South Street Hall, Sheffield

‘The Sheffield University Dramatic Society, at the South Street Hall, last night, made the most of the many humorous situations in Arnold Bennett’s play, “The Title.” The playing was on the whole smooth, the promptings few, and the acting, generally, good. Nearly all the players, however, broke three cardinal rules, lowering the voice to a point of inaudibility, making movements without reason, and using their hands too much. These faults are easily rectified, and the production deserves better audiences than that of last night' (Sheffield Independent, Tuesday 23 February 1926). ‘Under the direction of the Sheffield Repertory Company, this week, the Sheffield University Dramatic Society are performing “The Title “ by Mr. Arnold Bennett in the South Street Hall. Whenever Mr. Bennett intends to be instructive he usually succeeds in being more amusing than learned. This accounts for his popularity. His “Literary Taste” and “How to live on 24 hours a day” are not at all strenuous. as their titles might make them appear, but the sort of thing one reads in bed, in order that the sun may not go down on our wrath. “The Title” is highly entertaining. It contains the usual thrust at the dishonourable way in which many titles are presented, and the usual things are said about journalists: things which are such caricatures that when one has laughed over them one forgets them. The principal conflict between papa, who will not have a title when it is offered to him, and mamma, who insists on being called “my lady,” “for the dear children’s sake” is interwoven with a subsidiary diverting “mystery” plot as to the authorship of some political articles. The play is exceedingly well presented. Not one of the eight performers failed to adopt the psychology of the characters, which were interpretated [sic] unaffectedly. One cannot pick out any one for special distinction, the team was so good. The cast, in the order of appearance, was as follows: Hildegarde Culver (Rita Horan); John Culver (David N. Ryalls); Tranto (N. Fieldhouse); Mrs. Culver (F. Marjorie Ward); Mr. Culver (J. Stuart Hawnt); Parlourmaid (Dorothy Outhwaite); Miss Starkey (Nora Patten), and Sampan Straight (T. Edward Allibone)’ (South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times, Friday 26 February 1926).