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 The Music Section
and the Argosy Players combined forces to present an entertainment to the
members of the Society in the Basement Theatre at Head Office on the
evening of March 29th. The Argofor Players have made quite a reputation for
themselves one way or another, mostly in connection with the Overseas
branch annual dinners and the annual reunions of Liverpool District
ex-servicemen. They certainly lived up to it on May 13th. Ken Johnson with
his ukelele and with his impersonations. Duncan Milne and Ken with their
skit on the B.B.C. street interviews, and the uproarious ‘broadcast’ by
Stewart Squirrell. Anthony Taylor, Ken and Duncan:— “Shine the Lamp on
Banking”. It was all very good fun. Then, after the interval for
refreshments, came the piece de resistance, a new one-act play by William
Brookes, “To-day the Feast”, never previously performed on any stage and,
judging by the performance as compared with the script, never likely to be
performed again with exactly the same words! The fun they had rehearsing it
was just nobody's business. This drama of Ruritania, revolution, grand
duchesses and a bomb plot was put over with an enthusiasm remarkable even
for an amateur production. The author himself took the part of the Third
Secretary, and it was not surprising that he portrayed it well seeing that
he knew how he intended it to be played. Marlis Harvey looked every inch a
duchess. Her figure and bearing were regal and her imperious manner was in
the best Continental tradition. Brian Isaacson as Colonel Alboni so completely
entered into the part of the heel-clicking, choleric, dim-witted regular
officer, that it was impossible to identify him at all, for an excellent
disguise had destroyed the last of his visual personality. Quite the best
bit of acting we have seen him do. Norman Leach as the revolutionary who
feels faint if anyone mentions the word “ blood ” also gave us the best
performance of his we have so far seen. His disguise as a member of the proletariat was utterly convincing.
And how nice it was to see Maureen Dempster in a new type of character
part, this time as the hard-bitten American journalist. Her stay in America
obviously helped her to do this realistically. Lastly, there was Hazel
Buckley, appearing on our stage for the first time, though she has for a
long time been a tower of strength behind the scenes. As the enemy within
the gates, so to speak, the receptionist who is all along in league with
the revolutionaries, she made a very promising debut, and we hope to see
her again. Eric Wylie compered the show and Reg. Webster officiated at the
piano. At the conclusion of the entertainment Mr. R. H. Price Chairman of
the Society, voiced the thanks of all the members for a very happy evening.
In the image above: Left to right:—Hazel Buckley, Bill
Brookes. Brian Isaacson, Norman Leach. Marlis Harvey, and Maureen Dempster
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