ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 396, 4 January 1909, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

'..<. ■:.l'- ; .-, .■'■'■ -— —8 ' '. —' ■' ; - : - ■■ ■--.' T-v; "THE TAMING OF THE SHREW." '!'. ■It is g, rare, pleasure to witness 1 so bright a; performance' of a Shakesperean comedy as that given of "The Taming of ' the . Shrew" by 'the -Williamson Star Dramatio. Compaq , . It is a" far cr>' from so intensely a modern play as , "The Thief" to the quaint old com-edy-'-in'which' the curing of a distempered woman ..and- wife is the cause celebrej and yet the company throughout showed;, a ready aptitude,' and a good level of merit'. . was achieved. Some of ■ the. players might remember; that. Shakespeare demands as clear an ehurioiatipri as possible" While avoiding : pedantry in speech, and that tho least tendency to, slur the words.is fatal to the com;plete- comprehensibility of what is being' saW as far , as ; :the audience is concerned. It is afar cry to the last production of "The Tamirig'.of. the Shrew" in •Wellington, for it was last performed, .if we mistake not, in May, 1879, when Creswick was the Petruchio, Helen Ashton, the shrewish wife, and old Harry'Power'Grumio. It is much too long ago to make any comparisons. In the prer sent production . Mr. , . Henry • Kolker simply revels .in the part of There is, a breezy,-boisterous bluff hilarity permeating ,his; rough' : and' ready methods of eradicating the ; irascible temper, of his well-dowered Kate. He 'struck the , right key from his first "Good-morrow, Kate!" and never lost tonevthrouehbut' a oapital' performance. Miss Ola Humphrey j made a capital Katherine, though a-little. deficient in , vocal power," butshe suggested admirably the ungoverned fury of woman held in leash; and withal looked fair enough to account for Petruchio's training troubles. Mr. Cyril Mackay ..made .;■ a ' .. handsome... clear:spoken .Luoentio".,' 'The Shakesperean dicvtion .■ ■of -//Sydney-'■ 'Stirling as Horten■sio would-be: better , if-it'were not so gliblyl"cpnversational.- Mr.. Weir's Baptista were the.clowns Grumio :(Mr7 Dioni Titiieradge) and Biondello (Mr. S. speech of the latter der scribing: the '_horseVof']Petruchio wae recited with*jio little':humdur.": Miss.Alma-Vaughan ■made;';'a/'/ delightful Bianca,. andl one of the. prettiest and- cleverest scenes of the comedy <concerns'her wooing by the rivals; Lucentio anolrHotensio,-iwhen. : ~ disguised as -tutors.' THereiitj;ji6 i over-elaboration in the scenery,yet are' in artistic keeping with the times. "■■;" The Taming of the Shrew" will be flayed; for, a few- nights longer,, when it ;will/giy.efplace to '.'The Village Priest. , -? vV. ':} ■■?//" "'theatre royal; : ■'■ " : A-/good-'beginning .'.of-the' year has been . ; mad6>at'-'the^Theatre /Royal. /' Saturday's change , 'met-with' the unanimous approbation of I another;'crowded audience.- -The picture' round, which-centred the greatest interestis, that .taken;in:different-parts of Sicily.' Some, of the districts .which have been affected by the severe earthquakes reported- a few: days -.ago.'-.'.-.'"- The views of : Palermo are sjpecially.good.-'This part of the world furnishes ;another, fijm included in .the week's programme../. It is'entitied "About Venice.iri a Gondola," -and presents all the , more fam'an'd' : bridges. of the beauti-.. ful city.; i": The .Serpentine" :is another taking-.filmy. , prettily .^coloured,'.- and.: in. it; is displayed'the graceful'whirlwind dance. Upon ',th6seV.who.U"feel?Mth- '■'the suffragettes, . an' ■'argument''of.one' picture, "The"Female P.oli--tician-,':*'.-.!. should .'have'-some little influence. The...fair^nominee;for a position; as Mayor dramatically refuses •; the much-coveted post clings.t^o,her home. Sensationalism and iirageay play ia Jarge-.;p'art in .the ..present, 'series;'.'"The-'.'.'.Fi.shefman's; Hate," : "The Rivals',", 4 ra'nd.."Greed ior Gold■!'". belong to t.is class'.,. On the other hand, "The Moth unter". isipne,of-,thV most humorous shown. To-night 'the'progra'mme'wiir.be . repeated.., % THEATRE. ;: :■■■ ■'¥,ori Satnr;da,y"two''.eshibitiqns of ah amusing: 'and-interesting:programme'.of moving- :pic-. tures'were-given; by.'the Royal Picture's inari-' children' resorted to.-the theatre' in^the aiid found .recreation in;plenty/;-They" watched with ; the .utmost"' 'sympathy?tlisthrilling' tales' /depicted on .the' : ecreeh, .and ..applauded" with- hearty vigour "When..the>hero of/the:picture-drama made his triumphant-appearance. . Their, sympathy; howevej, net exceeded by .their manifest; •delight when viewing.the.comedies of life,'as'.showri.in the humorous films.. In : :the' evening;"tKeif/elders'rolled' np to bring their holi- , 'days'to; '& ''plbse'by,'a''look.at the pictures, and 'though .not so: visible,,their appreciation • was evidently quite, equal to, that of the children." l -A'.-repetition of 'the programme will tako 'place to-nigKt:/. '•'■-'■;.••'•'... •'. ■ '.; : ■ -:, •• -'. : .':; - ;: ; f tV^CONCBRTAT^DAY'S'BAYi'; ;; '■*■'. >.;With.;a view of augmenting the church -.building- fundsj./the people of; Eastbourne organised ;a : moonlight'excursion to Day's Bay.' for,.Saturday night; A largo number of' ped•ple left Wellington by the Duchess, ■ and-the concert held :in the- Day's, Bay-pavilion was also; patronised; by : a'.great many of the residents of that, locality.; - In itself, the concert, ■ without the.pleasant trip,across the harbour;, .was'well 'worth' attending; ,-■ Conjuringy instr'u- > mental and vocal .items:,were, contributed by Misses."/Wihnieand.Flprrie Low, Myra Smith, and Daisy; Simpson,' and Messrs. C. Levers, H.. Wright; Geo.'ExleyVH.Rasey, and D. Kenny. All the items were well received, and • the venture' was; generally 'pronounced' to' be faßUCoess.i"- .y. 7- .. ■'■ ■'•-.''■ .-•;••■-. V" -:--'i '•'• : - - v THE SCARLET TROUBADOURS.- . - . .Those'who / availed/themselves of the .op-, portuiiity. of'; hearing Mr./ Edward . '. Brahsconibe's "Scarlet Troubadours" when they recently visited tbis town will .'welcome the' announcement.tHat they "are returning to give another season' at the Town Hall, commencing on' Saturday ,, January 9." ' The company are just concluding a visit to'tho north, and are to. Australia to reappear, theredurin'g the. early months of : the year. .Their ; journey, isvto be; broken: by .a. season of'eight nights in Wellington. .. • ; .:,. It must.be granted that too often when musical',performances of a'humorous character are'presented'to the public the singing is ,pf ',& very'indifferent.,naturej ■ music being sacrificed'-for humour. / This is hot .the case' with the "Troubadours," and Mr. Branspdmbe's object to 'show how much'more .•acceptable : such. music can; be made when inter-' -preted'by vocalists of refinement and repute, has been carried,intg effect, with the result .that'his.'.company.:have"heen attracting large audiences wherever they have appeared. Whether the item be' serious .or humorous,'.' the •Bame-'artistic,'nnish;*'n'ill be found to stamp .their'.efibrts. td;:amus'e, and to this, and the novelty they offer in both costuming, acting, .and suiging- their, musical numbers, -this-sue-:' :,fiess ; ,pue atjjjributecl." . ',-■•. : :--i I;.;;.; we.st:s pictures. , ~: ;"■ -There*-was ; again 'fli good house at the Town Hall on-Saturaay.;night'.to : witness a repeti'tidn of..Jh.,e, excellent of West's •Pjctures and; .Vice-Regal. : Orchestra. -7 THe. pictures'included many scenes of travel"in' ; flitreferit;.countries, .and a-num-ber; of humorous' stories. The orchestra con-'tributed-.very.; efficiently; to, the enjoyment >of patrons. The'programme will be repeated . to-night, and' those intending to '.'avail -'themselves of tnis'ibrjgnfcaM'pleasant entertainment should'make'-u'sß^of ; the 'concession: coupons-which appear-witih the advertisement on the first page '" : EDWARD REEVES RECITALS. ./,. To-morrow evening, in.tho Town Hall Concert Hall, lovers -of j ''Dickons" will/have an .ppportuhity.qF hearing his famous Christmas story-told.'by, Mr. Edward Reeves, ■ Prof essor "of-Elocution/of the-, Adelaide University. As the. story- of.''Dickens:B.' '-'Christmas Carol "is over .increasing its sale in book form, there ought to be a audience to hear Mr. .Reevei tell the story, in the language of the .writer aid.of notes of any description. : It'is'iiperhapßi"the one of Dickens's ■ works"'.'wnieH.*'b"est' lends. itself to the aitist, and-Mr ; .:''Reeves-comes, with a reputation or ■being .'.an. accomplished elocutionist, and the 'power'-:ioi ; pass from!.character to character, with au'easy.lyorsatility. and a clearness of endnciation'tbat will' -be/ delightfuf to all lovers of the great humorist. As the story includes the'doings of " Marloy's Ghost;" " Old Fizziwig's Ball," " Bob Cratehert's Christmas Dinner Party," " Poor Tiny Tim," •and'manf others, he" has certainly ample 'scopeto.display his,-artistic abilities. The ;box pTan"ia''now ori.'Viowat the Dresden.