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SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1935. Volume 6. Number 9.

Peccadillo Pricked. — Tips for Next Year

Peccadillo Pricked.

Tips for Next Year.

Unlike the daily press, who are willing to damn with faint praise for the sake of the ads, we shall pay the "1935 Revue" the compliment of treating it seriously and critically. If we don't "roast" the show, who will? Let us hope that the powers in charge will finally learn some sense and treat the whole thing seriously.

To start with, we must compliment Redmond Phillips on the manuscript. It was potentially the best Extrav. for years. The interlocking of the plots and characters was good, but in future it would be more effective if separated into individual turns. If totally unrelated topics were staged in a series of sketches, the total preparation would be lessened and the whole show less involved and more incisive and direct Also pre-arrangement by various groups—Weir, Dram. Club, etc.—as in this year's procession would evolve. For instance, the cricketeers would have made quite a good complete turn by themselves. Concerted work is very necessary, and in this the show was entirely missing until the entrance of the mermaids and cricketeers. If women's ballets are to be cut out, the men's ballets must be thoroughly burlesqued, and there must be definite stage business prepared which is not just impromptu fooling. The singing also was bad. When a chorus of eight is singing. It can be supplemented by extras off-stage. The performances of the principals were in general very good, so good that individual mention is undesirable. There was not a weak individual character. The team work was, however, entirely lacking. Mis-cues, delayed entrances, failure of stage noises, bad stage positions and groupings, words lost in sound, poor attack in singing—indeed actual failure to start—were factors which could hardly have repaid the audience for its entrance-money. Let us not over-indulge our criticism. Costumes and orchestra were very good, and deserve the highest commendation. Acting was in most cases good. Lines were difficult to hear, but this was due to bad staging.

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The business arrangements were excellent. Advertising, house, finance, programmes, and general supervision were excellent. If next year Redmond Phillips wrote four short revues and various groups put on ballets, choruses, sketches, tableaux, etc., in between, we feel sure that the standard could be very high and that a new high level of production reached, with a public support which would repay the back-stagers for all the difficult and thankless work that was partially wasted on this show.

2X-Ers.