Pink String and Sealing Wax

by Roland Pertwee

April  12, 13, 14  1956

Directed by  Betty Gedge

the programme is not available but the press articles of the time enable the following to be deduced

Review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" Young Wick Players' Success "

The play, although a murder piece , has its lighter moments, and the cast made the most of these.  A domestic drama set in Brighton during the 1880's the plot features a stern and dictatorial father, Edward Strachan, who has made a success of his life as a chemist and analyst and is determined that no member of his large family shall outshine him in any way. 

His eldest daughter Emily aspires to become a great singer and has been encouraged by Patti.  Albert hopes to become an engineer and Jessie longs to take up acting.  Father, however, frowns upon his children's ambitions and unwittingly causes them to band together in sympathy with each other and hide their many secrets from him.  Thus Albert becomes involved with Pearl Bond, a married women whose husband is the victim of the plot.

Mary Gedge and Jean Porter were convincing as Jessie and Emily, the thwarted sisters, and their diction at all times was clear and pleasant.  Patrick Johnson made the most of his part as the frusty father and Betty Carpenter gave one of the best performances of the evening as Pearl Bond.  Adrian Hedges, although he managed to keep up a fine Irish accent, was too youthful in his portrayal of the fiery-tempered Dr. O'Shea.  The need to put over an old man's voice as well as an accent proved a little too difficult for him.  Ralph Dawes played his son Ernest, Derek Wass, in the part of Albert, conveyed the boy's rather weak character, and the youngest member of the family Eva, was played by Wendy Hart.  Diana Hubbard was competent as the tranquil Mrs. Strachan. 

The play was produced by Betty Gedge and Clive Townsend as Stage Manager.  Lighting was by Frank Hurrell and the decor by Elizabeth Penney.

Another review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" Choice of Play Good "

The sets depicted a living-room behind a chemist's shop in Brighton in 1880.  Papa is a bad-tempered dictatorial family-man immersed in his work as a pharmacist and public analyst.  Gentle Mama is the buffer between him and his individualistic children, Emily rebels against authority, Albert is frustrated in his choice of a career and has an affair with a married women of ill-repute.  She steals poison from his father's laboratory to rid herself of a vicious husband and implicates Albert.

Jean Porter, as Emily, gave a competent, vivacious yet sympathetic performance, Patrick Johnson nobly sustained the characterisation [if not the deportment] of the irascible father, and Betty Carpenter gave an admirable little cameo as the wanton.

Adrian Hedges, a new comer with little acting experience, considerable promise in is study of the Irish doctor, and Mary Gedge and Wendy Hart did well as the younger daughters.  Diane Hubbard, as Mama, had excellent carriage and diction, but was at times inaudible.  Derek Wass seemed self-conscious and Ralph Dawes was not successful in playing within the period of the play.

Under the direction of Betty Gedge the production, with its excellent setting and costumes, had the right atmosphere.

Pygmalion

by George Bernard Shaw

October  11, 12, 13  1956

Directed by  Jean Porter

The Brighton & Hove Gazette of September 29th 1956 carried this piece by Thalia

The play was specially chosen as the Young Wick Players' own contribution to Shaw's centenary year, and will form the opening production of the coming season.

A review of the time

H.T.C

" Wick Players overcame 'Pygmalion' problems "

Their strength lay in fine acting by all the main characters.  Jean Porter, fortunately has played the part before and her performance was up to professional standards.  We in the audience forgot her as a person and saw only the bedraggled flower-girl who, like her own products, blossomed into a fine flower.  She got inside  her part with ease, exploited the comedy to the full and made the best of the more poignant scenes: a fine actress. Patrick Johnson, as Professor Higgins, was with the exception of one small scene well at home in his character of the mannerless, at times boorish, but naively well meaning cause of the whole story.  The exception was in the penultimate act, during which Eliza threw the slippers at him; he was inclined to resort to the melodramatic gestures more suited to the Victorian stage.  Seamus McGurk, as Higgin's 'partner-in-crime' Colonel Pickering, provided just the right touch of sympathy and understanding lacking in the Professor's make-up.  He, too, was at ease in the part and deceptively able.

Betty Gedge showed once more just how effectively an amateur can create a part.  As the professor's housekeeper she was ideal.  Her authentic Scots accent was maintained without labour, there was just enough of it, and she was completely in character.  Betty Carpenter, as the professor's mother, was another member whose part was apt to be over looked because of the ease with which she settled into it, while Ralph Dawes showed ability in the difficult character, Alfred Doolilttle, Eliza's father.  Other parts were tackled by Pat Holloway [Miss Eynsford-Hill], Judy Wilkey [Mrs. Eynsford-Hill], Ross Workman [Bystander], Derek Wass [Freddie]. Elwyn Wass [Sarcastic bystander] and Rosemary Pickett [maid].

As I have said, a feature of the production was the fine acting. But the Players do not deserve to be dismissed with praise only: criticism will, I hope, urge them on towards ultimate perfection.  For just as a feature of this play was its good acting, another was its poor stage craft - excluding the difficulties which arose from the altered sets. I fear that Jean Porter's sudden take-over resulted in a neglect of this side of the play, and there was an evident lack of co-ordination backstage.  Also, an attempt to bring the play up to date jarred, particularly with the introduction of the word 'tape-recorder' and the appearance of a bystander in RAF battledress.  It was also apparent that no great thought was given to the interval music, which could neither be heard easily nor dismissed from the background - a persistent fault with this company. 

The play was, however, exceptionally well dressed for an amateur show, and the enthusiasm behind the production prodigious.  They deserved to be - and were - strongly supported.  Their ambition is shown by their next production which they hope will be Sailor Beware, a West End hit that began its life in Worthing and of which the Young Wick Players will be among the first to give it an amateurs' presentation.   

A review of the time

Reviewer unknown

Southwick
" Pygmalion "

Another review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" Overcame snags "

The approach to production and individual portrayals was with due regard to the Shavian tradition.  This now classic comedy about the metamorphosis of flower-girl into lady opened well, and was sustained for three acts.  But thereafter this good attack weakened and some unevenness resulted.

Characterisation generally was good.  Patrick Johnson had apparently really studied his rôle of the turbulent Professor Higgins, for his scenes with producer Jean Porter - equally effective a Eliza, the part she had taken over at short notice - held one's attention.

From Betty Gedge came the portrayal of the pawky Scottish housekeeper: a very complete performance this, with the Scots accent maintained throughout.  The difficult part of Doolittle was well put over by Ralph Dawes, though his dustman's clothing wasn't nearly dusty enough!

Smaller rôles were adequately played by Betty Carpenter, Seamus McGurk, Pat Holloway, Judy Wilkey, Derek Wass, Elwyn Wass and Rosemary Pockett.

Another review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" AN EVENING WITH SHAW "

Young Wick Players Open New Season

On the stage, she sets a standard of acting which few of the other members pf the cast can equal; and though she took over the part at short notice only two weeks ago, when the original Eliza [Frances Moulton] had to drop out, she needs no indulgence on the score.

The production, however, would have gained considerably if firmer attempts had been made to dress the players in the style of the period and more care had been taken over the setting.  George Bernard Shaw gave a detailed description of Professor Higgin's phonetics laboratory, in which two of the scenes are played, but the décor here is somewhat perfunctory, to say the least.  A much better job has been made of Mrs Higgin's drawing room.

As Professor Higgins, Patrick Johnson has an excellent manner but needs to take his lines a little more slowly.  Betty Gedge gives a delightful character study of the disapproving housekeeper, and Ralph Dawes provides plenty of Cockney humour as Alfred Doolittle, the dustman

Others taking part are Seamus McGurk [Colonel Pickering], Pat Holloway, Judy Wilkey, Ross Workman, Derek Wass, Elwyn Wass, Kenneth Gedge [sic], Betty Carpenter and Rosemary Pockett.

The final performance will be given to-night.

One review of the time

H.T.C

" Young Wick Players do a good job "

For me, Betty Gedge made the evening, first as the delightfully earthy Doto in Christopher Fry's A Phoenix Too Frequent, and later in the evening as Catherine in George Bernard Shaw's Great ; no mean feat. 

In the former the set and lighting were effective and the cast of three [Dynamene, by Betty Carpenter, and Tegeus-Chromis, by Patrick Johnson], under intelligent direction, made the most of their lines and enabled the audience to savour this comedy to the full. 

I was therefore a little disappointed to see that producer Elizabeth Penney, while able to reveal the subtleties of Fry's humour, should fall down on the straightforward comedy of Shaw, for in the second main play there was just a little too much slapstick and over-acting, so that at times the effect was third-rate pantomime. 

Coy pose

Patrick Johnson, too, had a full part in this play, and I found myself getting a little tired of him: his voice lacks a wide enough dramatic range, and someone must tell him about his hands; excitement, emotion, emphasis - they were all signified by clenched fists on arms bent at the elbows.  But he did put over some wonderful lines in his coy pose.

Anthony Pelissier's November Afternoon was an ideal curtain-raiser which was well conveyed by Seamus McGurk, Valerie Briggs will do better as her experience increases.  A Room in the Tower, by Hugh Stewart, was a little too long for the second curtain-raiser and not, perhaps, a happy choice so soon after Southwick audiences had seen The Young Elizabeth.  Mary Gedge was an attractive Lady Jane and Jean Porter an able Mary Tudor.

Other parts in the plays were taken by Diana Topping [Tylney], Patricia Mason [Ellen], Ralph Dawes [Patiomkin], Patricia Holloway [Varinka], Derek Wass [ Sergeant', Adrian Hedges [Naryshkin], Judy Wilkey [Princess Dashkoff] Betty Carpenter [Claire], Joseph Moherne and Seamus McGurk [soldiers].  Frances Moulton and Patrick Johnson produced the curtain-raisers.

Considering the difficulties the Young Wicks did a good job with the four plays, providing many a laugh.  Oh yes, I did hear the music, thank you!

[Web ed: see HTC's review of Pygmalion to see the 'music' context!]

Another review of the time

Reviewer unknown

" Two Lively Comedies "

Young Wick Players Shine

The main part of the programme consisted of two one-act comedies - Christopher Fry's A Phoenix To Frequent and George Bernard Shaw's Great Catherine, both admirably produced by Elizabeth Penney.  In these two lively pieces, there was some outstanding acting from Betty Gedge, playing Doto in the Fry triolet, with Betty Carpenter [Dynamene] and Patrick Johnson [Tegeus-Chromis], and Catherine in Shaw's satire set in 18th Century Russia.

Curtain-raisers

Each of the comedies was preceded by a curtain-raiser in contrasting serious mood - Anthony Pelissier's sad little park bench meeting between a girl and a blind man in November Afternoon [Valerie Briggs and Seamus McGurk], produced by Patrick Johnson, and Hugh Stewart's all-women period playlet, A Room in the Tower, performed by Diana Topping, Mary Gedge, Patricia Mason and Jean Porter, under the direction of Frances Moulton. 

Those taking part in Great Catherine included Ralph Dawes, Patricia Holloway, Derek Ross, Patrick Johnson, Adrian Hedges, Judy Wilkey, Betty Gedge, Betty Carpenter, Joseph Moherne and Seamus McGurk.