WBHS_School_Magazine_1966 LR 01

I went last week to tbe opening nigbt of Mr.
Peacock's production of "Tbe Caine Mutiny" and
came out over two bours later botb surprised and
deligbted. I bad already beard the play on tbe
radio, tbought it excellent, and wondered how it
would come out on stage. Now, thanks to Mr.
Peacock's extraordinarily efficient producing and
handling of performers, I cbeerfully support the
unanimous verdict that it was a great success,
and not easily forgotten.
I was astonisbed at tbe ease with whicb the
performers acted their parts, and the almost total
lack of stage fright or prompting was most praisewortby.
Micbael Herbert, playing tbe lead, gave a brilliant
performance as Captain Queeg. His last
outburst .in tbe witness box was tbe best and
most memorable part in the play. In making the
most of every sentence he scored a triumpb in a
most difficult part.
Kenneth Kesner used talents I did not know
he possessed as defending attorney Greenwald,
and made a great success of it. He was faultless
in lines and stage-movement and carried off the
difficult final scene as a drunkard, most convincingly.
"THE CAINE MUTINY"
AJso wortby of much praise is Taki Kyriacos
as Lieutenant Maryk. Once he wore into his part
he was excellent and he bad some particularly
striking moments wben be was cross-examined
near the end. His voice is good and he was another
great asset to the play.
The Anderton brothers both portrayed doctors
and were higbly entertaining in tbeir parts. The
defending attorney's argument with Dr. Bird is
worth mentioning bere as a very well-acted scene.
William Anderton was Dr. Bird and Patrick was
correctly overbearing as Dr. Lundeen.
Keith Brown seemed rather small for the part
of a naval captain but he succeeded in carrying
it off. I liked Jonatban Benjamin as Lieut. Keith
and Peter Furman as Lieut. Keefer very much.
Robin Burns managed a hard part quite amusinglyand
Norman Coates, although baving a less
fIIamboyant script, was also good as tbe prosecuting
attorney.
An enormous amount of hard work went into
tbis play from the producer and cast, and the
result was highly laudable, as shown by the
applause and the very genuine curtain-calls.
R. FrrzWTLLlAMS.
Adjudicator's
TALENT EVENING, 26th September, 1966
Report:
Three judges acted independently, having first
agreed that they would award balf the points for
the quality of the subject matter, a quarter of tbe
points· for stage-craft (good speech, singing, posture,
and so on), and a quarter of the marks for
good taste and style. One judge emphasised (at
least to himself) that mus.ic should include melody,
harmony, rhythm, and variation of texture and
interpretation.
Of the 'group' performances, the 'Nazi'skit,
led by Milliner, gained 34t points of a maximum
of 60, and took first place.
The 'pop' groups did not lag far behind; their
music was of a high 'pop' standard - it had
rhythm and melody, but tended to be too loud.
These groups lost points for displaying little
originality - possibly the fault of the medium.
Of the individual performances, solo and duet,
first place was gained by Coates and Loury with
their Folk Songs and guitar accompaniment.
55
Theirs was tbe most polisbed performance, and
they also revealed pleasing touches of originality.
Runners-up were the other guitar duetists, Benjamin
and Sesselberg, who sang with sympathy and
understanding, though not always with perfect
intonation. Anderton, in his four-part sketch,
captivated the house, and took third place. Other
contestants who earned tbe judges' approval were
Clay and Barrett (violin and piano), Roberts
(piano solo) and Pam, whose folk songs with
banjo/uke' accompaniment were not aided by a
breakdown in tbe mike and amplifier.
The audience rightly showed its appreciation of
the humour of the compere, Micbael Cann, wbo
performed a difficult task well.
Bruce Probyn deserves congratulations for
having initiated this 'Talent Evening', and we
hope that it will become an annual feature.
For consideration for next year's performance,
we would like to suggest that the entertainment
would benefit greatly from the services of a producer.