"Chinese White."

Audience a Little Green.

Othello: . . . Sweet soul, take need. Thou'rt on thy death-bed.

Desdemona: I never did offend you in my life . . never loved to sio . . .

Othello. . . . He hath confessed. . . . It is too late, [Smothers her.]

"Othello," Shaks, v.z.

Sheila (furiously): For heaven's sake, stop. I've told you, its no good, Gerald. Its over . . . . what do you know about my relations with Leslie, anyway: How do you know he wasn't my lover?

Gerald (losing all control): You—: (He shook her by the throat.)

The second passage is from "Chinese White," a melodrama by Val Gielgud, wisely selected by the Dramatic Club as their initial production for the year. Mr. Gielgud. good man of the theatre, has recognised that what was good enough for Shakespeare is good enough for him. I think it would have been better melodrama and less pretentious stuff if he had gone the whole hog and strangled Sheila. He would thereby have gained the sympathy and interest of his audience.

Perhaps the person who contributed most to the success of the piece was the producer. Once again Mr. Edwards created atmosphere and vivid stage-pictures on a confined platform that could not offer the amenities of a padded cell.

The play itself was a simple exercise in melodrama, replete with triangle, wronged wife (?), refined brigandage, virtue far above rubies, epigrams, and two magnificent Chinese soldiers presented with sublime stolidity by Messrs. Katz and Kelly.

One must admit that the Chinese come off with the honours, and in the earlier scene dominated by Nesbitt Sellers excellent villian, General Wn. We had the strongest and most satisfying scene in the play. Grouping movement and team-work had an almost professional precision.

Miss Gallagher, confident and unobtrusive, gave a little gem of characterisation as the loyal wife of the resident missionary, the Reverend James. Mr. Sandford was an extremely coy divine.

The burden of the work fell to Miss Nan Welch and Mr. Jack Aimers, as the ill-assorted Have-locks; an unpleasant work it was. The lady is a shallow creature, and her husband a pretty blackguard. Mr. Aimers rather over-blackguarded, and perhaps Miss Welch foundered a little in the shallows. But such errors they made were due to inexperience and self-consciousness. Changes of mood were taken too violently, movements and gestures lacked spontaneity and the emotional passages did not always have the ring of sincerity. Both young players deserve special mention for the conscientious and intelligent interpretations they offered.

Mr. Jack Coyle played with the part of Leslie Dale. Who could forget his performance in "While Parents Sleep"? The audience couldn't.

In conclusion, one may say that the cast did only as well as a raucous and ill-mannered audience permitted them.

R.B.P.