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Dramatic Club Productions

"The Ship" and "Hedda Gabler."

The V.U.C. Dramatic Club cannot altogether be congratulated on its productions during 1932. "The Ship," a play by St. John Ervine, presented in July in the Y.M.C.A. Hall, was, with notable exceptions, badly done. We cannot all be great performers, but an audience is entitled to expect that the players will know their parts and endeavour to resemble the characters they portray. "The Ship" tells of a shipbuilder (John Thurlow), who idolised ships with an intensity equalled only by the dislike they and all they stood for aroused in his son Jack, a young man sickened by the materialism rampant in the Great War. The son refuses to enter his father's shipyard and goes off to lead the simple life on a farm, accompanied by his friend, Captain Cornelius, with money secretly provided for the purpose by John Thurlow's mother. She alone understands both father and son and all through the play endeavours to persuade each of them to see the other's viewpoint. Meanwhile George Norwood, Thurlow's right-hand man in the yard, has wooed and won Hester, Thurlow's daughter. The three generations of the Thurlow family, old Mrs. Thurlow, John Thurlow, his wife, Hester and George visit Jack on his farm. The father, with malice aforethought, makes Cornelius, a man spoilt by the war, drunk and offers him money either to make the farm fail or to leave Jack on it alone. Jack overhears the offer, but Cornelius accepts the bribe and decides to leave the farm. Father and son are interrupted by old Mrs. Thurlow after John Thurlow has asked his son not to mention the bribe. Jack refuses to return to the yard and the family goes back rather mystified. Thurlow, senior, has a breakdown through overwork and forces Jack to take his place on the maiden voyage of his new "unsinkable" ship, the "Magnificent," by threatening to go himself, even if it costs his life. The ship goes down on the voyage and Jack with it. When the news is brought the father's first thought is for the loss of his ship and not for his son. A slight plot, where you will observe that characterisation must count for everything. The curtain could have fallen at this point, but Mr. St. John Ervine gives us a final scene, in which old Mrs. Thurlow saves her son from suicide and heartens him for struggle once more.

It is to be noted that the Club had copies of the first edition only of this play, and so unfortunately did not have the opportunity to play from a greatly amended and improved edition which was issued after its production in England.

The honours deservedly go to Miss Sinclair Breen (old Mrs. Thurlow). Her work was almost up to professional standard. Her part alone was difficult enough to sustain without the added disadvantage of the rest of the cast not acting up to her. She is to be congratulated on a fine individual effort. Although she was perhaps too sweet for the quietly dominant part she had to play, we must remember that she was limited by the other players. Mr. Carl Watson, as John Thurlow, the man who failed both to dominate his son and subdue the sea, should have been a hard, vital figure. He portrayed a man with the grey hair and lined face that goes with sixty years, but his was the voice of a surly boy. He was petulant and querulous rather than strong, and his jerky utterance was more suitable for the role of the singing doll in "The Tales of Hoffman" than for that of John Thurlow.

Miss Jupp, as John Thurlow's negative wife, spoilt a good reading of her part by looking scarcely as old as her son. Mr. Edwards, as Jack, was somewhat handicapped by the lack of force in Mr. Watson's portrayal, and we can only say that his performance was a conscientious one. Mr. Riske, as Captain Cornelius, was perhaps inclined to suggest a sober man playing the part of a drunk one, but was the best of a very weak male cast. Miss Joan Anderson (Hester) did her best with the few anaemic lines allotted to her.

The general impression received was that, with the exception of Miss Breen, the cast did not act up to its capabilities, Mr. Watson, particularly, is capable of better things. It is to be regretted that Miss Cooley, who spent much time and trouble over the production, did not have the loyal page 45 Support from the cast that a producer is right in expecting.

Of "Hedda Gabler" it can only be said that something far above the powers of a hastily selected cast was attempted and that something dreadful was achieved. At the performance in the College Hall on the 12th and 13th August, Dr. Henning (co-producer with Mr. Hannah) had the arduous task of prompter. It is no exaggeration that he was heard far more frequently than the performers. A just criticism is that most of the players did not understand their own lines. Some of the frequent lapses could only be explained in this way.

Miss Dorothea Tossman performed splendidly as Mrs. Elvestedt. Her work during the scene in which Hedda (played by Miss Heni Archer) destroys Eilert Lovborg's confidence in her and sends him back to his old way of life was up to the best tradition. We sympathise with Mr. D. Banks, who was apparently selected to play the part of Jorgen Tesman (a part he appeared to dislike intensely), because he had on a previous occasion given an excellent rendering of a Swedish sailor in another play. The dangers of this method of casting are and were obvious. His lack of confidence did not affect Mr. R. D. G. Chad-wick as Judge Brack, who played the part with his usual aplomb, but perhaps was an admirable foil for Miss Shirley Roberts, who made a success of the part of Miss Juliana Tesman.

Of Mr. Hannah's make-up as Eilert Lovberg we can only say that he apparently mistook Christiana for Ober Ammergau—unless he thought the garb of a bush undertaker suitable for a play which calls for two sudden deaths, including his own. Miss Heni Archer did her best with an unsuitable part, but succeeded in making Hedda look incredible to our eyes. Hedda exists in real life, but not as we saw her presented here. Miss Archer, properly cast, is capable of much greater things. Miss M. Prideaux Pridham presented a perfect gem of characterisation as Berta, the loyal servant of limited intelligence.

Messrs. Steele and Wright, the stage managers, worked wonders with the limited material at their disposal in both halls and are to be congratulated.

Perhaps next year, when the Dramatic Club Committee realises that good players, when badly cast in unsuitable plays, are being wasted, and that individually excellent performances cannot redeem a production where the cast as a whole does not give of its best, we may return to the hey-day of 'The Dark Angel" and "Rope." Let us hope so.