Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol 7, No. 4 June 7, 1944

Stage

Stage

After I had seen a performance of "Love in a Mist," by the Wellington Repertory Theatre a well-known member said to me: "Well, I think we've hit an all-time low with this." And never was a truer word spoken. You would not believe that a play could be so incredibly futile had you not seen it. After its production in London a leading critic claimed that there was enough material in the play to make a good music hall sketch. And here we have it blossoming out as a full length play presented to about five thousand people by an amateur society of some standing. The plot is ancient: two stranded weekend couples, one married, one not: who sleeps with who tonight? The playing was competent in general—the cast did the best it could—but that of Elsie Lloyd and Lesley Jackson was outstanding, and between them they held the show together as it dragged its tortuous way from situation to time-worn situation, from bed to weary bed. The brightest spot of the whole evening for me was the entrance of Elsie Lloyd wearing what appeared to be a daintily trimmed chamberpot.

I wonder whether Repertory will ever dare to do a play "for the good of the theatre?" "The Corn is Green" and "Watch on the Rhine" seem to be its best offerings for a long time. Otherwise we have some footling nonsense like this, or else bad productions of Shakespeare. I'd like to see them accept the challenge of "Our Town" or "Of Mice and Men." But they are far too respectable. I know. I belong to the society.