Feb 1951

THE SCHOOL PLAY "THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING"

By Christopher Fry "In the past I wanted to be hung. It was worth while being hung to be a hero, seeing that life was not really worth living." So said a convict who confessed falsely to a murder, in February, 1947; and, insofar as the story of Christopher Fry's play matters, that is the story.

Thomas Mendip tries to get himself hanged for a murder he did not commit, in the small market town of Cool Clary "in 1400 either more or less or exactly". The attempt to achieve notoriety brings Thomas Mendip into the house of the Mayor, and into touch with various members of the Mayor's household; and especially he meets, unexpectedly, Jennet Jourdemayne, who is believed to be a witch, but who is "not for burning". But it is not the story, and certainly not the minor episodes in it, which makes this play so intensely interesting.

The author is one of two successful Christian playwrights at present writing for the London theatre, and it is a very long time since that has happened, and his play is written with poetic imagination and with sparkling wit. This play achieved a very considerable success on the London stage, and was received with acclamation on its recent production in New York. The lines are packed with utterly unexpected and poetic metaphors; and the wit is, at times, extremely subtle. Indeed, anyone who wishes to enjoy this play to the full is strongly advised either to read the play first, or else to see it more than once. The play seems better each time one sees it, and there are not many modern plays of which that could be said.

The very merits of Christopher Fry's writing make his play a difficult one to produce and to act. There is little or no dramatic action, and the lines are difficult enough to learn and very difficult to "get across" to an audience. Extremely good diction, exquisite timing, and superb quickness on cues are necessary if the play is to be fully appreciated. But the play was a success, let there be no doubt about that. It was said during rehearsals this year that Mr. Burgess could get talent out of wood. Certainly it was no light task to produce this play with inexperienced actors on so small a stage; and rumour, a lying jade if not a witch, says that a large number of cigarettes were for burning before this excellent result was achieved. But not even Mr. Burgess could have produced this play without a tremendous amount of hard work and co-operation from his players.

The chief responsibility rested on M. E. Kershaw as Thomas Mindip, and he rose to the occasion most admirably. Kershaw made full use of a very nice speaking voice and said his words beautifully : and he used so much larger a compass in his voice than anyone else —with perhaps one exception—either this year or last, that it was a real pleasure to listen to him. This was a really good performance, and he was supported by C. V. Roberts as Jennet Jourdemayne, the 23