidder, and the musical comedy managers are only interested in producing expensive musical concoctions in execrable taste. And I believe the situation is even worse in America. "In London before I left they were holding a British Theatre Conference under J. B. Priestley. It lasted for four days, and they were trying to find some (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) way of breaking down the monopoly of the syndicates. I am sure that unless they do so this thing is going to cripple the English theatre entirely." "What of the English actor?" "We still have some of the finest actors in the world, and we also have some of the worst. I consider that a large majority of all English actors are badly trained and educated. Their minds are intellectual deserts, and’ anything savouring of art is suspect to them. They have very little intellectual, artistic or cultural background, and without that they cannot aspire to the fuil heights of the profession. Amongst other things, the English actor has to contend with the jungle-like system of the English theatre where everybody is at each others’ throats, and where the actor, to survive, must take care of himself first, last, and all the time. "f personally take the theatre very seriously. Matthew Arnold has said, ‘The people will have the theatre; then make it a good one .., organise the theatre.’ But ‘the English theatre at the present time is about as disorganised as it could possibly be, and is not fulfilling what I consider to be its true purpose — to understand, interpret, and influence life by theatrical means. To do this I believe it is essential to break away, completely and unequivocally, from the traditions of the profit-seeking theatre. I think there will always be room for a certain amount of private enterprise in the theatre, but I also believe that the essential basis for its health and progress is the permanent acting company run on a non-profit-making basis and financed by the State. Permanent companies are the real life of the theatre. Mem a permanent company, used to each others’ methods and working as

a group, can give a far sounder performance of any play than the most. brilliant scratch company that can be got together. Old Vic Tour "J noticed the Government were taking a lively interest in the recent conference in London-Sir Stafford Cripps spoke at it-and then the British Council is doing great work forming small companies to tour places like the Durham and Welsh mining villages. The Old Vic tour of Australia and New Zealand is also being financed by them." "Can you tell us anything about the plays the Old Vic actors will put on here?" "They are doing King Lear in Australia, but I believe that will be changed — to Richard III or Henry IV hereRichard is of course one of Laurence Olivier’s best roles. I was ‘surprised to hear that they are going to do By the Skin of Our Teeth, as it didn’t go over too well with many English audiences because of its advanced ideas. But it’ is a marvellous vehicle for Vivien Leigh, and I suspect that is why it was chosen. Members of the profession in London didn’t have a very great opinion of Vivien Leigh as an actress until her magnificent performance in "this play." Frederick Farley has had many years experience in Repertory in England. Before going on the stage he spent five years in the publishing and bookselling business at Oxford and did much amateur work before turning professional. He founded and directed the amateur Oxford Theatre Unit, and produced and acted in several opén-air productions of Shakespeare in the gardens of Oxford Colleges. Later he appeared in prizewinning productions of The Spartan Girl, Moliére’s The Mock Doctor, and Love on the Dole in the British Drama League Festivals in London,