Neuberg Trials

In Mr. Frank Dean, Training College has a competent stage designer, who has created a convincing setting for his story. Somehow one would wish for more space for this type of play, especially in the first two acts, when the stage is divided in two, but Mr. Dean has made good use of whatever space was at his disposal. A serious omission on the programme was, in our opinion, an acknowledgement of thanks to the actor of the main role. As it is, we were told—quite by accident—that Mr. Neuberg undertook to play Elijah at very short notice, and although no longer a student at Training College. This is the stranger, as no one can doubt his deep understanding of a difficult part, and the apparent ease in handling it. If this production was a success—irrespective of our opinion about the play itself—surely some special merit in this success should have gone to Klaus Neuberg.

That is, of course, not to say that Mr. Neuberg "made" the play. The sincerity of acting, especially shown by May Schreiber, Sue Thompson and Cynthia Coleman, added much to the force of the presentation. We thought that Annette Durey as Rebecca sometimes failed to remain within a certain "nuance" of acting, well maintained by the above-mentioned members of the cast. We were less enthusiastic still about the casting of Obadiah and Ahab—neither of them sounded convincing in their parts, both admittedly difficult enough. It is a pity that Mr. Davies lacks the necessary self-assurance and command of his lines that are so essential for convincing acting. Colleena Dalma as the boy Ben acted convincingly and oharmingly—the part in itself is a bit too "sugary" to be altogether acceptable, but Colleena made good use of whatever lines there were, especially in the third act, where she and Mr. Neuberg had the best-written and thought-out part of the play to themselves. Alex Kettles was very good in the few lines he had to say—at least he could be sure to which world he belonged . . . The Voices of the Beck were well rehearsed, but what they said was strangely uninspired compared to some of the finely spoken and often convincing lines of Sue Thompson (Raven).

The production rested in the experienced hands of Pat Lowe, and as we have come to expect of her by now, the play came off smoothly and very well indeed. Our compliments also to those back-stagers who have helped to contribute to a play which [unclear: previously]—qua play—satisfied others more than us, while, on the whole, all parties seemed to agree on the high standard of this TC production.