ROUND AND ABOUT THEATRE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 937, 26 July 1957, Page 13

ROUND AND ABOUT THEATRE

MARGARET RUTHERFORD, by Eric Keown; Rockliff, English price 15/-. THE SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL THEATRE, 1954-56, Photographic Record introduced by Ivor Brown; Max Reinhardt, English price 21/-. THEATRE, 1955-6, by Ivor Brown; Max Reinhardt, English price 21/-. VALE OF LAUGHTER, by Ben Travers; Geoffrey Bles, Enélish price 18/-. HOW NOT TO WRITE A PLAY, by Walter Kerr; Max Reinhardt, English price 21/-. ‘THE Rockliff series of monographs on theatrical personalities (with one or two notable exceptions) tend to be carefully compiled records of the artists’ careers with occasional but complimentary extracts from the critics; they would be yet more valuable if they included judgment and assessment with explorations into the artists’ methods, Photographs of Miss Rutherford, both from films and plays, form an excellent record in themselves and the Punch critic, Eric Keown, writes her story with relish and sly dry wit. The Memorial Theatre volume is intended as a pictorial record, though Ivor Brown introduces the volume, all

too briefly, with well-phrased judgments, generous praise, mellow scholarship and discreet condemnation. The photographs by Angus McBean are valuable not only factually but as the work of an artist with a camera; he has the gift of posing a theatre picture superbly and yet conveying spontaneous movement and emotion. For the second time-but not the last by many, we hope-Ivor Brown collects his year’s criticisms in Theatre, 1955-6; they are what we have come to expect from him. He renders a further service by recording all London productions during the period with cast, producer, length of run, etc. There is also a summary of principal repertory productions. Additional contributions include, to New Zealanders’ interest, Sir Ralph Richardson; his Antipodean Report is mainly on Australia, is charmingly brief and somewhat apologetic, indicative of his shy elusive personality. It will probably make us somewhat ashamed that he did not receive the support and response here that his company deserved. The book is a valuable record and very readable. The name of Ben Travers was synonymous with wit and humour for many years as a novelist, and also as the creator of the Aldwych farces in which Tom Walls, Ralph Lynn, Robertson Hare and others riotously disported themselves. to London’s delight. Mr Travers has lost none of his skill in presenting a story, though this mellow recording, mainly of theatre memories, ‘has not the fictional zest; it is direct autobiography. There are valuable hints on plot construction and the writing of comedy, and his personality is revealed as containing more of the shrewd business man and of the sensitive artist than his readers might have expected. How Not to Write a Play is by one of New York’s foremost dramatic critics, renowned for his murderously brusque and witty reviewing. Here he slashes at almost all current dramatists, particularly those descended in _ technical methods directly or indirectly from either Ibsen or Chekhov. They include, in Walter Kerr’s opinion, almost every playwright of today, successful or un-

successTul:

John V.

Trevor