"The Favourite of the King"

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 30, 5 February 1932, Page 23

"The Favourite of the King"

Another De Clive Lowe Success _

Tap radio play, "The Favourite of the King,’ the latest production from the versatile pen of Dr. George de Clive Lowe, of Auckland, gave listeners a splendid picture of the: intrigues and machinations of the courtiers who controlled Wngland’s destinies when James the First was King. Although not so good as the sam2 author’s- "Kirk o’ Field," this play was outstanding in merit, and shows what can be done by New Zealand artists when play-acting in. front of the microphone. ‘To produce a play on the stage is relatively a simple matter in comparison with its production over the air, Artificial aids can be brought in to assist the actor, but radio artists must depend on the voice, and the voice alone, to make a success of u broadcast. And there are very few artists available with voices suitable for radio. When we are told by such an authority as the chief director of the British Broadcasting Company that there is only one male yoice in five thousand and one femule yoice in seven thousand suitable for broadcasting, one can appreciate the difticulty the producer of a radio play is up against. Almost without exception this difficulty was overcome’ by Mr, J. M: Clark, who produced and directed "The Favourite of the King," for each artist chosen in the cast was of outstunding meris. The play was higbly dramutic {fo complex, and several of the scenes were thrilling in their intensity. The plot of the play was founded on the notorious intrigues of the Countess of BHssex, and my history tells ma that the incidents of the play were truthfully portrayed by Dr, de Clive Lowe.. Power aud loye and hate were personified by the artists who represented the vurious characters in, the pliy, and all had ability to personify their characters, The fitst act opened with delightfully worded dialogue between the Countess. of Nssex (Mrs M. N. MacCallum) and her unele, Lord Northampton (Mr. J. M. Clark). and listeners were given a full . outline of the plot in a manner which left nothing to be desired, Mrs. MacCallum has a voice of outstanding purity, and is undoubtedly the most’ accomplished lady artist 1 have yet heard in a radio play. Mr. J. M. Clark is known to all listeners who tune in to 1YA, and the secret of his suecess is due to the fact that he is always natural. Sir Thomas Overbury was the chief character in the play, and I was enturalled by the manner in which Mr. Gaston Meryale carried out his very difficult task. In the quarrel scene with the Earl of Rochester (Mr. Allan Mac-

Skimming) he was excellent, but in the murdet seene in the Tower of London, Mr. Mervale rose to dramatic heights which I have never before heard from any broadeast artist. Mr. MacSkimming bas well earned his favouritism with Auckland listeners, He did much better in this play than he did in "Kirk o’ Field." His voice in all ranges is free from harshness and artificiality. The character of Weston, the Keeper of the Tower of London, was a difficult oné to portray, but it was most ably done by Mr. John Brown. This is a new name in Auckland broadcast citeles, and I think that I have heard this artist before under a different alias. There is nothing more difficult to do than to keep up a ¢hange of voice in a rendition. "Mr, Brown" did this most excéllently. As a loquacious eld man, with endléss garrulity, his part was perfection. His "dead as mutton" and "dead as two muttons" were exclamations which blended a splendid tcuch of humour with the tragic. I would suggest to the author that more of such piquant interludes could have been brought into the play without marting its tragedy. Miss Althea Parker did very well as Mistress Turner. She could, however,’ ‘have done much better by modulating the higher ranges of her voice. This lady has a perfect contralto voice, but occasionally is indlined to force her breathing, which, belng intensified at the receiving set, causes « harshness which the artist could obviate by correct inhalation. If this lady pays attention to this minor defect she will go very far in the radio world, because she has timbre and resonance in her voice which are yery seldom found with the gentle sex. The artists who took the minor parts ell did well. and their voices were well chosen. Stage effects were brought into the play most effectively, and were well thought out. The only defect I noticed in the play was an uncalled-for rustling of paper, as if the artists were reading their parts and carelessly turning oyer the pages of their manuscript. I offer my sincere congratulations to the author, Dr. de Clive Lowe, and, on behalf of listeners, I thank the artists who took part in the play for a most enjoyable entertainment. I trust that some of the members of the Broadcast: ing Board listened to this play. 1£ they did, I am sure that they were surprised that we have such talent in our midst. T would also suggest that arrangement should be made to broadcast -the De Clive Lowe radio plays at southern centres to enable listeners generally to appreciate what local artists can do.