MORE PLAYS FROM ZB's

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 476, 6 August 1948, Page 15

MORE PLAYS FROM ZB's

HREE new plays from the Production Studios of the NZBS-a comedy with the well-tried motif of the nagged husband. who is driven to assert himself, a drama of the triangular type, and another drama about the backstage drugging of a diva-will be heard shortly from the ZB stations and 2ZA. The first, Mr. Todhunter, was written by an English playwright, J. L. Galloway. It concerns Mullins and Biffen.

two bored men who have travelled to London on the same train each day for months. To relieve the monotony of one journey, Mullins tells the story of "Mr. Todhunter,’ who is really an influence in the lives of two people, Albert Potter and his wife. Besides being Potter’s employer, Todhunter is Mrs. Potter’s "ideal man," and Mrs. Potter doesn’t hesitate to confront her meek little husband with this fact at every opportunity. But we shall leave Mullins to explain how the worm eventually turned. The cast is: Albert Potter (Harry Painter), Mrs. Potter (Sinclair Ronald), Mullins (S. Toogood), and Biffen (H. Compton-Wilkins). The producer is William Austin. O-U-T Spells Out, by C. Gordon Glover, another English author, tells of Trevor Clare who is in a dilemma over two women-his wife, Janet, and Lynd, an attractive young woman. After dining with Lynd he decides to have it out with his wife. He asks for a divorce, but Janet refuses. He is really quite fond of Janet, but somewhat in love with Lynd. "Death" intervenes as arbitrator and Clare is given to understand that one of the women will die. But the problem is resolved in a novel way. The cast in this play consists of Clare (William Austin), Janet (Peggy Walker), Lynd (Beryl MeMillan) and Death (Bernard Beeby). The producer is Bernard Beeby. Bizet’s music is heard in the background for No Flowers for Carmen, by Ralph Trewhela, a South African playwright. Rosa Baretti, star of the opera Carmen, is found drugged before a gala performance. Her understudy, Lucille Duveen, takes over the part, but who gave Rosa the drug? There are several

suspects, including Gregoni the tenor, Lucille, and Mrs. Withers the dresser. The principal players are Rosa Baretti (Maria Dronke), Lucille Duveen (Brigid Lenihan), Gregoni (Leon Lipson), and Mrs. Withers (Peggy Walker). William Austin is the producer. Mr. Todhunter wiil be heard from 3ZB on Sunday, August 15, at 4.15 p.m.; 2ZB on Sunday, September 12, at 7.0 p.m., and 4ZB on Sunday, September 19, at 7.30 p.m. O-U-T Spells Out will be broadcast from 4ZB on Sunday, "August 15, at 7.30 p.m.; 3ZB, Sunday, August 22, at 4.15 p.m., and ‘2ZB on Sunday, September 5, at 7.0 p.m. ‘No Flowers for Carmen will be heard from 4ZB on Sunday, August 22, at 7.30 p.m.; 3ZB on Sunday, August 29, at 4.15 p.m., and 2ZB on Sunday, September 19, at 7.0 p.m. Stations 1ZB and 2ZA wiil present these three plays on later dates yet to be arranged.