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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 24, No. 13. 1961.

Vic. not yet Old Vic

Vic. not yet Old Vic.

Victoria's production of "In Camera" by Jean-Paul Sartre was not considered in the final adjudication because it ran at least seven minutes over the time allowance of one hour. But, judging from audience reaction, it would not have won anyway.

Like the first night of another Vic production this year, it went on—and on. Although a fair portion of the original script had apparently been cut, three characters left on a stage containing little more than three symmetrically-placed couches have to be outstandingly good if they are to hold the attention of the audience for more than quarter of an hour. As three unpleasant people in a Sartre hell, John Terris, Alison Laurie and Nicolette McKenzie made a good job of a difficult theme. Unfortunately, as the adjudicator later pointed out, they were not quite experienced enough to give tonal variation all the way through, and the result was slightly monotonous.

Otherwise, the play was good. It was extremely well produced by Michael Hattaway, and achieved an excellent pace and good characterization and Integration of pitch. Details were pleasingly attended to—the adjudicator commented on the stillness of characters when they were not speaking, and general economy of movement.

One factor which played against Vic was that the audience was tired when the play started, since It came at the end of a heavy evening.