M'EWEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1826, 12 August 1913, Page 6

M'EWEN.

SCOTTISH ENTERTAINER, M'Ewen, the Scottish entertainer, who made his first appearance at tho Opera House last evening, is something new in Jus line. He is easy, conversational, and familiar with his audience, aiter the first few minutes banishing all stiffness and formality by tho "braid Scots" lie affects in speech and putting everyone at their case by his reiterated assurance that it is "a' riclit." M'Ewen is a bit of everything. He performs a number of sleHi't-of-hand tricks which have a familiar smack, and explains that though tlicy may have been performed before'the oldest peoplo present when they were young-sters,-states that it is his method'of doing them that is new. Frankly ho informed liis audienco that when any conjurers como,round saying tlioy have something new, the best plan is not to believe them, because there was (in conjuring) nothing nen- under the sun. It is only M'Ewen's method which gives them the brightness of youth. M'Ewen proved his skill in sleight-of-hand work by manipiilating & pack of curds vorv clovorly, and allowing the audience to see how it was done. Another old friend was the wedding ring mystery, in which the conjurer borrows a wedding -riii"- from a lady smashes .it . about with a hammer, and then, placing tho battered trinket in a blunderbuss, fi it into a nest of boxes. Of course, it is found quite unharmed in the smalVt box. M'Ewen is also a hypnotist of the class who aim at getting the maximum amount of fun out of those presumed to be "under the influence." Last ovening tho pel-former held his breath and took his affidavit that nono of those on tho stage had been hired by him, but, he added qualifying!}*, if ho found them to bo good subjects he would c-artainly par them, am! pay them well, but it would be done 1»foro the audience, and not behind the scents. Of some sixteen young men who mounted the stage, M'Ewen selected about ten, and after telling them to "keep their knoes together and roll tlioir eyes bad; to their brains," the human semi-circle were allegedly put into a hypnotic sleep, and then given suggestions of various hinds, u-nd-ar which they behaved in a ludicrous manner. M'Ewen's' final experiment wns' the placing of (Miss Grose Mavnard—a slight wisp of a sirl—"in a state of coina," and whilst physically ouite rigid, putting her feat on the back of one chair and her neck on tlio back of another. 'Whilst wo (iuspsnded, five lusty men wero asked to stand on the lady, and did so without demur. Bo it genuine or "fake," tho sight was not an inspiring one.

During the evonin#, Mr. Will Bolton danced a Highland fling, sword danre, and sailor's hornpipe very neatly; Miss Florence Hartley sang "So SaA'n l!ose" (Arditi), "Golden Rod" (Mabel M'Kinley), in Which the singer was heard fo the best advantage, and "Supposing" (BischolT). The Highland Pipe Band also Assisted with an overture. On Thursday evening M'lOwen promises to return the comnliment by giving 'a benefit show for the band.