THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 June 1917, Page 2

THE EMPIRE.

"PRUDENCE THE PIRATE." A BRIGHTLY ORIGINAL COMEDY- • DRAMA. /- ■ The return of the popular motionpicture star, Gladys Hulette, in the novel, charming and altogether attractive play, "Prudence the Pirate," greatly delighted a large audience at the Empire last night. The plot is wonderfully well: worked-out, and the piece is splendidly Btaged and finely acted by a very strong cast, including Flora Finch as Prudence's •queer old aunt, and Panthus, at once the \lgliest and surely the most intelligent dog in the world. How Prudence, tiring of the humdrum life in her aunt's great house, hires a schooner, ships a pirate crtvr, "shanghaies" Meeks, her aunt's butler, attacks her aunt's house-boat, and carries off'her aunt and Mr. John Astorbilt, a "silk-stocking dude" millionaire, is told with great vim and verve. The droll and altogether unexpected situations evoke shrieks of laughter. Astorbilt at first proves a decided muff, but when real danger threatens tho "dude" disappears, the man in him cpmes to the surface, he bravely saves the imprudent Prudence from the burning schooner, and the curtain falls Dn the two of them discussing such conventional matters as bridal veils and orange blossoms on a bell-buoy-, what time the pirate crew pulls to tho rescue. Amongst the supports there is an exceptionally good topical picture entitled "British Submarines in the Mediterranean." TO-MORROW. The change of programme to be presented to-morrow {features tlie wellknown British actor, Gerald Ames, as ■of Arsen Lupin. The story is. frankly adapted from the "Glorious Adventures of Arsen Lupin." The stroy is frankly sensational and full of thrills from start to finish.