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caught up in another of Crowther's crooked activities involving Bill Meggitt, a burglar, bent on recovering plans from Crowther's safe. After several near-failures, Fear and Meggitt succeed in their tasks but discover, after they have parted, that each has the other's papers by mistake. Meggitt is convinced that Fear is a crook like himself, dressed as a clergyman. He sets out to get his own back, arriving at the vicarage disguised as an archdeacon. Crowther himself has also arrived to recover the plans stolen from his safe but is thwarted by a further piece of teamwork by lear and Meggitt after the latter finds out that Fear is indeed a parson and only too anxious to have the letters in exchange for the plans. All ends happily with the discomfiture of the gang and the heroine promising to marry her guardian instead of her former fiance, Crofts, who has been revealed as one of the gang.
There are numerous unlikely situations in all this, but what matter ? The entertainment depends wholly upon the acting and it can fairly be said that the play was well served on this occasion.
In the two principal parts as Fear and Meggitt, R. Wookey and I). de Ville respectively were extremely good. So much of the play depends on their ability that any faltering here would have been fatal to its success. The stage parson-that favourite caricature of forty years ago-is not an easy part to play with any conviction or credibility. R. Wookey, however, with his well-sustained high-pitched voice and distrait mannerisms, made as much of it as possible. He spoke very clearly and exploited the dialogue to the full. As his partner in crime, 1). de Ville resisted the temptation to overplay the part and gave a most amusing performance. He obviously enjoyed the role and his hoarse voice and zestful antics were much appreciated by his audience. The scene in which Meggitt and lear force open
Crowther's safe was the best thing in the play by far.
In a minor role as the ageing and innocently tactless housekeeper, P. Geoghegan did very well. His slightly infirm walking and quavering voice were skilfully done and lie spoke with commendable clarity always.
C. Doyle made his debut in the part of the gushing female parishioner and did it quite effectively. More might have been made of the character, perhaps, but it was a good effort and a new face on the stage is always welcome.
As Jennifer, the bright young thing, A. Allen was pleasantly natural and fluent despite an occasional fault of timing or positioning. P. Moriarty was well cast as a scruffy youth on the Richmal Crompton model and scarcely needed to act the part at all. P. Drury was adequate as the distraught mother but some of his lines were inaudible. Perhaps lie was distracted by a hat that insisted on falling off. K. Middleton was not really convincing as the sinister boss of the gang of crooks, lacking, perhaps, any natural malice to draw upon. It is difficult to imagine him surviving for more than all hour or two in the world of James Bond ; he would not have given even P.C. Dixon much trouble. Still, lie did what he could with a poor part. P. Ridley, who seems to be coming to enjoy his actingas he should, for he has ability in it served the part of Crowther's henchman well, while B. Tinney made an adequate third member of the trio of nasty pieces.
Whatever faults or deficiencies there were, however, were minor and in no wise detracted from a most enjoyable evening's entertainment. The frequent and prolonged laughter of the audience afforded ample proof of that.