The Old Mancunian Autumn 2021
Rewind
THE PEDAGOGUES, 1952 The Pedagogues certainly did it again this year. It is not for a reviewer, or anyone else, to say whether it was better or not than last year, because the unique atmosphere which the Pedagogues create is not calculable in recollection; all we can say is that we enjoyed ourselves as much as we have done before, and that alone is more than sufficient commendation.
Pedagogue sketches present an interesting study of evolution—they either come -to-be and pass-away as Aristotle used to say, or else the species becomes established. Of the latter class, the Field song sequence is perhaps the most firmly established—and may it long be so. This year's was better than ever. Rather learned parody continues to amuse, and if the excellent "Lady's not for Learning" fell upon some deaf ears, that was surely the fault of the deaf ears; let us continue to have our high-brow slapstick. The contemporary satire (this year a rather nostalgic and heartfelt comment on education theory from Mr. Cooke, who ought to know) admits of infinite variation; and I hope that there will be many more Mum and Dad sketches, so long as Mr. Lingard and Mr. Winterbottom are there in the title parts. Of the transient type, "As others see us" was a happy inspiration, and "The Four High Masters" was far too good to go on while the audience crashed back from their coffee. Bloggitt though adeptly performed, has I imagine had his day; nor do I imagine a
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Welsh song cycle will be seen, tempting though it is to think of Mr. Corbett as a druid, or Mr. Parnaby playing a harp. Mr. McGuire and his music deserve a paragraph of their own. Not only does he play in the dark amid a welter of stage hands, but he obviously must spend many hours writing the music. His own short recital was a great success—could we not have two pieces of that length? As for the cast; Mr. Raistrick made a welcome first appearance; his good boy qualified him for U.4A, and his size, which contrasts with that of most of the other Pedagogues, is going to make him a frequent victim of younger female parts. The restored Mr. Bristow was a great source of strength. He looks preternaturally like a schoolmaster in a cap academic, and has, among his other talents, a gift of conveying a wealth of expression by moving his eyes (nor do I solely refer to his part in "The Lady's not for Learning"). Mr. Hewitson this year displayed great gifts as a commentator, and his remarkable left-wing educator showed that there is a whole new class of parts for him in future productions. Of Mr. Corbett, we saw much more than last year— but his triumphant Spiv precludes mention of the rest. We normally think of these people as thin men but, of course, logically, this should not be the case, and Mr. Corbett's creation seemed therefore all the more terrible and sinister. There was a point at which highly-bred ladies in the audience recoiled sharply, so real was