2 APRIL 1943, Page 11

THE THEATRE

Junior Miss." At the Saville Theaire.--,. Strike a New Note." At the Prince of Wales Theatre.

FEW minutes after the curtain rose on the new comedy from the .S.A., junior Miss, my heart sank, for I thought it was going to rove a high-pressure American farce, but my depression lasted nlv a few moments, for I quickly realised that I was mistaken, and, deed, junior Miss turned out. to be one of the liveliest and most using comedies that America has sent us. It is played by an ll-British cast and there is no attempt to Americanise accent or nners. Nor is there any need, since the authors, Jerome odorov and Joseph Fields, working on a story by Sally Benson, ve kept true enough to life to give their play a general validity. e are shown a young, happily married couple with two children, th girls. The elder, Lois, is about sixteen, already has several oung men dangling around and affects to be a young woman of e world. The younger, Judy, is about thirteen, and still reoon- tructs everything that happens, in the family according- to her own omanticdmagination. The two worlds of adult reality and childish gination (stimulated by books and films) are shown existing side y side with such very great skill that the effect is exceedingly droll. udy is also an enchanting creation, and the play would be worth eeing for the brilliant acting in this part of Joan White, who can erself be little more than fifteen or sixteen. Judy and her child Tiend, Fuffy Adams (perfectly played by Peggy Cummins), are a :onstant delight, and I prophesy a long run for this original and nost amusing play. Children in plays are usually a depressing bore, )ut not these, who are well supported by a very efficient cast, in- hiding some admirably acted boys' parts. A word must be said bout the badness of the music, which streams aggressively out rom a loud-speaker and is quite inappropriate. It would be only c place for a crude farce, and is completely at variance with the rtistic character of this charming production.

Strike a New Note, George Black's new revue, justifies its name. t brings before the London public a number of new faces—chief mong them a comedian new to me, Sid Field, who has an indi- idual manner and contributes with Jerry Desmonde one highly riginal and diverting turn on the stale subject of golf. Even the icor has a fresh note and the show is tastefully dressed. In such ntertainments the music is of the first importance, and this has een very well chosen—especially taking are the numbers, " Watch he Old Man Go " and " A Saga of Susannah." Altogether an