2 OCTOBER 1936, Page 15

This is in essence an old-style blood-and-thunder drama, but the

blood is discreetly shed off-stage, and the thunder has been so muted by the restrained realism of Mr. Basil Dean's production that only an occasional rumble is audible. The mainstay of the plot are our old friends the Candida Trio— there are the ageing husband, the younger wife; the love- struck boy. The -wife's egregious lover, and a dark mystery concerning, the boy's parentage and upbringing complete the imbroglio. One is in constant, but vain, expectation that this mystery will be further resolved, and that the relationship of the trio will be found to be of an almost Sophoclean coMplexity.

Like so many plays whose values are of the theatre only, this provides good opportunity for effective acting. Miss Edna Best, Mr. Nicholas Hannen and- Mr. Francis Lister are all as good as could..be, and it is largely thanks to them that the evening is tolerable. Mr. Geoffrey Keen makes ...an excellent debut as the boy. One looks forward to seeing