Southgate County School

"The Happiest Days of Your Life", like most comedies, makes exacting demands on producer and cast alike. The normal problems of grouping, movement, and timing, are all greatly accentuated. Almost from the moment of the Headmaster's entry the comedy is fast (sometimes, you'd be surprised how fast) and the action furious. On a large stage, with ample room for what is a farily large cast, these problems would call for quite a high degree of producing ability: on a small stage, success such as Mr. Toobe achieved was really admirable. I did not observe one of the accidents that could so easily have happened - and often do happen in amateur productions. The grouping was notable for its balance and appropriateness, while the movement was almost always natural and unforced. To remark on the absence of masking is almost insulting. I most emphatically endorse your own Headmaster's observation regarding the timing. This was perfect: entrances and exits, often complicated by the demands of comedy on the set, often involving split-second judgement, pauses and interruptions in the dialogue - all contributed to make this the outstanding feature of the production side of this performance.

In the borderland between production and the expression of individual acting ability, voice production, the taking of cues, and the speed - where speed was so important - were all very good indeed. In fact, so conscious was everyone of the awful dangers inherent in dragging the play, that at times we were left almost breathless ourselves. Even in comedy, it seems to me, the virtues of speed can be overdone, and those of the occasional "go-slow" forgotten. But in such hilarious farce, enacted with such obvious zest, much can and should be forgiven.

M.D. Rust, as Dick Tassell, made a handsome and convincing junior Master, who might have just joined the Staff fresh from college, but he - wot, no handlebars - had certainly not supported, or been supported by, the bar of any R.A.F. Officers' Mess. But perhaps this was largely due to his make-up which, though obviously technically excellent, to my mind made him just what he presumably is off-stage.

D.J. Freeman made a great success of the slightly cynical and sincerely sardonic Billings. Could it be that his personal experiences gave him "background"? Anyhow, he was not merely very good but, I think, the outstanding performer in this cast. His gestures, his movements, his use of eyes and facial expression, show him to be already, for his years, quite an accomplished actor with a confidence and sureness of touch that should carry him far.

Rainbow (G.A. Harris) was very funny indeed and won his audience from the start. A beautiful part, but was this interpretation blunt and brisk, knockabout cockney, the right one? Bound by the original production, I suppose (though the film has overlaid my memory somewhat), I still incline to the slow, lugubrious, rather institutionalised Rainbow. But then I doubt if G.A. Harris would have been nearly so successful that way, so that's that.

I liked F.W. Bundle's Pond very much. He looked as if he could line up a dozen male- factors against the wall of the Quad, mow them down with the C.C.C's. Bren gun and then go to a hearty lunch with that irremovable (almost) grin still stretching from ear to ear. In his earlier scenes, he reminded me a little of Groucho Marx with his brisk organizing. On the other hand, his scenes with Miss Whitchurch showed beautifully the other side of every Headmaster.

What of the Whitchurch? This, I think was difficult for anybody to do well - even for an experienced actress of about twice Beryl Bragg's age. It is a glorious part, if only because of the glorious imbecility of the axe - "to break open the safe - for Julia's ration book" - but very difficult for a school-girl to do naturally; and therefore, I say, the Bragg did extremely well.

Hilary Culpeck, though with a character more straightforward and nearer her own generation to tackle, had the even harder job of creating a Gossage which should be her own and not an imitation of Joyce Grenfell's. She succeeded, though I think she could have been even more the hearty and over-grown school-girl than she was.

Joan Franks' playing of Joyce Harper was decorative and sympathetic. With a role difficult because of its lack of character, she nevertheless played it with zest and, having a good stage presence, contrived to make her mark. She played up exactly the right amount to Tassell - to have done so more would have tended to distract from the important interest of the play.

Of the other members of the cast, I think J. Saar as Edgar Sowter and Janet Tooby as his wife stand out for special mention. Saar's interpretation was the right one, and well supported his lines: but perhaps just a little too well. Arrogance, aggressiveness, pugnacity, self-importance - all were there in a very good measure, and I do not want at all to detract from that success.

There is not much to the part of Sowter's wife, but Janet Tooby made the most of what there is. The ejaculations which she made were bombs, dropped one after the other in a raging sea: "Ridiculous", "Effeminate", "Inexplicable", "Incomprehensible", "Edgar!" - each was given its full value, and the whole issued from that mask-like, severe expression, which was just right, required consummate control under the most trying conditions, and admirably constructed the formidable, gorgon character which Dighton wanted.

J.H. Aupers as Hopcroft Mi and Susan Harman as Barbara Cohoun, ('type casting?), gave spirited, "natural" performances. R.K. Sparrow and Jean Meur as the Rev. and Mrs. Edward Peck had rather thankless tasks which were neatly and faithfully performed with good characterization.

The set was so good as to be a painful reminder of an all-too-real experience of your critic: the lighting was, perhaps, a little too good for real life. The properties department was clearly under able management, and I have rarely seen such uniformly good make-up in an amateur production - partly because of the palpable skill of Miss Mayhew, but partly, also, because she had little or no trouble with people who could "do their own"!

This was a show which I and everyone in the Hall that evening most thoroughly enjoyed. We were extremely well entertained by a company which had the best guarantees of success - a first-rate play, unbounded enthusiasm harnessed to much talent, and a producer with insight, skill, energy, and imagination.

R.W.N.V. March, 1956.

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