THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2408, 13 March 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

the World's a theatre; tha Earth a stase.—Heywood.

"The Climax."

Wellington playgoers will hare the pleasure this evening of hearing the rjcb, powerful musical voice of Miss Florence Young again. Oil this occasion Miss Young, whom we have become used to in musical ccmedy, will woo the public favour iu a psychological ?ocal drama, entitled "The Climax," which had a considerable' vogue ill America some six years ago. The story of the girl who loses her voice suddenly when she is the sole supporter of her poor old father, and tha manner ii) which it is restored by her medical lover, not altogether without a doubt that such restoration might ir.ean their severance, has a vibrant interest. Suitable songs are introduced to display the value of the voice lost to the world of the heroine (Miss Florence Young), and Mr. Reginald Roberts is also given vocal chances. Mr. C. R. Bantock, as the aged father, is said tc give an admirable performance. "The Climax" vrill be played in the Concert Chamber.

"The Mummy and the Hummingbird."

It is Beven years this mcnth since "The Mummy and the Hummingbird" was produced in Wellington, and that i it is to be seen again at the hands of the Plimmer-Hall Company will be read with interest. Those with theatric&l Memories will, remember the story. It tells of the queer life led by Lord and Lady Lumley. He, an engrossed ab-sent-minded student,' devoted 1 to his laboratory, 6he young, beautiful, and meant to be loved. Lumley's unconscious and persistent neglect of his wife is extremely galling to her, and when the Count D'Orelli arrives and pays her court she, as naturally as the sunflower turns to -the sun, listens to his burning words of passion with emotion. Needless to say, D'Orelli (the hummingbird) is a roue. He has ruined a girl in Italy, and seeking revenge, the father of the girl arrives in London, and takes up the national calling of an organ-grinder. Disturbed in his studies by the "music," Lumley goes out to protest, but becomes interested in the man, and, being alone, invites him up to his rooms. There the Italian tells of the vendetta he has sworn against the destroyer of his child's happiness. Catching sight of a photograph of D'Orelli, he "sees red," and is only, checked from doing immediate mischief by the. awakened Lumley. Then together they scheme to bring D'Orelli down—how they do it ■forms the dramatic backbone of the play. The cast will include Miss Beatrice. Day as Lady Lumley, Mr. Winter Hall as Lumley, Mr. H. Plimmer as D'Orelli, and Mr. H. W. Varna as the organ-grinder (which he originally played with the Fleming-Day Company). The Film of the Year. Last year there was produced by the Itala Film Company a picture which has excited the admiration and''enthusiasm even of rival producers. This is "Cabiria." In length the film transcends all previous efforts while its production was one of the most stupendous tasks ever undertaken.. It deals with an era' 2300 years old, and relates th-j Btory of the terrific struggle for world power which took place three centuries before Christ between the republic of ancient Rome and the aristocratic empire of Carthage. . 1 Gabriele D'Annunzio, the Italian playwright arid author, ; wrote the scenario and supervised the production. The stages on which the actor's produced the various scenes were in nlost caseß the actual spots on which-the. thrilling incidents of the famous" war were actually enacted.-. , , Hannibal, the Carthageman leader, performed the' feat - which Napoleon afterwards .copied. .He successfully led his army across the Alps into Italy. Hannibal in the film did the same. His army of picture actors was transported to the very Alpine. passes, and under the eye of. the biograph camera re-enact-ed the toils and struggles, the misery and the! triumph' of. the Carthaginian army. Afterwards, when ; the army stormed the. heights of Cirta, only to be hurled back, the realism of the scene resulted in 20 actors receiving injuries. In those days war was a naval- as well as a. military struggled Theßoman fleet swept the war galleys of the' Carthaginians from the they suffered tremendous losses; Achimedes, the Count Zeppelin of the time, devised a system of burning glasses by means of which he destroyed the Roman fleet. In "Cabiria" the mammoth spectacle is presented of the great Roman triremes going up in flames. The scene in the temple of Molooh is a wonderful-one. In this edifice priests conduct the hideous ritual of worship of the monstrous idol, into whose flaming maw infant children are fed. The temple was real. It was built on the grounds of the Itala .Company—a massive stucco edifice—a replica of the. huge temple of ancient Carthage., The priests were real, long-haired priests, correctly garbed and trained. The idol was real. The infant children were real. It is when they appear to pass into the flaming gullet of the awful god that trick is used: but it is undetecable. ■ "Cabiria" stands as the most ■ complete and most convincing work the biograph has yet produced.. It has been screened in Italy, in New York, Paris,, and London, and has everywhere had a tremendous vogue.

A Wellington Aotress. . To several people in Wellington the final performance of "The Seven-Little Australians" on Saturday afternoon last was the most interesting' of the season., Not only -was this due to the. cordial farewell to the clever children in the play.-, but it <yas the first appearance in the -caste in. Wellington of Miss . Maisie Carte, formerly of Wellington, but who has been struggling .- along the thorny theatrical path for some years now-. -She-was recently in the caste of "Du Barry,", and as a pupil of Mr. Walter Bentley in Sydney made several appearances. That she has advanced with experience was evident from the clever character study she gave as Bertha,, the housekeeper to the Rev. Dr. Wallace. "Comparisons are. odorous," says one of Dickens's characters, and it would not be fair to make a comparison between Miss Carte's performance, and tho loveable, hard-work-ing, motherly Bertha of Miss Linna St.Clair, still Miss Carte never lost the sympathy of the audience, and if she played more with less consciousness of the audience, she would got that unpretentious demeanour that was so characteristic in Miss St. Clair. "The Seven Little Australians" is to be played at the Lower'' Hutt on Tuesday next. • ■

"The Dandies." Mr. Edward Branscombe's clever, capable, and very acceptable company of "Dandies," the "Reds," arc soon due on their tour of Now Zealand. They will make their reappearance early in May. The company, which has been reconstructed sinco its last Dominion tour, now consists .of ten performers. Mr. Claude Dampier and Miss Irene Vere, together with Messrs. Oliver Peacock and Leonard Griffiths, are all that remain of the original combination. The new members, \dio aro all artists; of great ability, will make their first Dominion bow at the oponing of the coming season. "The Violets" is another talented costume comedy company which Mr. Rdward Branscombo is sending to New Zealand for tho approaching winter season. This company will mako its initial appearance in Auckland simultaneously with the opening. of the "Dandies"' sojourn in Wellington. "The Violets," who are making their first ~ tour of this,country, viU wtKi' an jJIMI' » Wellwgtou,