Last Friday, June 12, the curtain of the Little Theatre was drawn to reveal a large and chilled cast seated around the stage and a smaller and even more chilled audience huddled awaiting the wit and wisdom (wordly) from the lips of the readers. In case any of you have not guessed what this gathering was for, it was a reading by the Drama Club of Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband."

I'm afraid that this play is by no means Wilde's best. He became very tangled in his plot and has an unfortunate seriousness that doesn't [unclear: mix] with his polished wit. The characters are in nearly every case much too exaggerated. Lady Chiltern is over virtuous; Sir Robert is over conscientious for a statesman of the gay 19th century of Wilde. The stage was more like the death chamber of a concentration camp than the drawing-room of a society lady or the library of an eligible batchelor.

However, I shouldn't be complaining about the production as the play was a reading and in this respect the actors all put across their lines with the nonchalance necessary. Henry Connor, as the eligible Lord Goring, allowed the epigrams to flow off his tongue with an ease that svould have delighted any cynic; we all felt sure that at the end of the play he would have made an Ideal Husband indeed. June Scott, as Mabel Chiltern, got her man (as usual!). The early acts were livened by John Macdonald and Roy Melford, as two society dowagers, being pleasantly catty about everyone. Altogether a very enjoyable evening was had by all, despite the lack of warmth.

This Friday "Major Barbara" by Bernard Shaw will be read in the Little Theatre at 8 p.m. We have it on good authority that the hall will be heated this time.

Groaning Trojans

The Trojan Woman of Euripides has now devastated me twice, which is quite enough for one lifetime. This is a play of unrelieved gloom and tragedy. When one of the characters raises her voice for a few moments to contemplate some less gloomy facet of the future, such as the delight of plunging a dagger into the ribs of her sleeping bridegroom-elect, one feels that the play is going to pieces!

This is an excellent production in every respect, except for the poor reproduction of the music specially composed by Douglas Lilburn. Gracic Gordon as Hecuba sustains a part of almost fantastic intensity. The chorus comes across with infallible timing and great clarity, no easy task with a group of a dozen. The producer, Maria Dronke, merits special congratulations.—J.R.J.