The New Ngaio Marsh

New Zealand Listener, Volume 25, Issue 629, 20 July 1951, Page 7

The New Ngaio Marsh

ISS NGAIO MARSH has M a reputation throughout the English speaking countries of the world for burning the midnight oil. But it is mostly other people’s oil that she .burnspeople who can’t bear to put the book down until they know who» put»: the arseni¢ in the: invalid port. She gets a kick out of writing mystery. stories, , but her first and -best love is the; theatre. New Zealand audiences’ wha saw what she could do with students,:when she produced the Canterbury College -players in Shakespeare, . were. deeply. impressed. They will not be surprised to learn that after her production of Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of, Author in London last. November, she was hailed by the critics as one of the finest of contemporary producers. I had a talk to Miss Marsh soon after her arrival from Sydney last week, and found her full of enthusiasm for the project with which she .has now associated herself-a project. which, in its long-term implications, is probably the most important in the "histofy of the theatre in New. Zealand. The Britigh Commonwealth Theatre ‘Company, "of which Miss Marsh is the prodiicer,*is not just another theatrical veriture." It is a resolute attempt to bring the flesh-and-blood theatre to life in Néw Zealand and in the 6ther Commonwealth countries. Genesis of the Idea ~ ~°* The enterprise itself is. due .to.. ‘the imaginative vision of D. D. O’Connor, to whom this country already owes a great deal, more perhaps than it’ is aware of, for the efforts he has made over a number of years to see that New Zealanders get the very best-in the way of music and ‘theatre. After seeing what Ngaio Marsh succeeded in doing with the Canterbury players, Dan, O’Connor decided thatthe time was ripe-to launch an enterprise about whith he:had. been thinking deeply: for .a number of years. He explained his ideas to Ngaio Marsh,

and .she, too, became fired. with the peer enthusiasm. For ° the past two ae ori more: they. have been. in: Lonenh ice plans.) The, arfival of. the -B th . Sat the eater April oer ining, ° -of get attempt oat ad a ng into" he ‘plays Bhi "presented in} New: Zeai andsdre by S eare,) Shaw, wand, the’ ‘Siitian: author Pi¥at ello. The last-* ‘hamed is represented eae best-known’ play, Six (Characters. Stace of} an. pinhasr eh New v4 ae vg gee fst cones riti wh ea tt the? °"¢ tien é W and pri the; best. pndellors of he. play Lond ‘Lond ae or een igce jis. pres, s' of ‘this ‘century. It has’ ‘almost path a tradition of its own--the tradition of the "audientée collaboration" play, in which the conventional barrier. between stage and auditorium is broken down. sas, Lhe: Skin. of Our titi for: Betty’ te £6: re years it still wears as well as ever.’ Hopes for. ‘the. Future." I asked» Miss Marsh to’give me an account of the British Commonwealth company, chiefly. in relation ‘to its origin,. and its ‘long-term aims. "The point is simply this," she said. "In all the Dominions there are hordes.of young and talented players. They .work- in groups, mainly amateur, and often under difficult conditions. A few of them. fight their way into professional companies. A very few go abroad. Most of them either give up stage work or take to radio as ‘the only possible alternative. The idea behind the Commonwealth Company is ‘to set up a circulatory process betwhen London and the overseas cities of, the Commonwealth. The original group, of fifteen. players that the company brought out consisted, for instance, of six English people, three from New Zealand, two each from Australia and South Africa, and, one. each from India and Canada. This is ‘intended as a nucleus, to which. will be added. a number of actors and actresses selected in each of the countries we visit. ‘Of this number ‘some will be given an "opportunity ofp remaining w during ‘its ». subseque other Domittions | turning *with it: t If this process : things should result. One i is a _improvement ih standards in each try, owing to" the training given to ou ding people who at present la opportunities. Another is that the appetite for drama and the level of taste among audiences throughout the Commonwealth should benefit." I asked Miss Marsh about the sort of plays that would’ be done, "The best is good enough for us,’ she answered. "Tm sure it's a basic mistake to sages can pack a. theatre at er stn with a good performance of Lear or Macbeth. Our view, which is based on experience, is that entertainment and high artistic

standards are not in any way incom-. patible." "And you look to London as a sort of generating centre-I mean, as regards standards of production?" I asked. "In a sense, yes. There’s a vast amount of first-rate talent going partly to waste at present in the Dominions, To bring these young players into touch with a theatre-world that can throw up companies like the Old Vic and the Salisbury Arts, producers like Tyrone Guthrie and Brooks, actors like Olivier and Gielgud, and playwrights like Priestley, Eliot and Fry, can’t ‘fail-to benefit thém: and keep their enthusiasm going. And when they return home, either temporarily, or for .good, that benefit, must surely be passed. on to their own com-| munity." _., Will, Possibly Out. ra. "And how «is»: the »murder industry?" I asked Miss Marsh, She looked startled for a moment, then smiled. . "Pve just brought out another book, you know. But I’m taking ‘a spell’ for the moment from writing. I have ‘other fish ‘to’ fry." One of these days: she explained, ‘she thought she might, finish a book’ Without a single | murder in it. I said’ I hoped she’d. give the teader due warning of the shock she was going to give him. "I can imagine the librarian saying to a Ngaio Marsh fan, ‘Have you seen the latest one? A real shocker-not a drop of blood from start to finish!’" I went down with her to the theatre and watched the company rehearsing Six Characters. Everybody seemed to be very _keen,* and ‘the performance was full ‘of. senbrgy "and © verve. I think we’re in fh 8 a vatrical treat. And "I hope it will ‘be daly the first of a series. For if ever a theatrical venture deserved to succeed, it is the British Commonwealth Theatre

Company.

A. R. D.

Fairburn