The Cicala Players - Winter Sunshine

The Cicala Players in: Winter Sunshine by G A Thomas - Staged: 18-19 March 1949

at The Fortune Theatre Drury Lane London

In what is described by Martins Bank Magazine as a “refreshing” play, our intrepid cicala players take to the sea in Winter Sunshine, set aboard a ship - the “Southern Cross”. The main character Sophie Lucas seemingly spend most of her time on the ship, sailing backwards and forward between the UK and Australia. As a frequent traveler, she is interested in the lives of the other passengers, and it is around this premise that the plot is woven. Now well used to staging major productions, the Cicala Players tackle what must have been a quite demanding production involving interaction between and amongst some EIGHTEEN characters. One quote does stand out from the review below, which is printed in Martins Bank Magazine in the Summer 1949 edition, and it relates to one particular character who is one half of an unhappy love affair: “It isn't easy to sit about the stage looking miserable and preoccupied, with very little to say”. The performances are all rated as good by the Magazine’s critic, and for the first time Arthur Odell turns his hand to producing what is a successful play in London’s West End…

For their Spring production the Cicala Players chose "Winter Sunshine” by G. A. Thomas, which was produced on the evenings of March 18th and 19th at the Fortune Theatre, off Drury Lane. It is a refreshing play, the action taking place on the Promenade Deck of the Royal Mail Steamer “ Southern Cross,” outward bound from London with passengers and mails for Bombay and Australia. The success of the play from the production point of view depends entirely upon the interpretation of the part of Sophie Lucas, round whom the action revolves.
On the Promenade Deck of the “Southern Cross”
Sophie spends her life travelling between London and Sydney and becomes the confidante of many of the passengers. She learns about their troubles and their love affairs, their hopes and fears, and helps and advises them wherever possible. Needless to say, she is a bit of a matchmaker, too. If this part is poorly interpreted, no matter what anyone else does the play falls to pieces. Renee Forder was undoubtedly the star of the piece, and played the part with all the humour, delicacy, sympathy and kindliness it demanded. She made us see life so very much from her point of view that, as an audience, we identified ourselves with her throughout, rather than with the passengers to whom we undoubtedly belonged. That was the measure of her success and it represented a great personal triumph. Isabel Simblett, as the young woman who had had an unhappy love affair, tackled the most difficult part of her career and she did it most creditably. It isn't easy to sit about the stage looking miserable and preoccupied, with very little to say. She conveyed the impression of listlessness and hopelessness to just the right degree, so that when she was finally shaken out of it the contrast was convincing.
Paul Myrton and Isabel Simblett	Marjorie Kendall, Paul Myrton, Renee Forder, Isabel Simblett, Beryl Farebrother and John Howard
John Howard, as the retired Colonel bound for New Zealand to start fruit growing, scored a bulls-eye with his first appearance in the Cicala Players. Most amateurs make a mere caricature of the “ retired colonel ” type, but his interpretation made us laugh with him rather than at him he was such a very human and lovable old boy. Beryl Farebrother, who played opposite to him, served as an admirable foil, and it was not apparent until quite late on in the play that an affaire du coeur was going to result from the somewhat vitriolic passages-at-arms which characterised the earlier scenes. A slight flaw in an otherwise excellent performance could have been corrected by the producer if the references to Birmingham had been deleted and something nearer to Bow substituted, for the accent Beryl gave to this part was definitely Southern and not Midland. However, she scored with all her laughs and did not make the mistake of over-playing the part. Another excellent performance was that of Paul Myrton as John Trench, the trickster who gains the affections of women for the sake of their money. The part itself was not very convincing because this heartless cynic had finally to prove that he had a heart and in the end yield to the influence of a good woman, but good must be made to triumph over evil and it spoke well for Paul Myrton’s art that he made us feel sorry for him when we should have despised him and glad that in the end, he achieved happiness beyond his deserts.
Marjorie Kendall played the part of Catherine Blake, the married woman enticed by John Trench. There are such women and she gave just the right amount of colour to this type who do not find in marriage the continuity of romance which, we understand, every woman secretly wants. The part of Captain Morton, the ship's Commander, was taken by Allan Whitmey. He looked every inch the Captain and had combined with his acting role the duties of Stage Manager, really too heavy a burden for one person, though this complication is sometimes unavoidable. Craig Batey took the part of George, the steward. He is quite versatile and those of us who have seen him in other parts were impressed with his latest performance; he always manages to convey so much by facial expression alone. Dorothy Bradshaw played the role of that nuisance aboard ship, the athletic young woman, and did it very true to type.		Craig Batey, Isabel Simblett and Allan Whitmey
Among the “extras” who played the parts of passengers, officers, and sailors, Norma Bird, June Chambers, Betty Evans, Maureen Grant, Margaret Walker, John Bevis, Eric Comley, John Dean, John Evans and Eric Webster, we may perhaps be forgiven for specially mentioning John Evans and Betty Evans, whose purposeful perambulations round the ship “ keeping fit,” added so much to the atmosphere of reality and to the amusement of the audience. Each of these productions has its own trials and misfortunes, but it says much for the excellence of the company that when a few hours before the first performance it was found that the set did not correspond with that anticipated and it became necessary to alter a number of entrances and exits, with drastic effect on the timing, there were no apparent hitches and no obvious bunglings. The play was produced by Arthur J. Odell and this first venture into the West End worthily maintained the standard of previous productions.