ENTERTAINMENTS
"A COUNTRY. GIRL.", • St«ady booking at tho Bristol is beginning to give the plans of "A Country ■.OjrJ" season a comfortable look. This ;;i}rqduction •by the' Wellington Amateur -Operatic Society is likely to vio with the very best they havo given the Wellington public. The first act of "A Country Girl" opens in a Devopshire with Squire Verity (who has ■-. taken over tho old Challoner manor "iliotiSe); endeavouring with the aid ot '"jh'isjson.' and Mrs. Quainton Raikes, to - gain the local seat in Parliament. These,
.. plans aro upset by the arrival back of '.''.Commander- Challoner, R.N., the poor "but hnndsome eon of tho old squiro, and' jhis irresponsible map, Barry. In tlio "village Challoner meets Wb old friend ;.,'.'J!an. but misses his sweetheart Ifar- ' who has gone "oop to Lunnon. /'Barry, -seeing a chance to replaco hie master' in his rightful position, sells ..'Verity, ien.. a worthless tin mine at a . \fabulous price, nominates Challoner for seat, and carries the village .. by st6rm. Jlarjorio. arrives from london, and there aro some tender, fcenes yjof a prettily sentimental turn, one (of a ; comical nature) lieing - between Jin ; Bryikes and Square V erity.- * Another •'.bright toucji is added by tho airivat of tho Hajah of Bhong and a Princess from the same imaginative country, who create a picturesque diversion. In tho eecond act evdrybody concerned is inviten ito a very gorgeous fancy-dress ball ac the Ministry of ITine Arts, where Marjorie 'has a cliaiming scene with Challoner, and Sophy (tho costymiore) and the gay Barry cause immense fun in clever dia':hfue and duets. Finally Jlarjorio . mits to fate, and Nan, Sophy, Mr. Eaikea, and the Princes? follow suit. ■fThe production is being beautifully frocked, and no stone is being lgft unturned Uv Mr> Tom Pollard and Sir. E. B. .Vance (secretary) to make the' season a ■ euocess. Reserved seats at 6s. (no tax; '"'inay. be Secured at the Bristol.
THE "AUSSIE" DIGGERS. . Tho. Australian Smart Set Diggers Opened a brief return visit to Wellington . in the ' Grand Opera House last night. 1 The- Digger entertainers, New Zealand and Australian, have been almost a3 successful in tho Australasian theatres . . eince the close of the war as they were - in the extemporised theatres behind tho line 3 in France in the days when they jested and aang to tho accompaniment of gun-fire. Their shows may inave lost eontething of the freedom and spontaneity that marked them when the task was to provide amusement for tired fighting men, but the programme provided by the "Aussie" Diggers lost' night was proof that the ■ talent discovered in the field lias survived into the piping days of peace. Commencing with the prologue of "Pagliacci," She Digger s provided music, fun, sentiment and grace for the better part of three hours, and had a well-pleased audience all the time. Female impersonators lave been a . feature of all the Digger combinations, probably - because the man from the trenchcs was uncommonly sick of the sight of Bill, Tom, and Harry, and could be roused to enthusiasm by , the flutter of a petticoat , or l>y the rouge patch on even a shnven cheek. Tho Australians claim' five "ladies," headed by Mr.' Charles Holt, and all of them can wear frocks and •frills in quite convincing- fashion. The - company is strong on the musical side, , its members having somo particularly attractive voices, among, them, and tho -ranp is yery wide. >The programme included a dramatic scene from Trilby, a comic "village concert," an Argentine tango, a potted version of "Tho Belle.of —New-York," and"Ti similar condensation of "The Country Girl," some fragments from /'Our Miss Gibbs," 6omo picturesque'dancing, a liarp solo, some Scottish Bongs, and a dozen other diversified items. The members -of the company, Messrs. J. Thomson. G. Castles, F. Whitlow, C. Holt, R. Butler, L. Harper, G. Harvey, I. Wear, R. Sawyer, B. Roberts, R-. M'Laughlan, and) A. , Maintained a high standard throughout. ' The Diggers are to appear again at the Grand Opera Housei this evening,
' KING'S THEATRE. • "Even as Eve," a finely concoived picturisation of liobert ChambersV-novel, "The Shining Band" (a First National feature),'was screened at The- ■ evening. <psose who are aware <of Mr. ■ Chambers's subtle skill in plotweaving' will know .tliat his stories cannot bo told effectively in. brief. He is a master at probing the, psychology of sex, and-in his sub-titles. For example: "it . takes a woman tho flash of a second to divide men into two classes—those she would and those she would not marry." These linos are spoken to Eileen O'Hara by a truthful cynic, when her fatlfer, a outlaw and is fighting for Jus property against the wealthy Sagamore Club. Peyston Sproul, the secretary, a blase scoundrel, is at length deputed to buy out O'Hara, and is attempting to do so through Amasa tli© villainous leader of "The Shining Band," a crazy lot of fanatics, when he comes face to face with O'Hftra, to find in him, tho husband of the woman lie (Sproul) had doped with years ibefore'. O'Hara attacks him, but Sproul's horse tramples the assailant underfoot, and, dying, the man bids Eileen hide the title deeds of the whole ;;cf the Sagamore property. Sproul, des-l-'perately hard up, steals the money, and ; is-unable' to produce the deeds to the • club when callod upon to do so. Sprout to force Eileen to tell where •'.they are, but is frustrated and oventu- • ally his duplicity is unveiled by his own 'wife; he is expelled from the olub, and Eileen finds hapipness with the cynical -young man wlra trades in honesty and J truthfulness. Miss Grace Darling, who ; Is Eileen, ninkes her a pretty wild flower ;of the forest. The cast is strong in good i-actors. "Tho Rajah," a zoological.comj edy of strange design, is one which gives curious endorsement' to the Darwin theory. Tho Realart Quartet supplied the vaudeville break in the programme. The popularity of the tenor, Mr. Herbert P.' Wood (formerly of Wellington) waxes '• -with the season. Last ovoning he sang ■ "Annie Laurie," "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes," "Fnnicala Finicala," and a ' popular medley, accompanied by Miss ' Veare and Slgnor Cerbasi on the Erard and Irish harps. The King's Orchestra 'played a "Little. Nemo" (Victor Horbert) and ft variety of good music throughout the evening.
EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The redoubtable British boxer, Bombardier. (now Sergeant-Major) Billy ' Wells, apparently has forsaken the Toped-in ring for the "shadow stage," 'for he takes the principal role at Everybody's Theatre this week in a fine photoplay dealing with English sporting life, entitled "The Great Game." Considerable interest attaches to this ' photoplay, as it is an all-English production, and is one of a series that will sooner or later all come to New Zealand, and it is indicative of the efforts made by English producers to combat effectively the "American photo-play; which is so wall known to the averaKe Now Zealand theatregoer. The scenes in this remarkable production were taken near London, and such places as "Jai;k Straw's Castle," on Hampstead Ifeath, are seen during tho unravelling of the excellent plot. The fact that the photo-play is an English one should certainly predispose picture lovers in it 3 favour. Wells proves himself as excellent an actor as he is a redoubtable pugilist, and has undoubted histrionic ability. Tho story tells of Dick Cranshaw, the idle son of u wealthy baronet, whose one redeeming feature is his love for clean, honest sport. His father, a sporting country squiro of the old school, falls foul of a sharpor, whose mean and cowardly tactics cause the death of the old sportsman. It. had been tho old squire's wish that his horni) should win the Derby, and this wish Dick decides to carry out. How he accomplishes his Klosire forma an onIhralling slor.v. A six-round bout between the stalwart Dick and his rivals paid "bruiser" givcß tho soldier boxer great opportunity to display his worldTenowned proesg in boxing. Thero is an excellent supporting prosramme. which includes iino views of Rio "« Janeiro.
EMPRESS THEATRE. There are all the ingredients of firstclass .light drama in "Hoop La," an excellently-mounted production, which headed the new programme presented at the Empress Theatre yesterday, when it drew hi a attendance? at all sessions. "Hoop La" is a fascinating story of circus ' life in America, and the title rnle is capably sustained by that versatile young actress. Billie Rhodes, who
lias been nptly described ns n, second Mabel Nontiund. Tho big circus >« sliown in action, and His 9 Rhode? figures iij quick succession as cqucsl'j'iuiuie. trnpezist, dancer, and clown, and finally ns a society bello. She is equally at home in all parts, and her riding is up to tlio wonderful stanctiu'd sot by Western cow girls. All tho freaks in tho shape oj tho bearded lady, the skeleton man, the bare-back riders, and otlicr concomitants of circy; life arc foatu/sed in I the phnto-play, the whole forming ii .most entertaining production. Some of the scenes are laid on the race track, and S« exciting horse-race is pulled tho, winning mount being ridden by "Hoop La." There is not a dull moment in the drama, throughout which run.? a love story. The principals .are .supported by an unusually strong 'cost,*: and incidentally tho play is r- ' sponsible for somo picturesque scenic effects. The programme also includes the latest episode'of the .thrilling serial, "Smashing Barriers," besides topical and scenic subjects.
HARMONIC SOCIETY. On Saturday evenine next in the Concert Chamber, Town Hull, the Harmonic Society, under tho conductorshin of Sir. IT. Temple White, will givo the final concert of the 1920 season. The programme will be composed of numbers which the society has been requested to repeat, and will include part-songs by Elgnr, Bislion. J)avio>. von Hoist, and Maunder. The assistina artist? will bo Ava Symons (violinist), R. R. Orr (baritone). and the Harmonic Quartet. Mr. Harold Whittle will be tho accompanist. IHie box plan opens at the Bristol .on Monday morning at 9 a.m.
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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 60, 4 December 1920, Page 14
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1,656ENTERTAINMENTS Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 60, 4 December 1920, Page 14
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