ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 294, 6 May 1911, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

"Yi~ . /TRELKSS.'' "Via Wireless," the play that is underlined to appear at the Theatre Eoyal on Monday next, has, it is said, a story which is infinitely more convincing than that of the average modern melodrama. In the first scene one gets the measure of Edward Pinkey, the manager of the Durant steel works at Elswick, a clever scoundrel who masks his villainy with the aid of a plausible manner and assumed honesty of purpose. Pinkey uses Marsh, a draughtsman in Durant's works, as a tool. Marsh has invented a gun, a fl-inch naval weapon, and the English government, recognising it as valuable, have placed ah order with Durant, Pinkey's scheme as to get the lion's share of the royalties. He persuades Marßh to efface himself, making it appear that a German is the inventor of the destructive weapon. The manager proposes to draw the royalties in the German's name and pay them to Marsh, thus seemingly protecting the inventor's interests. Lieut. Somers of the navy has also invented a gun, which is being ca9t at Durant's. Somers is desperately in love with Frances Durant, the daughter of the steel magnate, with Pinkey as a hot rival for the lady's hand. If the lieutenant's gun proves a success that of Marsh may be cancelled. In this condition of things the manager gets Marsh and a drunken foreman to spoil the Somers gun in the tempering. The infamous plan of the manager works well; the lieutenant's gun is condemned. In the second act we see Mrs. Durant and her daughter at the Hotel Bella Vista, at Funchal, Madeira. They are on a yachting cruise. The war- j ship, on which is the lieutenant, arrives, l and he is informed that his gun exploded at the trial, killing several of the workmen. A Scotland Yard detective is at Funchal, and Somers is ordered home in connection with the investigation. Dut rant's steam yacht is the only vessel leaving, and Pinkey is anxious to get to England first so that he may prepare hit witnesses. He refuses to take Somers on the yacht, but Miss Durant insists. The wreck of the craft follows. It is disclosed in a dramatic way to the wireless operator of the Mongolian, who picks up the distress call. This is, it is said, one of the best effects in the play. The peculiar note of the machine, with its electric sputter, gives the scene a thrill. The -intensity of the situation is increased by the operator on the helpless yacht not being able 'to give his position. Finally, tlie anxiously awaited message is received. The big ocean liner comes along in the nick of time,, just as the yacht is breaking up on the reef in a highly dramatic manner, rescues the harassed travellers, and Somers, the hero of the catastrophe, is covered with glory. In the fourth act Marsh breaks down under cross-examination, and with the exposure of the perfidy of Pinkey the end of the play is rounded off in happy fashion. The play will be interpreted by the company specially engaged by Mr. Williamson in London. The box plan is at Collier's.