RAINER’S WAR DIORAMAS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5661, 22 May 1879, Page 3

RAINER’S WAR DIORAMAS.

We have hitherto, through pressure on our time and space, given but little notice to the war dioramas now being exhibited at the Theatre Royal. These dioramas may very fairly be classed as considerably above the average, in point of merit, of this kind of entertainment, and their exhibition forms a spectacle that is at once both agreeable and instructive. During last week the diorama shown was that of the great American cjvil war, the progress of which formed for so long the event of chiefest interest in the world, but the remembrance of which, through the interposition of the several huge European contests of the last few years, is now becoming much lessened. On each of the six nights on which its pictorial representation was shown, however, it attracted large audiences. This week the scenes shown are those of the late Turkish war, and from the fact of the actuality being so recently the theme of universal interest, most especially to England and her dependencies, large numbers assemble nightly to witness its dioramic and mechanical rendering. The various scenes are extremely well delineated and realistic, and the mechanism employed to facilitate their exhibition is elaborate and ingenious. The different pictures represent all the leading battles and events of the campaign from the firing of the first shot till the departure of the Russian troops from the neighborhood of Constantinople, and they form most interesting reminiscences to those who laboriously endeavored, by means of the fearfully and wonderfully made telegrams that reached this colony, to keep themselves informed as to the progress of the strife ; while the younger portion of the auditory are afforded a good idea of the reality of that which, this side of the millenium, will continue to be the most exciting of human practices. The views are concisely explained by Mr. H. Stanley, and we have to compliment this gentleman—that he carefully eschews the abominable and nauseating grandiloquence of phraseology is generally utilised in the verbal expositions that are an indispensable adjunct to the exhibition of a diorama. Nothing can possibly be more disagreeable to the majority of hearers than the perpetual reiteration of the hackneyed and sonorous, but meaningless, old phrases that are perpetually dinned into one at this class of entertainment, and we hail its absence here as an event worthy ef remembrance. Mr, Stanley, too, has the good taste to resist the temptation to inflict on his hearers the series of sorry jests in which his confreres are prone to indulge, and this is another most praiseworthy amendment. The lecturer duringthe eveningsings with much force and expression several songs, notably a Turkish “National” air, and the celebrated " Jingo” verses, bestowing in the latter case the full resources of a good voice and great power of declamation on the most arrant rubbish in the guise of a “ patriotic” song that ever excited the feelings of an unthinking crowd. ■ Musical selections are also given at intervals, but their agreeable effect is slightly lessened through their being peremptorily ended at the allotted time, whether the tonic has been reached or not. From the nature of the circumstances, however, this can scarcely be avoided. The entertainment is followed each evening by the distribution of a number of useful and ornamental articles among those attending. There can be ho question of the bona fides of the addendum in this' case, but as differences of opinion are said to exist concerning its abstract legitimacy, it maybe pointed out to those possessing conscientious scruples should they happen to hold a winning number they' gan transfer it to their neighbors without fear

of giving offence. The entertainment on the whole is one whose merit none can question, and we recommend those of our readers who have not hitherto seen it to do so on one of the remaining four occasions when the opportunity will be presented.