After having played at their own school, at Ratu Kadavulevu School and at the Town Hail; Levuka, the boys of
Queen Victoria School on Thursday gave two performances in Suva of the century-old hilarious comedy by Nikolai Gogol, The Government Inspector.
The two-hour riot of laughter was yet another taxing effort for boys of a school which for years has presented many fine dramatic performances.
Except for the occasional slip-ups inevitable in juvenile stagedom, the 1970 actors came through with flying colours.
The performances in the Suva Town Hall auditorium yesterday were for school audiences, who delighted in the humorous intrigue unfolded in Gogol's satire on Russian officialdom of his day.
Produced by Mr Ian White, with stage-manager and stage-designer Mr John Malacek, the play, harks back to the grim days of 1830 Russia, when the Czar would, dispatch inspectors to towns and districts to check upon administration, and banishment to Siberia was likely for those found to be falling down on the job.
The Government Inspector tells of a bogus inspector who arrives at a small town and takes the local officials, from the Mayor downwards, for everything he can, including hundreds of roubles in "borrowed" money. |
He spoke his lines well and his acting and stage presence were worthy of full marks.
Cagi Takayawa, playing "Anton Antonovich, the Mayor, carried off' his difficult part well, but his words were not always as audible as the audience would have liked.
Stealing a large part of the show were Qoriniasi Lawe and Mosese Lesuma as a couple of almost twin-like boys who manage to poke their noses into town council affairs.
Anna Andreyevna and Mary Antonovna. the Mayor's wife and daughter, were well portrayed by Jimione Kaci and Kitione Sikivou.
- Frank Tinsley |
