Dramatic Club

To the Extravaganza and its belated production in the middle term of the year is due the shortness of this report of the Dramatic Club's activities since the last appearance of "The Spike."

Shaw's "Captain Brassbound's Conversion" was the first play read in the second term. It is a very satisfying play, combining plenty of action with a large amount of humour, not ultra Shavian. As to the characters, Lady Cicely who proved that faith, which moves mountains, was a feeble force compared with her own guileful charm, was, under the combined art of Bernard Shaw and Miss Thyra Baldwin, by no means an incredible character, Mr. Fair, as Rankin, the missionary whose tale of bricks for fifteen years' labour in Morocco was one convert found Mr. Rankin's Scotch rather difficult, but Mr. Wiren, as the convert, Drinkwater, was highly successful with his Cockney.

The next play, "The Gay Lord Quex," was less adapted to reading purposes. A manicurist's "studio" may be easier to set on the stage than a Moorish robbers' stronghold, but as an imaginary background it is more difficult to keep vivid. The play nevertheless supplies some very amusing situations, and the brightness of the dialogue never flags. The honours again went to Miss Baldwin as Sophy Fullgarney, the manicurist.

After this reading the Extravaganza intervened, and for the last five weeks of the term the Club's activities were suspended.

During the vacation "Love's Labour Lost" was read. A certain amount of courage is required for the attempt to read even the lightest of Shake page 58 spearian plays, but the effort is always well rewarded. The "snappy dialogue," which the playwrights of to-day strive for, gives little chance for the exercise of, and no chance for elementary self teaching of elocutionary art.

The one reading which remains to be reported is that of "A Single Alan," H. H. Davies' highly diverting commentary upon the minor dangers of marriage between youth and age. The middle-aged author, Robin Worthington, decides to marry, decides further that he needs the company of happy youth, and accordingly becomes engaged to the eighteen-year-old Maggie Cottrell. Sunset of the first day of his engagement finds him a physical wreck refusing his fiancée's entreaties to come and play "just one game of hide and seek." His opinions as to the joy of youth are being changed rapidly, and at this stage he has a narrow escape from the husband-hunting intellectual poseuse Louise Parker. Then he realises that his true mate is his unobtrusively wonderful secretary. Miss Hesseltine, the secretary, was portrayed by Miss Lattey with a delightful charm and sympathy which, with the general excellence of the rest of the cast, made this reading probably the best of those described.

The Club's work has been sadly curtailed during the session, and it is hoped to make up for this during the long vacation when indications are for a very productive season.