usband.

A thoroughly amusing affair. Of course Mr. PHILLPOTTS shirks his
problem, _Teddy Copplestone_ need not have been a bounder (the odds
indeed were against it), nor need his cigars, his champagne or his music
have been so bad. But then we should have missed a diverting piece of
fun and have been saddled with a solemn problem-play unsuited to the
(alleged) gaiety of the hour.

The general level of the playing was high, and, after a somewhat nervous
opening (and perhaps just a few affectations of the fourth-wall school),
the piece swung into a pleasant rhythm.

Mr. ERNEST THESIGER interprets with consummate ability Mr. PHILLPOTTS'
amusing and original creation, this puss-in-gaiters Machiavelli, _St.
George Exon_. Miss LILLAH MCCARTHY (_Monica_), in the familiar _role_ of
beauty in revolt, had an easy task, which she fulfilled very agreeably.
Miss ALBANESI (_Eva_) put brains and fire and (not at all a negligible
gift of the gods) precise enunciation into her work. Mr. FEWLASS
LLEWELLYN and Miss MARY BROUGH were quite delightful as old
_Copplestone_ and his wife. Mr. CLAUDE KING as _Teddy Copplestone_ had
perhaps the most difficult task, a part that by no means played itself,
but needed a sustained skill, duly forthcoming. But I think the
performance that pleased me most was that of Miss EVELYN WALSH HALL, a
name new to me, in the small part of _Unity Copplestone_, played with a
directness and sincerity which was quite distinguished.

Let me add that the flapping of eyelids (to which I have referred in my
remarks on _The Cinderella Man_) is here also a feature. One member
of the cast (of my own sex, too) gave a display of virtuosity in this
_genre_ which was technically superb.

Two insignificant details of management caused me some amusement.
The solemn clang of a gong presaging doom as dire as OEDIPUS'S (and
incidentally inaudible to cigarette smokers in the foyer) gives notice
of the resumption of the play, while at the end of the Acts the curtain
flutters up and down at a feverish pace as if the idea was to get in as
many "calls" as possible before the applause stops. Are we as guileless
as all that, I wonder? And, anyway, no such manoeuvre was necessary. The
applause was hearty, the laughter spontaneous, and anybody who cares for
plays made and played with brains should go and see this engaging piece.

T.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Taxi-driver._ "WHERE ARE WE ALL OFF TO?"]