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The Argosy Players in: Jupiter Laughs by A J Cronin
Staged: 10 to 12 December 1953 at Crane theatre Hanover Street
Liverpool
  Christmas 1953 brings something of a watershed moment from
the Argosy Players, whose latest production packs out Liverpool’s Crane
Theatre on 10, 11 and 12 December.
They decide to get their teeth into what is, by all accounts a
fascinating and quite complex story, which requires high production values,
in addition to a high standard of acting.
A J Cronin, known to millions for his highly successful “Dr Finlay’s
Casebook” (which ran first on BBC TV and then Radio from 1962 until 1978),
writes a powerful and provocative story - “Jupiter Laughs”, which is a dark
tale of an atheist doctor obsessed with science, and his love interest whose
aim in life is to become a Christian missionary. The Liverpool Echo, which has long championed
Merseyside’s many and various operatic and dramatic societies, prints a
review of the play written by their correspondent Ken Heaney. As well as the
usual pictures and review published in Martins Bank Magazine, we also
reproduce Ken’s article, which is actually a glowing tribute to the talented
cast and crew of this production. It
goes to show that this particular arm of Martins Bank’s Society of the Arts
does not shy away from difficult or challenging material, and manages to wow
not just the local audience, but importantly the critics, with its offerings.
Although Martins Operatic Society continues after the 1969 merger with
Barclays, we see the actors drift away to join other groups, and to varying
degrees of success. As you sit back now to enjoy “Jupiter Laughs”, we should
point out that the print quality of the newspaper article is none too clear,
so alongside it we have also reproduced the words of Ken Heaney…
 The choice of the Argosy Players for
their Winter 1953 production was A. J. Cronin's three-act play " Jupiter
Laughs." It was presented at the Crane Theatre for three nights,
December 10th, 11th and 12th. We have had many excellent performances from
Howell Jones, but his portrayal of the doctor, absorbed in research, bitter
and disillusioned with life itself, was about the best bit of character
acting he has given us. The play lived from the outset and down to the final
denouement he never failed to hold his audience completely. His performance
was given added strength by the contrasting roles of the lady doctor who
falls in love with him, played by Nora Owen, and the hospital matron who
works to accomplish his downfall, played by Maureen Dempster.
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Left to right :—Howell Jones, Norman Hubbard, Peter Gordon,
Brian Isaacson and Nora Owen
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The
sweetness of the first-named and the vixenish scheming of the last-named were
each played with outstanding skill and the performances of Nora and Maureen,
too, must rank among the best they have given us. The play contains one or
two little gems of character acting and in a company of great strength it was
possible to make sure that these were allotted to experienced people and not
to beginners, as so often has to be the case with minor parts. Maud Melville
played the part of the mother whose son dies whilst under treatment and there
is a fearful risk with this part that the audience may not take it seriously
when first she appears. However, it was safe with Maud and she got a burst of
applause at each performance. The ward maid was played by Joan Webster with
quite deceiving authenticity, a most excellently played little part.
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Howell Jones and Nora Owen
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Joan Webster and Ken Johnson
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Howell Jones and Maureen Dempster
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The
elderly physician whom life has treated harshly was played by Norman Hubbard,
with a kindly, quiet dignity which won all hearts, and the occasional flash
of cynicism alienated nobody. We think his script should have been altered
from 70 to 60, however, in respect of his age. He did not make up as a
convincing septuagenarian. Two newcomers of great promise were Peter Gordon
and Audrey Little. Peter played the part of the young assistant physician
whose god is sport and his boyish love-making to the lady doctor had all the
gaucheness which the situation demanded. Audrey, as the wife of the Medical
Superintendent who carries on an illicit love affair with one of the doctors,
was excellent from first to last. These two are most valuable acquisitions to
the playing strength of the company.
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Howell Jones, Maud Melville and Norman Hubbard
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Howell Jones and Audrey Little
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Brian
Isaacson played the part of the Medical Superintendent. He had the height and
appearance for this somewhat pompous part, and he obviously knew how it
should be done, but we did not feel that his technique was quite equal to it
and the portrayal seemed at times artificial. Ken Johnson portrayed the part
of the representative of the firm which was willing to take the doctor
engaged on research on to their staff and provide him with the last word in
laboratories. We saw the performance on the first night and we had the
impression then that he needed to show a bit more blatant self-confidence to
get this part across to the best advantage, though the portrayal was quite
competent. The play was produced by Sydney N. Rimmer and was a very definite
addition to his laurels as a producer.
From
Liverpool Echo, 19 December 1953
Image
and Text © Reach PLC and Find my Past created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY
BOARD.
Image
and Text reproduced with kind permission of The
British Newspaper Archive
 A J Cronin’s
Play “Jupiter Laughs”, is a good theatrical essay. It is well constructed in
design, it has poignant drama of a domestic nature, a gripping story, and
principal and supporting characters to satisfy players and producer. I thought the Argosy Players of Martins
Bank’s Society of the Arts under the direction of Sidney N Rimmer, made an
excellent job of it at Crane Theatre last week-end. My interest in this taut little work was
aroused as soon as the curtain went up, and it was held throughout a well-rehearsed,
well-paced production. The effects
were well managed with the laboratory explosion just right.
 Dr Paul
Venner is the central figure of “Jupiter Laughs”, and Dr Venner required a
lot of understanding. Outwardly he was
uncouth, atheistic (experimental laboratory work was his religion and he
professed himself to be a scientist not a Christian), and not above cheap
clandestine amours, and the quintessence of rude behaviour in his
relationship with either sex. Not a
very pleasant young man, you see, and without the least suggestion of
over-acting or melodrama Howell Jones made him very unpleasant indeed. Howell jones and his producer obviously
agreed that behaving unpleasantly and talking unpleasantly on the stage is
not sufficient to project an unpleasant character. The able actor, as the
otherwise able physician looked quite objectionable too, in a cleverly
thought out study, and his stances movements and gestures to say little of
his facial expressions, were in keeping with A J Cronin’s demands for a
difficult but arresting portrait/ Dr
Venner had many crises to face (frustration by his superiors, an operation
attended by loss of life, and the sudden intrusion of a genuine love affair)
and in all these episodes behind the scenes in a hospital establishment,
Howell Jones was master of the situation.
AN EMBITTERED WOMAN
Calm and serene, the philosophical Richard Drewitt was not
however, unaware of the tense drama being played around him at Hopewell
Towers, and in this role I though Norman H Hubbard fitted perfectly into the
scheme of things. Fanny Leeming, the
Matron, who was never allowed to forget she was a one-time kitchen girl, was
an embittered and designing woman with a most disarming smile. Emphasising all the faces of a theatrically
alive study, Maureen Dempster with an assurance and poise I found fascinating
to watch, dealt most adequately with all the problems. Dr Mary Murray, the sweetening influence in
the affairs of Dr Paul Venner, was sincerely interpreted by Nora Owen. Audrey Little made quite a good deal of the
unsympathetic role of Gladys Bragg, and we had a successfully obnoxiously
pompous Edgar Bragg, medical superintendent, by Brian Isaacson, even if he
looked rather young for so exalted a post.
Two neat little character cameos came from Kenneth Johnson as Albert
Chivers, and Maud Melville as Martha Foster.
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