Menari, the Malay Dancing Maid

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

No dialogue is sent with this and it appears there is none, the story being told in action and illustrated by dances. It is the old story of a native girl in love with an Englishman and a tragedy resulting, and it is stated that the story actually happened - as indeed it may have often happened. The girl falls in love with him as he is playing his violin, but she is to be married to a native chief and he is called away on duty. The two men fight, the chief trying to break the violin. The marriage ceremonies take place. After then the chief insults the girl Menari and the Englishman knocks him down. The chief contrives to kill the Englishman and Menari adventures him with the chief's own Kris. Then, demented, she images in the Englishman still playing his violin and after a mad dance falls in a heap. There is nothing necessarily wrong in all this even if it were told in words and being without words it should hardly have so severe a rule applied to it as plays with dialogue have, in view of the ballets d'action (which are practically wordless plays) presented in London to which so wide a license has been accorded. It is, of course, impossible to tell before they are given if any of the dances have anything objectionable in them. I notice, however, one incident - page 7 - where the chief makes the girl 'disrobe': it might be well to require that only an outer garment be taken off. But evidently the whole intention is to produce a beautiful and artistic effect (see page 2) Recommended for license. G. S. Street.