ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1355, 5 February 1912, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE IRVING SEASON. The Opera House Wi H well filled _on Saturday evening, "lien .Mr. 11. Jl. Jrvmg mid Company gave a seventh pcriormance of Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet. Owing to indisposition, Miss Dorothea Baird was unable to appear as Ophelia, the part being taken l>y Miss ]]01 '° 1! / n u"' who ordinarily takes the rule of the l'laver (Jiicen. Miss Brown s reading ct the' par; followed traditional lines, but she infused into her interpretation much sweetness in the earlier scene.-, and dramatic intensity in the mad scene, which Hindu her performance quite "• meritorious one. As she entered in llio mad scene an enraptured female voice from tho gallon- could be heard quite loudly all over the house, faying: "0, limy lovely!" II was a well-deserved compliment to Miss Brown's appearance in a notable scone. Miss Dorothea Baird will appear again this evening as Ophelia. To-morrow evening Mr. 11. B. Irving and his company will be been in that striking historical drama "Louis XI," by the late Dion Boueicaulf, a play in which the late Sir Henry Irving appeared with marked success. ".Mr. Irving is said to give a striking diameter study as the cruel, crafty, vacillating French monarch, who is so ably sketched by Sir Walter Scott in his novel "Quentin Durwaril." Tho new play will afford tho English actor-an admirable opportunity of dissaving his versatility. The booking on Saturday for (lie last six nights of tho season was exceptionally good.

THEATRE ROYAL. There was another good attendance at the Theatre Royal on Saturday night, to sec the vcrv attractive programme whk-h had been screened during the week. 'Hie gieat. kinemacolor picture of the lido with the Exinoor hounds was greatly appreciated, and the views of Constantinople, also, were much enjoyed. To-night there will be a new programme. The new kinemacolor studios to be included in the new programme this evening are as follow:—"The Biskara and Sahara Deserts," "Watchdogs of the World," "Reedham Boys at Drill," "Cairo, Egypt," and "Lady Barclay's Necklace." FULLEKS' PICTURES. There was a good attendance at the Skating Kink, Vivian Street, on Saturday night, to witness the final screening of the week's picture programme. Tonight a new series of films will be shown, the bill being headed by "Nick Carter and tho Mystery of the White Bed," one of the mosl sensational picture-detective dramas yet seen. Another good number' will be "Adventures of Rob Roy," while topical items will be shown in the latest edition of I'athe's Australian Gazette. THE KING'S THEATRE. • West's and the Royal Pictures airy pic-, ture house again attracted large audi-' dices on Saturday, to bid farewell to "Tony, the Typist." There will be an entire chango of programme this evening, when another notable film will be screened, " 'Twist Love and Art." It is stated that wherever this photo-play has been presented it has been received' with unstinted praise, and its production by the AVest's Picture Proprietary is expected to attract crowded audiences. Other fine subjects to be shown will be "Kit Carson's Wooing," which will bo pictured in that wonderland of beauty, the Ypsemite Valley, and is said to be acted by a strong- and capable company. "A Cure for Crime" is a comedy described as quite out of the ordinary, giving an interesting demonstration of the power of mental suggestion. THE NEW THEATRE. Large audiences attended the continuous pietttK! entertainment at Jlr.cmahon tnd •Donnelly's New Theatre, Jl aimers Street, on Saturday. A remarkable storr from i, ' . , ch a PP GaIs to young and'old, is vi ~• Company's "Through Darkened Vacs. the pathetic initurc of the plot and the acting of tho principals place this subject high. An exciting Western drama, "The Tables Turned," by the Bison-Company,,.isolated with realistic eiloct. "Sheep-shearing Contests" gives a vivid representation of the fast-sheari i» performances of experts using machine' shears. There are other enjoyable items oi various types. ' The programme will 1m repeated to-day and to-night. The customary complete change is announced for to-morrow. SUORTT'S TIIEATRE. There was an appreciative attendance at Shortts Theatre on Saturday night where a very good programme was screened. "The Tragedy ot a Strike," as its name implies, is,a.very "striking" picture —it depicts the damage incident to tho sudden cessation of work, especially in an electric power-house. The instigator of the strike dearly repents his rash action, for just as the lights are cut off his only daughter is undergoing an opera•tion. The doctors, suddenly plunged into darkness, are unable to see what they are. doing and the child dies. "Tho Tragedy of the Strike" was dispelled by a comic item, ".Mr. Brown and tho Burglar." Mr. Brown returns home to find his wife in terror of tho house being rol>-. bed as burglars are reported to be in the immediate vicinity. Brown, in truth tho essence of cowardice himself, reassures his wife and promises to buy a revolver on tho morrow. He returns the next night with the revolver and boasts to his wife concerning his past "out West." According to Brown's imagination, which is depicted, while out West he performed prodigies of valour—shooting men on sight at the least provocation. Having sent, his wife to bod lie thinlrs it advisable to arrunge a burglar scare that he may uphold his suddenly-created past. This he does and retires. During Hie night he gots ,Vp, telling his wife he hears burglars, and so, revolver in hand, he proceeds cautiously down stairs to the dining room, where he has previously arranged tilings for a dramatic effect. ■Throwing open the door he rushes in and finds a real burglar. Mr. Brown collapses, drop's the revolver and begs for mercy. Mrs. Brown picks up the revolver fires blindly at the retreating burglar and also collapses. The thief escapes minus the "swag," anil Brown recovering, tenderly clasps his wife and revolver once more the "hero of tho West."

ORGAN RECITAL. The tramway strike doubtless had on effect on the attendance at Hie first organ recital given this year in the Town Hall by Mr. Maughan Barnett, the City Organist. To the -musical it was altogether it delightful programme,- arranged with a skill that marks all Mr. Harnett's programmes. It opened with Mendelssohn's "March in D," a rhythmical adaptation into march form of the composer's "Cap-' pricio Drillianto" in B for pianofjrtc and orchestra. The thunderous iiach was represented by the. Prelude and Fugue in I) major. This worl; is written in the composer's most florid style, the interl-.ic-ing of the fugucl themes, played with spirit:, working up to an impressive flunk, where a pedal run adds to the glorious aggregate of crasli of Cyclopean harmony, In charming relief were played an Oll'eubach "Barcarolle" from 'The Talcs of Hoffman"—as heady and sparkling in character as champagne, the "Prayer and Berceuse" of Guilmaut, a charming composition by the lately-deceased Parisian, whose works for (lie organ will livo long. An addition to Mr. Harnett's repertoire of "popular" pieces made its appearand in a "Concert fantasia on Old English Airs" ly Best. Tho number included the melodies—"There was a Jollv Mil'.-.u'" {ICS3>, "Come Unto Those Yellow Sands" (l'lireell—10S0), "Since First 1 Saw Vonr Face" (Ford-1G07), "Hark! The Lark" (Cooke—l77o), "Down Among the l.lend Men" (1705), and "Come If You Dare" (Fnrcell—lfiSO). Tho number is one that will bo well worth repeating. Other, numbers included were: A "Lied" by Hoffmann, Woly's "Oflwtoiro in F," end Chanuet's "Clocho du Soir." The programme announced that the first concert- of the Municipal Orchestra will take place towards tho end of the month.