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Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Student's Newspaper. Volume 31, Number 3. March 19 1968

Drama

page 11

Drama

It's Funny

Bruce Mason seems to have a fanatical concern for the correct staging of his plays—he always produces first performances — and the maintenance of his image as New Zealand's leading playwright.

Birds in the Wilderness, which won a prize in the 1968 Auckland Arts Festival, was presented at Downstage last week with "loving core" (to use his cliche).

The play is funny—there's no doubt of that. His programme notes are equally as amusing. He records all his past achievements many of which are impressive.

But some reveal a type of pathos he strived for but didn't achieve in the third act (notably of an unpublished collection of essays and mention of a verbal debate to which he was challenged by the late Sir Donald Wolfitt —he accepted "the knight declined").

I would argue thai Mr. Mason's concern is unwarranted —many people are prepared to accept him in the light he desires. If the audience on the night I saw the play is a reasonable judge then Mr. Mason is a popular playwright and Birds a popular play that will no doubt have a successful Downstage season.

The play has a number of flaws especially in the third act—but it amuses consistently. It involves Bernie (Don Farr) and wife Juliet (Dorothy McKegg), a kiwi couple who are mortgaged to the eyeballs and expecting a sprog.

Bernie has been reliving the war every Friday night since 1947 with his mates (it is now 1957) and his wife is tired of it.

He promises to give it all up only to be thwarted by the arrival of a jewish cockney comrade-in-arms Jacko (Grant Tilly). His wife is mortified but agrees to put Jacko up for a while.

Bernie, in order to help pay off the enormous house he has brought, has advertised for lodgers. An elderly Hungarian couple arrive followed by an aging ex-wrestler from Canada—Big Maxie and his mute mistress from Te Kuiti Rube (Carole Eliott).

Pacifist

Juliet objects, Juliet is pacified, Jacko gets everyone involved in a cabinet-making scheme and Bernie leaves work. After three weeks all seems to have failed—the buyer (Ken Blackburn) realises none of them is competent but after an eloquent speech from Big, Maxie gives them a contract. Juliet becomes enthusiastic.

After three months Bernie has had enough and becomes a middle man in the woodwork business (a kiwi, briefly [unclear: borne] has come to ground).

Everyone else leaves to embark on a new adventure and Bernie and Juliet are left with the knowledge that they, like New Zealand, can only offer a shelter for the oddities and lost souls in the world

Plenty of stuff here for comedy and plenty for farce. Some of it works—especially the scene where they try to con the buyer, It's the funniest thing I've seen at Downstage for months.

But the success of the production is really due to the cast Grant Tilly as Jacko, Charles Walker as Big Maxie, and Mollie Parton and John Gordon as Bellpush and Apus (the Hungarian refugees) all deliver superb performances.

Don Farr and Ken Blackburn as the kiwis of the piece neatly balance the cast. Carole Eliott as mute Ruby Goalen deserves mention for her excellent characterisation.

The set is nothing startling and the lighting is irritatingly static. Mrs. Eliott's costumes are a delight.

Birds in the Wilderness is worth seeing for the comedy of the first two acts and the fine performances throughout. Thank you Mr. Mason.

Unfortunately I can find nothing pleasant to say about the previous Downstage production—the double bill Sponge Room and Squat Betty.

Simon Morris is playing a mandolin in this photo by Murray Vickers.

Simon Morris is playing a mandolin in this photo by Murray Vickers.

I cannot remember laughing and was thoroughly bored. Tim Elliott, Joanna Derrie and Tony Grosser all gave uninspired performances in what I can only label as a dismal flop.

—Bob Lord

Folk Music

The Folk Club is active at the moment. This photo by Murray Vickers shows Mike Rashbrooke with a guitar.

The Folk Club is active at the moment. This photo by Murray Vickers shows Mike Rashbrooke with a guitar.