WORLD THEATRE "VOLPONE"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 773, 14 May 1954, Page 7

WORLD THEATRE "VOLPONE"

"TT is not often that Elizabethan vigour is effectively boxed within the loudspeaker, but -Volpone has just that amount of vigour, without too great richness, which kept it within the limits of what the loudspeaker can do," wrote the Times Literary Supplement when Ben Jonson’s great comedy was broadcast as a BBC World Theatre production about a year ago. Another critic said there were scenes between the cavorting parasite, Mosca, and his magnificent witty master Volpone; when the sheer vitality of the performance of Jonson’s swiftly-moving dialogue compensated for "the visual dodging that makes for: pace and suspense -on the stage." Volpone, which is now to be heard in the World Theatre version from National stations of the NZBS, depicts a situation familiar in Greek and Roman satine — the professional legacy-hunter paying homage to a childless rich man in the hope of securing his estate. Though Jonson’s other great comedies depicted types of the London of his day, he set Volpone in Venice, because the leading characters were to be rogues, and Renaissance Italy had a bad reputation with the Elizabethans. The

names of the principal characters indicate the parts they play. Among these are Volpone (the fox), Mosca (the fly), Voltore (the vulture), Corbaccio (the crow) and Corvino (the raven). Volpone, a rich Venetian without children, is in the full vigour of life, but pretends to be a hopeless and decrepit invalid so as to attract gifts from those who would like a share of his fortune. His accomplice, Mosca — described by Jonson as a parasite-shows great skill in persuading each of the _ legacyhunters that he is to be heir, and they shower costly presents upon Volpone. One of them is even willing to sacrifice his wife’s honour. But like many a schemer, Volpone goes too far. Wishing to see thé discomfiture of those who are awaiting his death, he makes out a will in favour Mosca and pretends to be dead. At this Mosca pounces on the estate. In the outcome both Volpone and* Mosca are severely punished. "Volpone is an artist and a virtuoso as well as a wealth-hunter and a voluptuary," said Percy Simpson (joint editor of the Oxford edition of Jonson’s works) in a Radio Times introduction to the BBC broadcast of the play. "He delights less in the possession of his

wealth than in the cunning with which he acquires it. The finest poetry in the play is given to him. It opens with his morning hymn to gold, ‘the world’s soul and mine, ‘the dumb god’ that gives all men tongues. And when Celia, the merchant’s wife, is placed in his power by her husband, he throws off the mask, leaps from his couch, and makes his impassioned appeal to her in a sustained flight of magnificent poetry." Volpone was first performed in 1606, and when it was printed the next year John Donne contributed a copy of commendatory verses to it. In these he eulogised Jonson: as an innovator in drama-a tribute he paid to no other playwright. Percy Simpson, who describes Ben Jonson as "the Elizabethan dramatist next in importance to Shakespeare," says it is difficult to give in a few lines any idea of the richness and variety of his art. Few men of his day ranged over a wider field. He was not only playwright, but also masque-writer, satirjst, poet, scholar and critic. He was even, for a short time, a soldier. Volpone was adapted for broadcasting by Arthur Young and Derek Blomfield, and produced by Peter Watts, with Michael Hordern as Volpone and Alan

Wheatley as Mosca. It was. produced in two parts. The first of these will be heard from 1YC at 10.0 p.m. on Monday, May 17, and the second at the same time the following Thursday (May 20). Later it will be penecinet from other stations,