Judging Below Standard

Bridie Misunderstood

Mr. Ron Kennedy and Mesdames. Grace Douglas and Barbara Mantion judged Drama at Tournament. It was an odd sort of judgment emphasised by the primary school approach of W.E.A. drama tutor Kennedy.

V.U.C. Drama Club who are given to ambitious and different productions presented "The Disappointed Evangelist" by James Bridie. The cast included. Gay Orwin, Anne McLeod, Bill Sheat and Gerard Monaghan.

Their performance satisfied producer Paul Treadwell who is as hard to satisfy as Salient's dramatic critics. Unfortunately the serious play followed two screaming farces and the Tournament audience were unable to make the adjustment. Bridie, Herbert and W. W. Jacobs were ill matched.

The standard of Mr Kennedy's comments can be better appreciated in the light of his statement:

"It is bad to choose anything but the easiest play to do."

This sort of proposition led to suggest that a Scottish witch had to be dressed a la Mother Goose's tales i.e. peaked hat and broomstick. By the same reasoning Mephistopheles in character would do for the devil and nothing less. Mr K. knows little about Scotland past or present.

Witches have supernatural powers and it was therefore natural for the witch to lift a very heavy bag very easily—"No" said Judge K. "Ridiculous!"

This sort of naivete is not good enough for University drama. Might it be hard to suggest that Mr K.'s view of Mr Bridie would be better called misunderstood rather than judgment? Is V.U.C. to see The Disappointed Evangelist?