ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"A MINER'S TRUST." "A Miner's Trust", was produced for tho Becond time by' the Meynell and Gunn Dramatic Company at tho Opera House lost evening to a higlily appreciative audience. The drama is superior to the average run of such plays, and is played intelligently by a company of even merit. Particularly able are tho performances of Miss Lillian Meyers, Miss Beatrice Holloway, Messrs. H. Bentley, A. Neville, and H. Halley. Only two more performances of "A Miner's Trust , ' are to bo. given. On Friday and Saturday nights will bo stored the ohild-play, "The Litfle Breadwinner," when will bo 6een, for the first time this seas6n, those two exceptionally olover child actresses, Queenio •WUlams and Maggie Dickinson, who will appear in the respective characters of Meg (the Little Breadwinner) and Bobby Trott. That capable actor, Mr. C..E. Stanford, is cast as Josoph Prior, the hypocritical time-server. THEATRE ROYAL Special merit attaches to the programme of pictures and oinephone items now being produced at the Theatre Royal. The views of Naples and of life in Central Africa make highly interesting travel pictures, and the dramatic, sensational, and humorous films are well selected. The Harry Lauder and other Heme on the ,oinephone were as warmly appreciated lost evening as on previous nights. The programme will be repeated till Saturday. THE ROYAL PICTURES. The exhibition of the Royal Pictures at His Majesty's Theatre last evening was again higlily appreciated. This evening an entirely now change of programme will be presented, when, as a matte of course, the theatre will be taxed to its utmost capacity. ■ A special attraction of to-night's programmo will be a film of tho Grand National _raco for 1909, which is said to be the best achievement of the bioscope to date in depicting a horse race. ' . ■ ■ . * , v ■ • THE OLYMPIA BIN!? : Business is brisk at the Olympia Rink, morning, afternoon, and evening, witnessing one busy throng of patrons exhibiting their ekUI on the skates. No pains are being spared by the management in organising attractions. Tomorrow night a polo match will be played between tho following teams from H.M.S. Challenger:-?. Neal, A.8., A. Lorkin, A.8., E. Thomas,- Sto., G. Moore, A.8..N. Pullan, A.8., —. Jensen, Sto., v. C. Maynall, A.8., L. Moylan,- Sto., C. Dagg, J. Dunn, Sto., A. Levy, Sto., —. Corbould, A-B. The match will start at 8.45 p.m. Learners are notified that the rink will be open evory evening from,6 to 7.15 o'clock. The entrance is by.the side door. PHYSICAL CULTURE DISPLAY. " An attractive demonstration of physical culture was given last evening ; the .."open night", of the Wellington Physical : Training School and Gymnasium. Troops of boys and, girls, young men and young women, took part in the display with evident enjoyment of the exercise. A pleasing exhibition of mass work was followed by dumb-boll exercises on the port df the boys, and olub-swinging by the girls. A ladies' figure march, men's Swedish drill, and performances with the-parallel bars,'horizontal bars, and vaulting-horse displayed ,the variety and high quality of the training whioh is given by the 6ohool. There was a large attendance of parents and friends, and their appreciation of the exhibition was enthusiastically expressed. Mr. B. Dovoy, instructor of the eohool, directed the various exeroiscs. ..''.. , :

DE. BAENAEDO'S BOTS. Tho Town Hall was well filled" last evening whOn tho Kev. W. J. Mayers gave his concluding lecture on the Dr.'Barnardo's Homes.'-the Mayor(Dr. Newman) occupying tho'chair. Dr. Newman, in the course of his introductory remarks,'spoke of the pleasure it give him to preside at a meeting in-aid of Dr. Barnardo'e Homes.: It reminded him- of the timo when he was a medical student in London, and saw for himself the poverty and misery that existed there. . Now, however, he. was glad to say ..that much had been done to alleviate this state of things by philanthropists, but of them all none was greater, Dr. Barnardo.... A memorial hospital was' being built in London to his memory,'.costing* S23;000. v TKe"re. wiis'op.6 finer creedLthan:4'Lovo one''another;";and' there was no*.better, way of helping humanity"tli'an by subscribingiowards Dr. Barnardo's:noble work.The Eev. Vt. J,-; Mayers said they expected to have one,hundred.beds,:in the memoriEd; hospi- ! taleosting propartionatoly .£230 each, and they "hoped , to' get;that amount at least'in most of the large cities.' He would be surprised if Wellington did not give the cost of three beds. Already they had. received'tho-cost of ono bed here, and they'expected to make last, night a practical beginning towards the second. On the return.visit it was hoped the,'balance of what was required would be gathered in. The principles on which tho'.work was carried ont wore on broad lines.. No matter what part of the country they • oame :from, no matter what might bo thoir religious denomination, and no matter what physical defects there might be,- the doors were opened; so wide that no neglected child was ever turned away'. The work had extended over forty years, and • ,£4,000,000 had been spent, and sixty thousand ■destitute ohildren>not only rescued but started on honourable careers. 'A work like his was done, not for England alone, bnt for the Empire at large. ', At the end of his lecture: the Eev. Mayers showed a number of photographs of resoiicd ohildren, and the various homes and schools belonging to the During tho course of the evening tho boya who are acconipanying the lecturer contributed, under tho direction of Mr. Aaron, delightful selections on various instruments, the first number being "The-Boys of the Old Brigade" on.handbells. In answer to an encore they gave the i"Lcopold Gavotte," a composition of Mr. Aaron's. '1 hen followed at different intervals, with frequent encores,-a "Bendozvous" on: handbells, _"Pierrotte" on mandolines, "Plantation Melodies ' on sleigh-bells, handbell duot ."What are. the Wild Waves Saying?", "Black Bess" on xylophones and dulcimer, a Highland bagpipe selection, a cornet 6olo,''Tako a Pair of Sparkling Eyes," "The Song of the.Merry Chinamen," in costuuio, and various other items. The return visit of the Eev. W. J. Mayers and the Barnardo Boys will be paid on June 6. ■, :* : -. ;

THE CINQUEVALLI SEASON. , The. Wellington season of Mr. Harry Bickards's Vaudeville Company, will commence on. Wednesday evening next, and will be limited to eight nights. Paul Cinquevalli, tho famous juggler, heads the list 'of artists. Tho majority of his clever juggling- feats, such as tho cannon-ball act, the billiard table business, juggling with portmanteaux, umbrella,' cigar, and eyeglass was Been' when Cinquevalli visited New Zealand some seven years ago, but it is said that he has added a large numbor of astounding feats to his extensive repertoiro. The American musical sketch artists, liank and Jen Latona, have already made two appearances in Australia under Mr. Harry Eickards's management, where they became great favourites, but their appearanco with tho Cinquevalli Company is their first visit N to the Dominion. Jen Latona is spoken of as a brilliant entertainer, with musical attainments of a high'order. Lawson and Namon have many olaims to popularity. They are tho trick cyclists and ball punchers of the entertainment. Their "turn" is said'to be very interesting, as aro also those of Guest and Nowlyn, English patter comedians and expert dancers, and Mackinnon's Scottish Meistere, whoso Einging ot Scotch glees and comicalities is brightly spoken of. ' That favourite comedian, Tom Dawson, will also introdnco some new turns.; Miss Fanny Powers performs clever imitations t>t well-known artists; Miss Nellie Maunsell is the contralto, and Mr. Arthur Harris tho baritone of the company. For all-round excellence and individual ability this is said to bo one of the best companies ■ Mr. Biokards has ever sent to New Zealand, and as no vaudevillo entertainments have been given in Wellington for some' considerable, time, the short season should provo very successful. Mr. M. Marcus, tho manager, arrived last night from 'Auckland to make all arrangements for the opening. The box plan opens on Friday morning at tho Dresden Piano Company's warehouse.'."'.