Mexborough and Swinton Times December 3, 1937

Mexborough Green Room Club
Successful Dual Production

Not since 1935 have the Green Room Club given a play in Mexborough, but last night, they gave a farce and a historical play, and with this double success have re-established themselves in public favour.

Despite bad weather, there was a good attendance and both plays were well received, as indeed they deserved to be. “White Queen—Red Queen”, a historical play by T. C. Morris is the club’s entry for the Doncaster Drama Festival next year and with a little extra polishing it seems likely that they may complete the hat trick and win the festival for the third time.

The play, which deals with the story of the struggle between Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn for the throne of England, was well produced. The honours of the acting go to Vera Carr who, with fine brazen glances, built up a scornful Anne Boleyn. May Roebuck gave a good study of the Queen. She played with quiet dignity and made a splendid conclusion. The setting was beautifully effective in a simple way and formed a suitable back-around for the rich medieval dresses. Lilian Whitworth, Mary Grisedale and Margaret Chipp, the ladies-in-waiting, chatted gaily arid were suitably pert and catty. Flo Wood, as Anne Seymour, moved quietly and demonstrated well-practised curtsies.’ Dorothy Kirk was well made-up as a fit companion for the elderly Queen.

Then came the uproariously funny “Storm in Port” (James R. Gregson). A self-made man returns from a cruise to find his house redecorated in an “arty” fashion by his wife, daughter, and sister. He reacts violently and then the fun begins. Cyril Wileman and Joe Brummitt and William Myers as his friend Tom Kettle-well, made a funny pair. They counterplotted craftily and played up well with Vera Carr as the pseudo artist, Jill Danvers. R.V. Hadkins put plenty of life into the butler’s part; Margaret Chipp was good as, the not-too-clever wife; Flo Wood dallied gracefully as the daughter; and Gordon Anderson as her fiancé was appropriately vague and incoherent. Dorothy Haig was the homecomer’s sister. But her mouth laughed when her eyes were fierce, and her lips were fierce when her glance was mild, so there was no telling what she meant.

Eric Rawlin was cleverly made up to look a villain, lurched well and spoke thickly.

Credit goes to the producer, Mr. J. Verdi Popple. Most of the cast were word perfect; but a slip that a good many people noticed was that the players’ gin-and-lime happened to turn out brown.

Further performances will be given tonight and to-morrow.