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A contemporary review in THEATRE WORLD singles out Alastair as giving "an impressive rendering of the unscrupulous, scheming Cardinal."

There is very little fiction in the events of this play, even Malespini being an actual poet of the time. The palace at Cajano, in the garden of which the last scene takes place, still exists, and the incidental music in that scene is by Caccini, Court Composer to Francesco de' Medici.

Ellen Van Volkenburg cast Alastair as the Cardinal in The Venetian, a drama about the Medicis. Naomi found this to be a gripping play. For the first time Alastair was one of the principals so it was a big jump forward. They both thought he looked very fine in his scarlet robes and knew that no one in the audience would have suspected that Alastair was wearing his plus-fours underneath them. The capital A for art was beginning to diminish as he took himself less seriously.

At the end of the London run The Venetian was put on in AMerica. It was re-cast out there except for the four principals: Wilfrid Walter, Margaret Rawlings, Catherine Lacey and Alastair, who sailed out in August. It was to have a long tour before coming to New York and it seemed as though Alastair would be away for months. He hated America, apparently - the rush and bustle, the loudness, the need of so many of the men to appear tough in case they were thought to be weaklings - all these things made him ill at ease and his letters were filled with longing to be home. He was lucky. The play had gone quite well on tour but New York didn't like it much and it came off quite quickly. He was home by Christmas. He never went back, no matter what the financial inducement, and Naomi believed it to be sad in a way because in time Americans became particularly appreciative of his work.