oowtemane ayo Many."—By A. A. Milne.
Chatto & Windus, London.
The publication of this play as a scarce of delightful reminiseence to anyone who was nivileged to see last. Feb-faye Me, A. AL Milne is a rametist who Poseesses a Special bouquet, and he deserves therefore to have a special east for his productions. In this essay in romantic domesticity he was, as he admits, splendidly "favoured. The criticisms pasted upon' the probabi {tity of the plot are dealt with by him in a characteristically modest preface. But the Inst two sentences epitomize the retort to the eri "Finally, T shall ut, apologise for eect to expisiny amore which cam Toot for Cwenty-tve Sars ars Heriert "Marshall's Michel and' Mies Bina Bea's "Mary Give all the: explanation which And assuredly Mr. Herbert Marshall and Miss Edna Best in this Production reached the high-ws mark of English acting. And what a caste they had to support them. There was that old veteran J. Fish-ex White, well remembered when Tree was reigning at His Majesty's in the small but important part of Michael's father, an experienced actor if ever there was one. There was Reginald Bach, no mean producer, but playing another small part, that of the village constable detective aspirations, and the villain of the piece, whose appearance, as is appropriate in a Milne brief as possible, was by that most. competent ins, D. A. Clarke Smith, who has gravitated to the professional stage from the Oxford University Dramiatic Society and has been at the game since 1913, except for six yours when he was. winning honours in the Royal Artillery in the Great War. The part of David was played by Mr. Frank Lawton, who is, one imagines, the only actor who could possibly kiss his father's hand on the English stage arid make the gesture entirely devoid of awkwardness.
Tu Mr. Milne's preface to this! book he successfully appeals against the allegations of the superior lerities who maintain that no one would have behaved so generously to Mary as Michael did, and no one would have been so stupid commit bigamy for ghe more satisfaction of proving a readiness to: take a risk. Critics have to write like that teciuse if they were not considered to be superior people no one would read their criticisms, and also they must have their finest susceptibilities blunted by the appaling circumstances of their lot. To! be compelled to sit through some of the plays which find their way onto the stage is an ordeal whi make even Mr. Mine's fairy pen acquire a weary plantness and inaptitude, To turn to the play. It is difficult to imagine one which could more satisfactorily commended to: amateurs. There are twelve characters, fire of which are women, and several of the parts can be doubled, The scenery requires four interiors, but the first interior can easily be a drop scene, as it is merely a recess in a gallery of the British Museum. 'The next scene is an ordinary boarding house room in Bloomsbury, the other scenes being respectively' a flat in Chelsea, neighbourhood when Michael has reached the pin-nade of success. The characters of Michael and Mary can be best gauge ed by the fact that they are played by the two stars already mentioned. parts, of which one is the very modern and very young and very attractive secretly married love of id. There is a comic police-the generous but jealous, clergyman father, the aforesaid villain, a landlady of the usual type, a police inspector, a doctor: and that's all. And the lines are Mr. Milne's, lines, so the amateur has every chance of getting his character across the footlights.
For the story the reader is recommended to get the play. In brief, it tells of the successful straggles of a very gallant pair, from obscurity to fame by virtue of the sterling qualities of cons-fancy,. indomitable humour, yerth. It may be permissible to! quote a passage deserting the climax, when Michael reveals to David the secret of is parents' romance, and David and Rom, the young wife, respond s0 magnificent-to the test:—
Miguant, "That in our story there is one thing more to be feud, After this man's death, Siezy egulh< Ah that scorned to forme' sill, an infinitesimally ins -Al that seamed to me, Seema
gainat my God, the sanction of eae Lhe offended cannet riy account with Thave offend:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.