St John Hankin’s comedy ran for six matinees at the Royal Court in 1906 in a memorable season which included plays by Shaw, Galsworthy, Euripides, Hauptman and Ibsen. It has not been seen in London since. Described by the playwright as a comedy for philanthropists, it gently satirizes two do-gooders, a mother and her daughter, who are in the thrall of a minister who preaches that true hospitality is befriending people whom society has rejected and nobody likes. When they entertain the most disagreeable and intolerable people in their home they discover their absurd altruistic principles do more harm than good.
One of their houseguests is a young wastrel who was thrown out of the army for embezzlement. He falls in love with the daughter and she falls in love with him. Her
mother, her aunt and the minister (who loves her) are appalled. Charity can be taken too far. Auriol Smith’s production has fine performances by Paula Stockbridge as the
dithering mother, by Olivia Morgan as her bright-eyed daughter and by Rebecca Saire as her sister-in-law, the voice of common sense. The first two acts need to be tightened and would benefit from some judicious cutting. The comedy improves immeasurably after the interval and Oliver Gomm, as the cynical wastrel, handles the
anti-romantic ending (which is so typical of Hankin’s comedies) perfectly.
St John Hankin (1869-1909) deserves to be better known. The Orange Tree has already revived two of his plays, The Prodigal Son and The Cassilis Engagement,
and they will be reviving his one-act play, The Burglar Who Failed, later in the year. I hope they will also revive his The Last of the De Mullins, thought by some to be his best play.