MR. DE LA MARE'S FAIRY PLAY
WHEN literary men of the front rank take to the stage it is always interesting to see what they make of that difficult medium. If Crossings, recently given two matinee per- formances at the Lyric, Hammersmith, was not entirely suc- cessful in holding my attention, I attribute the fact to its abnormal length (even fairy plays must obey some rules of time) and to a certain diffusion of purpose. The play is packed with ideas, not all of them intelligible at a first hearing. But much of it is exquisite in fancy and delicate in execution. It is rich, too, in subtle humour, though I take leave to doubt whether the average child would appreciate it. The perform- ance was notable for the re-emergence of Miss Ellen Terry. She had no words to say . . . only to hold out her beauti- fully expressive arms to a little child—which she did like the great artist she, is. Miss Helen Ferrers was particularly good as the stern, deliciously named " Aunt Bayswater," but the performance was dominated from beginning to end by the Under pathos and poetry of Miss Angela Baddeley. Every- thing this young actress touches she turns into a gossamer web of fine-drawn gold. There is no one on the stage to-day whose future discerning playgoers are watching with greater interest. The play was beautifully produced by. Mr. Stephen Thomas, dressed and staged as if it were intended to run for a year. The incidental music of Mr. Armstrong Gibbs is delightful, but seemed a -shade too difficult for some of the voices.
E. S. A.
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