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Salient.The Newspaper of Victoria University College. Vol. 19, No. 4. April 6, 1955

The Thespians . . . Moliere au Malleson

The Thespians . . . Moliere au Malleson

Apart from the prologue—a well-meaning but poorly executed attempt to recreate the atmosphere of a production held in th epresence of Louis XIV—and the unfortunate pantomime effect at the end when Miles Malleson, the translator, neverts to rhyming couplets after having used prose for the body of the play, Mollere's "Tartuffe" emerges reasonably unscathed from the Thespian's recent production.

John Jenkins, aided by startling make-up and sombre costuming, was a completely odious and evil Tar-tuffe, and convincingly substantiated the impression which the supporting cast had skilfully built up of him in the first act, in which he does not appear. As M. Orgon, the credulous gentleman who is infatuated by Tar-tuffe's assumed saintliness, Kevin Woodhill brought to life one of Mollere's most fascinating but inconceivable dupes, while Joan Smyth as Elmir, Orgon's second wife, was impressive, especially in her two scenes with Tartuffe. But the star for me was Miss Jonny Eddy as Flipote, the companion maid to Orgon's daughter, who was a delicious little sui-vante in the very best [unclear: tradition] of Moliere character actresses.

The whole production was greatly enhanced by gorgeous costumes, cun[unclear: gly] contrasted to make an ever changing tableau, of beauty, and a simple but clasically designed set, which, although never dominant, formed a perfect background in this return of the Thespians to the stage of the Theatre du Palaise Royal during the reign of the "Sun King."

J. Dawick.