Evening star., 1941-08-26

play ends some 20 minutes earlier
than it does. That's bad, the more a
shame because apart from that,
The Wookey" is an effective dram
atization of the splendid courage
with which England's little people
have met Germany's little monster.
II THE Wookey" is less than
play in this respect, it is more in
others. With an almost terrifying
realism, it reproduces the din, the
smoke, the rubble, the death and
the horror of an air raid. Several
air raids in fact. Nothing could be
more dramatic, more admirably oon-
trived to disclose a view-or a pre-
view-of destruction.
Within this spectacular frame
work Gwenn impersonates one
Of the most completely lovable
characters war. drama has yet
produced. Horace Wookey, he
is, a rugged little Cockney tug
boat captain. THE Wookey" is a
man with an enormous pride of
nationality, a fellow so fiercely free
that he first is more willing to fight
the British government than that
'itler. And, even after he compro-
misses with Mr.. Churchill and starts
his own courageous single handed
battle with Hitler, he never sur
renders his right to denounce .the
high command as bunch of mo-
ronic muckers. A fascinating man,
the Wookey, full of a sly wit, a deep
and touching love for his family, a
proud sense that his home is his
castle, kindly way of dealing with
his own people, and an amazing gift
of criticism for the people in high
places. Yet while the framework
of his speech is encompassed by the
word "aye," and the phrases "less of
it, and mo brag," the end of the
play brings the feeling he has talked
a lot and moved very little.
Mr.. Brennan, whose love for the
Wookey is rather wonderfully COM
municated in his play, has spoken
freely in more than one way. That
is to say he not only lets his char
acters speak like citizens of a de-
mocracy in denouncing the higher
ups, but lets them use an idiom that
is direct and vigorous. If it is
vulgar, it is elusively so.
The action of the play covers
the period of September 2, 1889,
through September, 1910, from the
declaration of war to the aerial
blitzkreig which London never will
forget and humanity never for
give. 1t traces through that period
the development of the Wookey
from Briton who Is not going to
fight because he has been betrayed
to one who is going to fight be-
cause he's mad as blank at the
barbarous Germans. He is going
to fight his way, spurning evacua-
ton for his family, assuming COM
mand of his tugboat crew and his
neighbors, and resisting any official
encroachment upon his program. 1t
is brave fight, dramatic and
downright spectacular in its repro
duction of the aerial blitz.
The lesser characters of "The
Wookey" are drawn with a fine
skill by the playwright and intelli-
gently realized by competent,
largely English cast. In addition to
Gwenn's superb performance as the
wise, humorous, kindly Wookey,
other excellent portraits are those
of Carol Goodner as the tartish
showgirl, Heather Angel as the
sensitive, idealistic daughter; George
Sturgeon as the fearless, impish
Wookey male heir; Horace McNally
as the romantic, mercurial, dark
hearted Irishman, and Norah How
ard as the courageous, worshipful
Mrs. Wookey. The others are ade-
quate, the usual fate of "the others"
Robert Sinclairs sympathetic d.
rection remains an unfinished task,
one in which he will have to have
the cooperation of the playwright
on especially Act III and Act I as
well.
10 Mielziner's settings could be
called colossal if the movies hadn't
ruined the word. They can be
called colossal, anyway.