AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 221, 11 September 1908, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS.

"HUMPTY DUMPTY." TO-NIGHT. | "Humpty Dumpty," Mr. J. C. Williamson's latest pantomime extravaganza, will Ibo staged for the first time in Now Plymouth at the Theatre Royal this evening. As a rule one docs not look for a clean-cut plot or a connected story in gorgeous spectacular shows like ''Humpty Dumpty." Every schoolboy knows that "lluuipty Dumpty" sat on a wall, and that he bad a great fall. But in this pantomime extravaganza the whole crooked career of "llumpty Dumpty" is laid bare. lie commences lile as a bad egg, and takes delight ill adding to the troubles of King Solium, a melancholy monarch, who has never been known to smile, Tile quaint and quilt-like iluuipty has the magical power of ''wishing," and on the promise of a rich reward he wishes the king to laugh. He is successful, but the mean monarch wishes to evade his liability by confusing tlie issue as to the reward and decreeing that the money and his daughter's hand would he awarded to the person nvho shall find a certain ring that is lost. This new condition brings Prince Rudolph to the fore, as he is the favorite for the hand of the fair Princess Aurora, and he is, naturally, aided in his search by the Fairy Ciaribel. In the end Prince Rudolph finds the ring and claims the hand of the Princess. The scenery and mechanical effects in "Humpty Dumpty," and the costumes, the ballets, and the. artistic pageants, are said to reach the highwater mark of theatrical management. The features most admired are "The Ilall of Ten Thousand Lights," the gorgeous ballet, the March of Nations, the States bullet, the nursery rhyni"s bullet, in the diving bell, King Solium s spacious palace, the tuneful musical numbers, and the animal impersonations of Queen and Lc Brun, The "star" of a big bunch of comedians is Mr. Bert Gilbert, the celebrated English artist, whose part of King' Solium was a big feature of the English production of "Humpty Dumpty." He is ably assisted by Messrs. Harry Shine, Victor Loydall, C. Howard, George Young, and N. Easty. The ladies of the company comprise Misses Mabelle Morgan, Irene Dillon, Nance Malier, Beatrice English, Olga Grey, and Prissy Preston. GRACE ELTON COMEDY CO. Mr. Fred Elton, late of the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, with the Grace Elton Comedy Co, and big picture show, arrived in Wellington from Sydney by the Malielio yesterday. The company has just concluded an extended and. successful Sydney season of mirth, melody and magic, and will visit New Plymouth at an early date.