BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8554, 12 October 1907, Page 3

BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS.

TOWN HALL BOOKINGS

The Mastjrton Town Hall has been booked as follows: — October 16 th~ W illoughby-W ard Company. October 24th and 25th—TaylorCarrington Company (pencilled). November Bth and 9th —rAllan Hamilton (pencilled). December 9th —Edwin Geach Company (pencilled). January 15th and 16th, 1908 —Pollard's Juvenile Opera Company. February 5th —J. C. Williamson (pencilled). February 22nd avd 24th —J. C. Williamson (pencilled).

Messrs Allan Hamilton and George Buller have purchased the sole rights to produce the drama of "Robbery Under Arms" in New Zealand from Mr Alfred Dampier, and they intend producing it early next year, with a strong company and new scenery. The Wellington season -of the "Mother Goose" pantomime closed on Wednesday evening last, and right up to the last fall of the curtain the ohenomenal success with which it started in Wellington was maintained. There is a performer at Fullers' Theatre Roya 1 . just now, says the Free Lance, who breaks every known or supposed rule of equilibrium, and keeps the house between fenr and pleasure throughout the whole of his turn. He is Dalbeanie, the equilibrist the unequilibrist would probably suit him better. He ridesin on a buggy wheel, and then jumps up a staircase twelve feet .;n height. From this staircase he leaps, astride his wheel, a distance of fifteen feet. Just to calm the nerves of the audience again, he does some ' ladder climbing, said ladder standing without support in mid-air. He breaks the record for dexterity, breaks up the house with his strange tricks, and breaks everything, i.i fact, except his own neck, and that looks like .a possibility every moment. Mr Alfred Woods and Miss Maud Williamson, wha are now in South -Africa, expect to be in Australia for Christmas." Mr Woods is playing Wilfred Denver in "The Silver IKing" in South Africa. The "Mother Goose" company will conclude its New Zealand tour at Christchurch on November 13th. Mr J. C. Williamson has engaged !Miss Margaret' Auglin for a tour of .Australasia next 3 ear. Miss Auglin is admitted on all sides to be the most powerful emotional actress of to-day in the United States. She ■will be supported by a special comipriy. , The partnership for the production •of the style of old-time comic opera, of which "Les Cloches" and "La Fille de Madame Angot" are representative specimens, has been entared into between Mr George Musgrove and Mr W. Anderson. It is understood that Miss Buckmann has been engaged as a member of the new company. •With characteristic enterprise Mr Edwin Geach is negotiating for a .New Zealand tour of Miss Florence Baines in the farce comedy, "Miss Limited" now being •produced at Sydney Palace. Although "The Dairymaids" at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, ;is now in the fifth week of its career, ,it shows no sign of being near the --end of its season. Indeed, it. rather .seems to be increasing :n popularity -and the theatre continues to te filled lightly with audiences both large and highly appreciative. The genuine fun and humour of the. piece is .greeted with the heartiest of laughter, while the many attractive musical numbers meet with well deserved approbation. Altogether indications go to show that "The Dairymaids" -have come to make a long stay in Melbourne. "Raffles," which has been attracting highly appreciative audiences to the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, was replaced on October sth by the •ever popular "Monsieur Bsaucaii'e." It in its turn will be followed by "Brigadier Gerard," which will hold the boards during the last fortnight ■of Mr Knight's present Melbourne ■season. Mr Bert Gilbert, a comedian well known and appreciated by the play.going public of Australasia, has been engaged by Mr J. C. Williamson to take part in the forthcoming Christmas pantomime. Mr Gilbert will be quite familiar with the role in which he will appear with the Pantomime Company at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, having already sustained the part in the English representation of the same production. Miss Susie Vaughan, who is well known to playgoers on this side of the world, as a capable and painstaking artist, has recently been transierred from the Tittell Brune Company to the organisation which is headed b} Mr Julius Knight. Mr Julius Knight and his company are now. preparing for "The Scarlet Pimpernel," which is to be produced for the first time in Australasia when the company return to Sydney in December. A feature of special interest which will be included in the forthcoming production of "Brewster's Millions," in Sydney, will be the great ship scene, wnich shows a sceam launch lying at anchor in the harbour. The anchor is weighed, and the yacht starts on an eventful journey. After tossing wildly about on an angry sea she finally becomes disabled, and her passengers headed by Monty Brewster, are towed by another vessel to New York.