ARE YOU ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO THINKS

Radio Record, Volume IX, Issue 2, 19 July 1935, Page 22

ARE YOU ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO THINKS

The Play = S the Thing 1

From time to time the "Radio ‘Record" reviews volumes of plays. To-day the reviews are of one-act plays and have been written mainly with the object of providing information for the many New Zealand societies now interested in the reading and production of plays. The critic is Victor S. Lloyd, producer for the Wellington Thespians.

‘probably done more to popularise the reading of plays than any other firm, and now it is apparently devoting its experience in the publication of fulllength plays and individual one-act plays to the production of handsomely. bound and attractively printed volumes of one-act plays. The first three volumes have arrived in this country under the title of "The One-act Theatre." They are a very mixed bag, appealing as they no doubt will to high-brows, low-brows, and others who are not particularly aware of haying’ brows at all. The first volume contains "Tip and Run,’ by Olive Conway, a play with two settings, both easily arranged. There are five women and.two men characters, and the play concerns women’s wiles and their jealousies, The charac terisation is rather flimsy, but the play should be quite good fun. "The Modern Masterpiece," by Vere Etheridge. ‘This is really a short sketch with an obvious denouement. Two characters,.2 man and a woman; a simple setting-an art gallery. "There’s Money Coming to You," by Peter Florin, is set in a fortune-teller’s tent at a country fair. Six char-acters-four men and two women, Quite easy te stage and a mildly exciting plot in which some pearls are stolen, a policeman outwitted, and two crooks fall in love. Although slight, this should make quite an amusing production. "The Bride of Glen Hirocht," by Anne Montrose, is a very tragic and well-written little play from start to finish. There are two, scenes-aé dungeon and a room in a castle. The time of the. play is 1746, after the battle of Culloden. There are six characters-four men and two women. Charles Stuart, Whose name is nearly always coupled with tragedy, is one T° publishing house of Samuel French Ltd. has

of the principal characters. This play might present some difficulty to produce because of its:period scenery and costumes, and also because all the characters speak with a Scots accent. "ive Minutes," by Philip Slade, isa neatly constructed melodrama in which a biackmailer meets a nasty end.. Quite a short sketch with « east of five men and two women. The scene is 2 fiat in London, "A Spot of Lunch," by Neil Grant, is laid in'a small lounge in n modest restaurant in Soho. Quite an amusing

little comedy, telling of a young man’s very awkward embarrassment and how an economically minded Scots uncle was beguiled into paying out. Not very easy to stage, but would appeal to most audiences. The second volume of the series contains: "The Decoy," by Philip Slade. This play is unusual because of its setting ---a hut in China-but quite easy to prepare. There are two women and five men in the cast, including three Chinese. The play deals with a group of Hnglish travellers who are captured by bandits and who escape owing to the ingenuity of a young man-well worth producing. "With Variation," by F. Morton Howard, is set in a cottage parlour and the cast includes three men and four women. A very amusing little play concerning the efforts made to get a quite presentable spinster "married off.’ It would appeal to women’s institutes. "Moonlight on the Willow Fell," by Pauline Garner Curran, is a little Chinese fantasy laid in the West-of-Down-Going-Wind, in the month of the Fire-bird. There are three women and two men in the cast-all Chinese, A rather sad and charming little play. "Just Off Piccadilly," by James Parrish, is set in an empty house in London. The characters are a man, a woman and a stranger. This is almost a thriller, very dramatic and

rather ghostly. Very easy to stage and would be very effective. "In a Local Palace of Justice," by A. J. Talbot is not so much a play as an incident in a courthouse. It concerns ‘the bringing to justice of a fortune teller. As there is a great number of people in the east and the scene is laid in a courthouse it. would be inadvisable for any but the better equipped societies to attempt. I¢ might, however, be read and would be very amusing. "The Christening," by that favourite Gertrude Jen-

nings, has a cast of five women and one man. It concerns a christening and the hostilities which ensue between two families. Quite suitable for women’s institutes, or other groups who find it hard to get men to take part in plays. In the third volume there are seven plays: "The Lovely Virtue," by Leonard Hines, set in a living-room behind a shop, for a cast of three men and two women. Rather a sordid little drama, but presenting opportunities for some good character work. "Prunes and Prisms," by Lorna Pettigrew, is merely an interlude for two women. It is set in the period 1845 and is quite amusing © and well worth doing, in spite of its shortness. "The Devil Was Sick," by Neil Grant, calls for clever acting and deals with the sad fate of the devil who wanted a holiday. A very amusing

comedy for five men and three women.’ The scene is a drawing-room. "Paradise Regained," by Beatrice Saxon Snell, covers an episode in the life of John Milton. Would require rather more than ordinary care in production because of its period and the costumes, but quite worth doing. "The Capture," by I. Morton Howard, A thrilling little sketch for three men, set in a hall in a prosperous business man’s house. If well-acted would be excellent entertainment. "Attendant Misery," by Girvin . Cosens, is not a very good play. It is jerky and short, is in. two scenes ‘and calls for a cast of four women and one man. "The Perfect Ending." by Florence Ryerson and Colin Clements, is 2 yery well written and amusing sketch for three women characters. It concerns the efforts of an authoress-to find a perfect ending for a story she is writing. Very vig orous and entertaining comedy. .