Sheridan Revived And Not Killed

Radio Record, 24 June 1938, Page 22

Sheridan Revived And Not Killed

By

O.M.

A.

YEARS of: watching over the murder of "immortal" playwrights by all kinds of actorsfrom high school pupils to touring professionals-is apt to sour the critic with permanent dis~trust of all "revivals." So many Shakespeare or Sheridan or Wilde plays grow musty on the stage, resolving into a series of elocutionary monologues badly ‘delivered by people in absurd fancy dress. That was the virtue of the Wellington Thespians’ production of "The School for Scandal" at the Town Hall for three nights last week. Despite much in Sheridan’s exquisite comedy that hag lost the flavour of topicality, and despite certain weaknesses in the east, the performance somehow. did manage to catch the spirit of a bygone leisurely age when manners were Society’s principal study and malice their chief amusement. Praise must go to producer Victor S. Idoyd for the smooth reality of the scenes and for the way in which the players wore their wigs, frills and knee breeches without embarrassment. NEVERTHELESS, laurels are not all for the producer. The cast dil its share ably. Two men in particu-lar-Myles F, BE. Wright as the profligate Charles Surface, who turned ont to have a heart of gold, and R. J. Larkin as his uncle, Sir Oliver Surface, who made the discovery-gave performances that it would have been hard to better on the amateur stage. Mr. Wright, indeed, at times brought the tricks of the professional to the aid of his naturally fine voice and easy manner. If he erred at all, it was in overdoing gesture, Of the rest of the cast, Vivienne Rollings was outstanding as charming and vivacious young Lady Teazle, brought from the simple country life to -marry old bachelor Sir Peter. N the role of Sir Peter, W. J. Mountjoy, jun., was not so successful. He had a diffienlt part, true, but it might possibly have been better interpreted had he ranted and postured less, Sheridan’s Sir Peter, although an elderly man, must have retained some of youth’s graces or he would not finally have won back his gay lady. Evan Harrowell, in the part of Joseph Surface, Charles's sanctimonious brother and the villain of the piece, did well in a hard role, and built up the character strongly after a somewhat unimpressive beginning. Of the "bit" players, Selwyn Toogood’s good-natured Rowley, Eric EvanYoung’s inane Sir Benjamin Backbite and Dorothy Tansley’s malicious Lady Sneerwell were excellent. Among the whole cast there was a notable absence of that restless and nnnecessary movement on the stage which often betrays th+ amateur, On the whole, "The School for Seandal" was one of the best of many signs of the Thespians’ robust health.