Lincoln, the reluctant debutante of inter-Varsity drama, produced "The Bespoke Overcoat" or her first contribution to Drama Festival, and walked off with first place.

The play was produced by Roger Page, who also took the leading part of the Jewish clerk, Fender. Last year, Roger Page was at Massey and Massey won first prize. It is very likely that both successes owe a lot to this talented individual.

Using the set in three units, divided only by skilful lighting, he production moved along smoothly at an unhurried pace, the pathos of what author Mankowitz called the "sustained, typically over-long Jewish joke" never descended into melodrama; the quiet humour of the plot was never overdone. Altogether It was a satisfying entertainment and a popular winner.

All four roles were well-cast and adequately played; the two major characters of Morry and Fender were brilliant. They maintained heir characterizations steadily and achieved a pleasing balance in interplay. The atmosphere was completed by such subtle touches 15 having the two Jews huddling close together in Morry's small workroom-bedroom, giving the impressions of friendship and poverty and seclusion without saying a word.

The adjudicator, Mr Eric Brad-well, could And only technical faults in this play. He praised the performance of Roger Page at some length, and commented on the excellent supporting performance of Brian Milne as Morry.

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.

Massey Presents Tableaux

This year Massey chose a Victorian setting and Noel Coward's "Family Album," which turned out to be a rather uninspired series of tableaux, thinly disguised beneath a Cowardian giggle at the Victorian patriarch and his family.

There were some good characterisations, said the adjudicator, but the performance was marred by technical faults of production, particularly in movement and groupings.

Perhaps the main disappointment was the shallow theme. Generally speaking, this is not the time or the place for 1934 vintage Coward, and we had expected more from last year's winners.

—L.L.C