Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 26 December 1922, page 3


"THE SENTIMENTAL

BLOKE."

?

-4-.

For three delightful hours on Saturday night the Sentimental Bloke lived and had his being at the Palace Theatre

In his tribulations and in his triumphs, in his sad quarrel with Doreen, and in his reconciliation with her, in the company of the "push" outside Ah Chong's In Spadger'alane, and finally amidst the felicities of the farm, proud of his reform, prouder still of his Doreen, and proudest of all of his baby, the Sentimental Bloke In real life In the same lovable character as that immortalised in verse by Mr C J Dennis A comedy in three acts, the production was a triumph alike for Mr. Dennis the company, and all the others associated with it That the large audience appreciated it, as something definite and distinctive in Australian type and atmosphere, was manifest At the close of each art they warmly applauded the players Star at the final curtain, after Ginger Mick had marched" out of the scene, along the hard road back to the city, they showered the lady members of the company, with bouquets and other tokens and called for the author (Mr Dennis) and the producer (Mr Bert Bailey) When Messrs E. J and Dan Carroll and Mr Dennis invited Mr. Bailey to he associated with the produc-tion the tenth Australian play, incidentally, which Mr. Lilley has produced-he welcomed the opportunity The production had a long run in Melbourne, and should meet with similar success here It has the added merit of being entirely Australian

The comedy is not without one of two weak spots more, for instance, might have been seen of the Bloke In the opening acts and less of some of the subordinate characters but it is an excellent production for all that It is the love story of the Bloke and Doreen- the latter a humble worker at a pickle factory, and whom he met first of all at the markets when she was looking for some brummagem jewellery around which the comedy, and at times, rollicking farce, rev oh The piece opens In Spadger's-lane, typical haunt of the push" with which the Bloke associated before Doreen turned his mind to a better life, and exacted from him a way to cut the bone," the ' stoush and the "two-up." But the road to Doreen's heart is strewn with thorns He sees his and her happiness imperilled by the infatuation of one of the "push" for Doreen, and by the wiles of others among them, by a confidence trick to entice Doreen's uncle to get rich quick on the strength of a speck of gold which had all the alluring prospects of an El Dorado, but which turned out finally, by an ingenious climax, to be the battered remains of a precious set of false teeth, on a gold mounting, which '"Erb," the uncle's simple and melancholy farm hand, had lost years ago. The Bloke "cut the push " But the old, pugnacious spirit comes back to him in the knowledge that some of his former companions have won their way, to the simple heart and purse of the uncle, and that they have been introduced to him by no other than ' Snorky Otton," the "Strom at Cook." who is also trying to win the hearts of Doreen and her mother. One of the most delightful situations is when the

Bloke, hip old passions aroused by the machi-

nations of the "push," sets In hot pursuit of Steve Gunn," spieler and confidence man, and the latter's worthy apprentice, "Spike Wegg," figuratively breaks their heads as well as his vow to Doreen to "cut out the stouBh," sends the old uncle back home to safety, and then turns attention to his rival, Snorky Often, confederate of Steve Gunn and his other evil accomplice. If the uncle, seeing visions of a gold mine on his farm, did not quickly appreciate the inclusion of the Bloke into his affairs, he finally recognised in him a warmhearted protector by handing over to him and Doreen the farm amidst the rural peace and quiet which the Broke had longed for, after a taste at fruit picking In the country before he met Doreen Then there is the Bloke's appearance at the musical evening at Doreen's i home-a real vignette out of that typical

phase of suburbia which often finds its happiest hours at such functions-the reconcilia-tion with Doreen, and the inglorious retirement of his rival, after he and his confede-rates had been exposed It is in these passages, and amidst the crowning joys of domestic happiness on the farm, that the Sentimental Bloke and Doreen are seen at their best The rugged philosophy of the Bloke, in his views on life, the native wit of Ginger Mick, his bosom friend, who hawks rabbits, and the mingled comedy and pathos, are ample compensations for a little weakness here and

there

of the characters in Mr Dennis's work, which are best portrayed In real life on the stage, honours must go to Mr Walter Cornock, who, as the Sentimental Bloke, looks and plays the role to perfection and Mr Tal Ordell, as Ginger Mick They were delightful. Eileen Alexander, as Doreen although effective, did not appear to fit into the picture quite so well, she left the impression at times of a delicacy and refinement of bearing a little foreign to her end Ironmont Generally, however, she acquitted herself well in a difficult role The cast also included Stella Payter, as Doreen's "Mar," Mr Edward Landor, as Uncle Jim, Mr Leslie Gordon, a delightful simpleton nB '"Erb, the farm hand," Mr. Herbert C Walton, as "Artie Apps," Mr F Brown (the "Strom at foot"), Mr Arthur Shirley (Steve Gunn spieler and confidence man), Mr B Egan (Ah Quong) Mr J Souter (Spike Wegg), Iza Crossley (Fine), Alice Walton (Mrs EntvAl3tIe), and Alfreda Bevan (nurse).

Mr. Dennis, in acknowledging the enthusiastic call for him at the close, expressed his appreciation of the reception accorded to an entirely "Australian play, and of the work of all associated with it. Mr

Bert Bailey, who also had to come on to the stage, said that distinctive Australian comedy of this character, written by an Australian author and produced by an Australian company, must help to pave the way for the wider recognition of Australian works (Ap-plause ) _______________________