SEASON 15 (1943-44)
The Moon on the Yellow River
The Cherry Orchard
The Romance of the Western Chamber
Sea Flood
Martine
October 1943
THE MOON ON THE YELLOW RIVER
by Denis Johnston
Directed by Eric Voce
Designed by Eric Voce and Fred Robinson
Despite Alfred Emmet's misgivings that the production was not up to The Questor's usual standard, due in the main to sickness, holidays and a largely inexperienced cast, the local press were favourably impressed.
"
This is a play that needs seeing more than once to understand its message, and those who had already seen it in London, as well as those who had not, and some of whom attended more than one presentation last week-end, are indebted to the Questors for a well balanced, thoughtful and thought-provoking production, with a last scene, depicting a father's dawning love for his motherless daughter, which left a beautiful picture in the mind and a tender memory of hope to carry away."
[County Times]
Photos, programme and press cuttings for MOON ON THE YELLOW RIVERDecember 1943
THE CHERRY ORCHARD
by Anton Chekhov
Directed by Alfred Emmet
Designed by Gunter Heilbut
This production, which had called for an exceptional degree of hard work from the company, came to be ranked very high in The Questors' record of achievement.
"Before we had finished I think all the cast had developed a very special kind of affection for the whole play, to a degree which was unique in my experience," recalled Alfred Emmet. "Gunter [Heilbut]'s beautiful designs...were, I think, among the very best he has ever done for us, and came in for much acclaim."
The Middlesex County Times reported that the "House Full" board had to be put up outside the theatre for all four performances.
"The production captured the right atmosphere of aristocrat Russia in 1904, from the rise of the curtain until it finally fell on the classic scene of the old valet locked dying in the house on the estate where he had served all his life, while from without comes the sound of the axe that is felling the trees in the cherry orchard which is its pride and glory."
Questors trivia
The role of Firs, the old retainer who ends the play in the dramatic and touching manner described above, was to be the last role that Alfred Emmet played on the Questors Stage in 1985.
February 1944
THE ROMANCE OF THE WESTERN CHAMBER
by S I Hsiung
Directed by Alfred Emmet
Designed by Fred Robinson
The Middlesex County Times:
"An almost gossamer delicacy of texture and smoothness marked the four presentations by the Questors in their theatre at Mattock-lane, Ealing, last week-end of "The Romance of the Western Chamber," a Chinese play, translated into English by S. I. Hsiung, who lent the authentic records of Chinese music used during the production."
This was in fact a revival of The Questors' 1940 production. There are no surviving photos of this revival but the costume and settings were the same as shown in these photo's from the original 1940 production.
Kit Hutchins remembers Alfred Emmet having to step in at the last minute to cover a cast member who had been taken ill. They were due to take the play to an anti-aircraft detachment in Paistow and Kit had to teach Alfred the highly stylised choreography for the battle sequence. "Alfred had two left feet. He could not memorise a sequence of movements to save his life and we had a terrible night before when we were trying to rehearse and it was absolute Purgatory."
The next day the company took the underground to the venue, carrying the costumes and staging equipment with them. When they stopped to change trains at a crowded Mansion House station, Alfred decided it was an excellent opportunity for an extra rehearsal. "He grabbed two wooden swords and gave one to me - much to the delight of a couple of GI's who called out 'Atta Gal!' I was so embarrassed!"
April 1944
SEA FLOOD
by Michael Kelly
Directed by Eric Voce
Designed by Michael Kelly
This was the second full length play written for The Questors by Michael Kelly.
Although Alfred Emmet thought "the show. while interesting and highly entertaining, was not one of the highest peaks in our record of achievement", it was generally well received and in fact broke all Box Office records. "It entirely justified the expansion of the run for our audience to 5 nights. The total audience was over 100 more than ever before, and ticket sales also reached a new high level."
August 1944
MARTINE
by Jean-Jacques Bernard
Directed by Alfred Emmet
Designed by Fred Robinson
Unfortunately, there are no photographs of this production in our Archives.
Alfred Emmet's Bulletin:
"MARTINE as I write, is just entering the final dress-rehearsal stage. It promises well, I think, but we have a big headache in getting together an adequate stage staff. And audiences may be rather thin, as a result of holidays, doodle-bugs and other circumstances."
And indeed the audiences were poor, so much so that one of the four performances had to be cancelled.
The local press remarked on "the delicacy of texture of Jean-Jacques Bernard's play. It can, perhaps be likened to the egg-shell fragility of Sevres porcelain something easily broken, yet of outstanding beauty. Such a play requires careful and sensitive treatment, and this it had in full measure in the capable hands of Mr. Alfred Emmet as producer, and in the acting of an eminently well-chosen cast."