The Shanghai Amateur Dramatic Club thoroughly deserves support and congratulations on its decision to stage its first performance of the season on Nov. 18, thus following the good example set by the Russian players in both kinds of opera and the Cinema Theatres, In the circumstances it might be appropriate to call for indulgence owing to the difficulties which would be expected in collecting a cast and, indeed, selecting a play when a wide range of choice could not be available. Such apologetics are apparently unnecessary. Not only has the Club managed to hit upon an excellent comedy-thriller "Someone at the Door" by Dorothy and Campbell Christie, but its casting has happily combined veteran experience with that lately discovered younger talent whose excellence was much applauded last season. Suspence, surprise and irrepressible humour mark the play and those who have seen rehearsals believe that those qualities perfectly fit the cast which has been chosen. In the London production at the New Theatre two and a half years ago, Mr. Henry Kendall gave one of his inimitable sketches of the bright young hero who refuses to allow emergency to defeat buoyant cheerfulness of spirit. That fact speaks for itself and as the other parts are rich in opportunity, the Club can be trusted to minister faithfully to Shanghai's delight, It remains therefore to urge theatre-goers to resort immediately to the box office lest the privilege of seeing Shanghai's first "war-time" production elude their grasp.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.