AMUSEMENTS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10534, 22 January 1912, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS

THOMPSON-PAYNE PICTURES. THE ROYAL DELHI DURBAR. The chief attraction in the holiday 1 programme at the foresters' Hall to- : night will bo the first of* the series slhowing the magnificent Delhi Dur.ibar celebrations. The pictures will include the Durbar, grand review of native troops, .'and the gorgeous street ipirocession. In addition to this great iiiax, Vitagraph's latest .success, "In ! Northern Forests/ is-, a powerful drama of Canadian life, with a.strong pathetic theme woven found an • iin- \ fortunate convict's life. This shows jisome exciting incidents; "and forms [a story of considerable talent, beautifully enacted. The Kalem 00. have produced in "The aecret of the Still" a tale of love and revenge. . The .situations are most exciting, and the sfbory is told amidst, splendid scenery. "When the Sun Went Out" appeals ,more to the pathetic side, and holds a strong position on the bill. The American Biograph's "The Senorita's Oonqiuest" is novel in plot, and has many thrilling scenes. A dainty drama will be found in "The Burden. Bearer." These pictures, together with "The Mobsman," form a dramatic selection hard to eclipse. A dever comedy, a real hurricane of laughter, is "The' Near-sighted Chap- | erone," from the Lubin studio. Sev--1 era! absolute screamers of comics ! complete a series that the management are confident will please one and all. The programme will be reipeated to-night.

BRENNAN'S HUGE ATTRACTION.

The Novelty and Musical Entertainment which Brennan's, Limited, will stage at the Town Hall on Thursday is by no means the ordinary show with one or two stars" and a number of indifferent people.' The name of every one of Brennan's artists may be found in the lists of front rank stage performers in the

big centres of the world. There is also an artist of a peculiarly interesting kind in the shape "of f Prince Clhairles, an educated orangoutang,, who imitates familiar human doings in a way .that is irresistibly comic. He skates with perfect ease* he cycles, he motors, and lie cooks and eats his dinner with the most ludicrous semblance of good taste dtad rtenmemienit. He is a most gen/tlemanly ape. The Hebrew comedians, Jordan and Harvey, are a new species, so/far as New cZealand.is concerned, and they come hall 'marked

from: the. world's metropolis. ArehieGlen, too, is.a laughter producer of an exceptional kind, and we are told that tihe humour of his songs and patter is too much foi' even the most determined' misanthrope. Les Petit a Totos come accredited from Paris and other-. European centres as acrobats of peculiar excellence, their balancing and gymnastio feats especially being really wonderful. / Miss Nellie Kolle is a lady with a sweet voice ■afcbd a bewitching way ;she is "the girl who reaches heart," and it is claimed for her that her male impersonations, piano entertaining and lextraordinary singing never fails to captivate. Another .remarkable lady is Miss Eva Mkidge, "the protean, artiste," who, as her programme description irnplies, is mistress of the art of lightning change. Of Johnson and Wells, American eoloiired comedians and harmonists, it has been said that they are "the real tiling." Besides all these noted artists, there is Mr Cliarles Howard, an admirble baritone singer, and ■ other artists of ■some distinction in the amusement world, each possessing a personality: and attractive items. The box plan is at the Dresden.

"THE SPECKLED BAND" There will be .staged to-night, for positively one night only, by Mr J. G. William son's splendid Dramatic I Company, in the Town Hall, one of the most celebrated and successful .dramas of recent years, "The Speckled Band," by Sir A. Conan Doyle. This play, which deals .with, another Sherlock Holmes adventure, has been translated into several European languages, and has succeeded in Continental capitals as well as in London and New York, It was recently a phenomenal boom in Sydney, 'and at present in New Zealand it is drawing crowded houres wherever it is produced. The reasons for this are that the author has handled the excellent material at his ccmimand with sustained "theatrical effectiveness, and tlie saving grace of real humour is not wanting. In characterisation it is skilful, .in incident it is undeniably prolific, and there is also a romantic love interest that appeals particularly to the weaker sex. Then again, the Cbmpany to interpret this play tonight is said to be infinitely better than the Company which pourtrayed it in New York. Apart from the fact that the cast to-nigjiit will include the very cream of tihe Australian* dramatic talent, it has added distinctions in Mr William Desmond (the talented young American star actor), Miss Dorothy Dix (one of the most beautiful and accomplished leading ladies on the English stage, who has been engaged from the Lyric Theatre, London, and who is making her Erst j appearance In New Zealand), and Mr Gaston MervaJe, the brilliant actor who has been specially engaged for this important tour. The curtain will rise at 8 p.m. sharp, and patrons are respectfully requested to book and be in their spats at that hour. Arrangements have been made with the Dresden Company for day sales to lie effected to-dav.