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  The
Argosy Players in: Serenade Without Strings by William Brookes (Staff)
Staged: 13 to 15 December 1951 at Crane Theatre Hanover Street
Liverpool
Serenade Without Strings is a landmark production for the
Argosy players, in two distinct ways: This is the first time that the
Argosy Players are seen as a company of players in their own right. Until
1951 their productions formed part of the Drama Section of Martins Bank’s
society of the Arts. Although the Players will feature in future Society of
the Arts events, they are now free to compete on the public stage alongside
the many small amateur theatrical groups in the Merseyside area. What also
makes 1951’s production “Serenade Without Strings” significant, is that it is
written by a stalwart member of the group, Bill Brookes. Mr Brookes it a
talented all rounder, he not only writes, but acts and sings, AND produces a number of illustrations and cartoons for
Martins Bank Magazine, which are a large body of work in themselves.
It is perhaps testament to Bill Brookes’s talents, that Serenade Without
Strings attracts what is a record audience for the Argosy players, across the
three nights that it is performed at Liverpool’s Crane Theatre. In what will
become a regular feature in Martins Bank Magazine from this point on, we are
offered here for the first time, a comprehensive critique of the play,
complete with production photographs, as originally featured in the Spring
1952 Issue…
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Left to right: Jean Boothman, Hilary Parr,
Kathleen Horsburgh, Barbara Griffith, Norman Hubbard and Eric Wylie
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 The Argosy
Players certainly had something to be proud of in their production of
“Serenade Without Strings” at Crane Theatre, Liverpool, on December 13th,
14th and 15th, for not only did they act it but the play itself was written
by one of their members, William Brookes, and the music was specially
composed by Reg. C. Webster, a member of the Music Section of the Society
of the Arts. Perhaps because of this special attraction of a new play being
performed for the first time, a play by a local amateur, there was a record
audience, over 900 tickets being disposed of for the three nights. The play
itself was of the comedy-thriller type. The plot was carefully thought out
and the situations were tense, while the comic relief was applied at the
highest moments of drama most cleverly. Its weakness as a play lay in the
amount of explanation which the author found it necessary to put into the
mouths of the actors in order to clarify the situation: explanations which
should have been revealed by action as the plot developed. This accounted
for a tendency to drag at the beginning. Many of the lines were extremely
clever and there is every reason to suppose that, if the author keeps on
trying, professional production will ultimately surely come. The burden of
the play fell on Eric Wylie, the crook who masqueraded as the butler, and
he certainly held the audience. His diction was excellent and his timing
perfect. Maureen Dempster made a very seductive Maria and those who have
seen her in other roles cannot but admire her versatility. Her rendering of
the rebellious Italian girl friend of the chief villain was quite one of
her best portrayals and we are only sorry that the attraction of her
colourful dresses and make up is not conveyed by the photograph. The
American accent and general portrayal of the tough American was a bit
beyond Brian Isaacson and the play as a whole made “ character part ”
demands which were rather hard on amateurs.
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Left to right:
Barbara Griffith, Norman Hubbard, Kathleen Horsburgh,
Eric Wylie, Jean
Boothman, William Brookes and Brian Isaacson
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Left to right: Eric
Wylie, Brian Isaacson, Ken Johnson,
Maureen Dempster
and William Brookes
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Bill Brookes as the romantic Benno was first-class in
portrayal, but somewhat indistinct in his broken English. Ken Johnson, who
had to be knocked about, shot and bundled into a chest, certainly appeared
to be in an appropriate whirl every time he had a conscious moment. Barbara
Griffith, as the prattling, inconsequential Lady Pitridge achieved her
greatest success, in our opinion, since she has acted for the Society. Jean
Boothman, as her daughter, is definitely one of the “ finds ” this season
and we shall hear more of her. She gave an extremely good performance,
displaying no mean talent. Hilary Parr as the pert schoolgirl who has the
habit of always being where she is not wanted, or doing something she
shouldn’t be doing, gave a delightful rendering of the part, and displayed
all her usual disarming freshness. Seeing her, dressed as a young
schoolgirl, it is hard to realise how experienced a little actress she
really is. Kathleen Horsburgh as the masculine spinster one often sees on
the Continent was quite excellent but unless our producers take heed of
these remarks and stop “typeing” her we shall be very cross next time. She
is a talented amateur who should be given a chance to display her
versatility in other directions. Norman Hubbard played the part of the
drunken playboy who is really the detective, and did it with his customary
skill. He is a most able and reliable amateur. The producer was Howell
Jones, who, with a new and untried play had the job of getting the author
to alter and re-write parts as production proceeded. The success of the
show was as much to his credit as to the author’s, and we were glad to have
the enthusiastic support of the General Management and of such a large
number of members of the management and staff and their friends of the
branches in the Liverpool district.
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