THE THEATRE
Hamlet." At the Arts.—" Fine Feathers." At the Prince of Wales.
WE have seen so many good Hamlets recently that I confess I went with little alacrity to this new production at the Arts Theatre, but only from a sense of duty. I was duly rewarded. It is a remark- ably fine production, and it gave me great and unexpected pleasure. Mr. Alec Chines brings many physical advantages to the role ; he is more than presentable, and has an excellent voice, which he uses with fine discretion. He is so intelligent that all the famous speeches of which Hamlet is so full fall freshly and effectively from his lips. His expressive features are alight with sensibility and his movements full of grace. But, unlike some famous exponents of the role, he has not only charm and intelligence, but also the essential fire, so often lacking. Is there anything adverse to be said? Very little, and it amounts only to this: that in spite of every advantage and all these indubitable virtues, he is not the inevitable Hamlet of Shakespeare, for he does not glow with that mysterious creativeness which Shakespeare gave to this character. But go and see Mr. Clunes, you will get a rare pleasure. And it is not only Mr. Clunes who. is good. There are other remarkable performances, including Mr. Mark Dignarn's Claudius. This is the most convincing king. A truly kinglike figure and a real scoundrel. I am also all for Roy Malcolm's Polonius. He gave a new but plausible and interesting read- ing of the part. Polonius can so easily be made a bore, few actors escape making him so by underlining the obvious. Mr. Malcolm's Polonius is truly entertaining and carries belief. But I thought Dorothy Primrose miscast. Surely she is more a Beatrice than an Ophelia? Olga Lindo was a satisfactory Gertrude, but the whole cast is adequate and the setting and dresses are unusually good, especially the former. This is the best-staged Hamlet I can remem- • ber. The grouping throughout is first-rate and I have never seen the gravediggers' scene and the duel scene so well done.
The feathers in Fine Feathers are not so fine. Indeed, I thought most of the dresses dowdy and commonplace. Jack Buchanan holds his redoubtable charm so lightly that it almost slips through his fingers, but not quite. Ethel Revnell is exceedingly clever, and as a baby manages to convulse the audience with its horrors, and there are some very amusing sketches, such as the one on demobilisation, "You've Had It," and "Back on the Road," in which Douglas Wake- field, Chuck O'Neil and Billy Nelson are genuinely amusing.
JAMES REDFERN.
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