(This is an extract of the full review, which also covered a show by a different society, hence the comparisons.)
“The Arcadians” production is…balanced. Music and general action are well matched, though this, of course, is not to say that faults are absent from either. The Walmsley cast have not perhaps great richness of voice, but agreeable quality must certainly be conceded, and the ability to make song illustrate the moods of a character is also evident.
It is, moreover, an unusual and welcome experience to be able to praise two amateur orchestras in the same article. The instrumental music of “The Arcadians” is very well played.
Ellen Isherwood, as Sombra, achieves a thorough success with the famous “numbers” which are included in her part, which, on its acting side, is of particular difficulty. A normal tone in conversation is, of course, out of the question. The problem is to find something between the ordinary and the stilted, a problem for which, it must be admitted, the solution had not been found on Monday. The part of Eileen Cavanagh, on the other hand, although it needs all the talents that an actress of musical comedy can give to it, is cut more to pattern and may be attempted in less experimental fashion. It is charmingly played by Hilda Warburton, particularly when she is dancing. John Hacking, as Jack Meadows, has captured the manner of musical comedy very neatly. His voice is not, at present, of great strength but he uses it with confidence and effect. He has lightness and flexibility of tone in both song and speech, and a good stage bearing. The Peter Doody of Harry Pilkington has registered as a thoroughly popular performance, and therefore the actor need not attach too much importance to the fact that I found his interpretation a little monotonous and hardly articulate enough. I had something of the same dissatisfaction with Ethel Hacking as Mrs Smith (though again the majority is against me). A Cockney note was rightly struck for both parts, but that need not have produced so strident a Mrs Smith or so muffled a Doody. “Time” is most impressively presented by Joe Greenhalgh, of whose deep bass the Society is no doubt thoroughly appreciative. I have reserved the achievement of William Parry for this late paragraph to give it emphasis. He is Simplicitas to something near perfection, though the uncompromising Lancashire accent which he uses for the part comes at first as something of a shock. But he is so gifted a comedian that he might almost play it in Gaelic and be thoroughly in character. His burlesque dancing, I should like to add, is as good as the best I have seen elsewhere.
The work of the chorus must have its recognition. Movement is necessarily somewhat restricted and there is sometimes delay with massed exits. But, for the most part, groupings, and the changing of them, are excellent, and the air of animation is made as convincing as one has any right to expect the abnormal behaviour of musical comedy assemblies to be. An especially effective example of team work, obviously most carefully rehearsed, comes at the climax of Act Two, when the crowd excitedly watch the progress of the race and shout their exclamations through the rhythmic throb of the orchestra.
Miss G. Knowles is the producer of “The Arcadians” and the musical director is Mr G. Lord.
