ENTERTAINMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2184, 7 May 1908, Page 1

ENTERTAINMENTS.

TIIE JULIUS KNIGHT SEASON

This morning at W. Miller’s tlie box plans for the three nights Of Mr J. C. Williamson’s Dramatic Company will be opened. The season commences at His Majesty's Theatre on Monday next. “The Scarlet ■Pimpornal” relies for its success on three strong elements —-romance, chivalry, and love. The principal characters are an English gallant of noble 'birth, a beauteous daughter of Trance, and a crafty but diligent envoy of tlio French Republic. The new drama is by Orczy-Barstow, and is evolved from the poetic and romantic story of the deeds of the. .League of the Scarlet Pinrpernal in England at the time of the coup d’etat in France, when the populace 'thirsted for the blood of the aristocrats. The chief gallant of the league was a source of great discomfort and annoyance to the committee of public safety, and it was through -liis instrumentality that many of the French nobility whose heads' were in peril were smuggled into England. Mr Julius Knight .as Sir Percy ißlakeney is said to he excellently placed. It is a complex character which the authoress has modelled for her hero. It is a sort of Bcaucaire part in English, and those who have sebn Mr Knigh t as the nim-blo-witted Frenchman will understand how aptly he handles this new role. Miss Ola Humphrey -as Marguerite Blakeney has .an important .and difficult character .assigned her, The Sydney press speaking of her rendering of tiie part are most liberal in their appreciation. On Tuesday the Company, will stage “The Prisoner of Zenda” a dramatisation of Anthony Hope’s wellknown ®torv which loses none' of its charm in the stage vension. Mr Julius Kniiglit- appears in the dual roles of Rudolph Rasscndyll and King Rudolph and Miss Ola Humphrey as Princess FJavia. Special mention must be made of the coronation scene, said to be the most elaborate and picturesquely dressed stage picture yet produced on the colonial stage. The final production on Wednesday evening “A 'Royal Divorce” is tlie ■historical drama dealing with the incidents in the lives of Napoleon and tlie .Empress . Josephine, and .in the great efforts of the former to. overcome Europe. There is always an odour of romance and ,glamour attaching to the history of tho “.Man of Destiny” .and people are never tired of following closely tho winding path which led him from obscurity to greatness, from greatness to the zenith of his conquests and finally to his sad solitude alongside the sobbing surf on St. Helena.. Special features of “A Royal Divorce” are a series of magnificent tableaux embracing “The Retreat, from .Moscow”, “The Battle of Waterloo,” and “Alone at St. Helena.” The two principle characters in each piny 'will of course be taken by Mr Julius Knight and Miss O'a Tlu'inphrey, whilst tlie full strength of the specially selected company will he utilised in completing tlie casts.