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THE SECRETARY BIRD by William Douglas-Home
Venue: Richmond 1983
Directed by Val May



Cast
Liz Walford Hayley Mills
Hugh Walford Gerald Harper
John Brownlow Geoffrey Davies
Mrs Gray Joanna Henderson
Molly Forsyth Kate Dunn

Reviewed at the Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford prior to tour


William Douglas Home’s The Secretary Bird is pretty good entertainment by any standards and the production by director Val May at the Yvonne Arnaud met most of the requirements. The play seemed a trifle tedious through slow delivery at times but the overall effect was hilarious and fully deserved the immense ovation it received.  The two men have the plum roles and they both revelled in them.  Gerald Harper played Hugh Walford, the aggrieved husband who called his secretary to his home, with great charm.  His dry tone of voice and timing of the many punch lines brought out the seriousness of his situation for full laughter value. Geoffrey Davies played to the debonair, self centred John Brownlow.  All the personal sarcasms directed at him were recorded in his face and movements and were thrown over with a shrug of the shoulders. The women did not have quite the same opportunity for laughs but Hayley Mills reacted splendidly to the ever changing situations as  she soughht to run away with Brownlow and get her divorce from Walford. Kate Dunn was the secretary bird.  She made it a bright and seemingly naive personality, and the housekeeper Mrs Gray was a hilarious comedy character played by Joanna Henderson. The  set designed by Graham Brown was a sumptuous Hampshire drawing room which did much for the play.