AMUSEMENTS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 9 December 1912, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS

BARTON'S CHK'-US

This gigantic show will arrivo iu Masterton fin Friday, December tho 13th., and will 1 give two night performances only. A special programme has been arranged for school children and people living at a distance on Saturday afternoon at 2. 30 p.m. This is the third' annual tour of the (inn, and to keep faitli with its thousands of patrons all over New Zealand, Mr F. J. Barton made an extensive tour overseas in search of new artists and fresh novelties, and he has succeeded in securing what now is claimed as tho most expensive circus outfit that has yet toured tho Dominion. A menagerie of wild animals from the jut of South Africa and India has also been added to tho show. Tho management hare generously decided to place these on view free to all at 7 p.m. The- troups this tour is entirely new, and -vnelwles an array of stars engaged from, abroad especially for the tour. The management has spared no expense to uphold the reputation earned for the excellence and variety of its programmes. Th chief feature of the show is contributed by t.hp Henley, Maryar'utte and Henley, Lhe £4O ! a week artists. Thi,s act must lie I seen to be believed. The- Baker Family, ten in number, includes lady gym- | na-sts, a rial artists, summersault j riders and tumblers, who are a. sbmv |in themselves. The Bakers defy the laws of gravitation, and perform a number of tricks in mid-air which other high-grade stars could onlr -.ierform on terra firm a. A Jr*ng list of other performers includes Miss Bab*>rino. known as the "human serpent" ; Miss Mena Yal shines out a« n trick | cyclist of some eminence, while she claims to be the only stock-whip expert in the Southern Hemisphere.' Miss Kathleen Baker performs many wonderful feats on the flving trapeze, while "Hanpy Tackles," the funnv clown, keeps the audience in hitrh good humour during the performance with his> quips and jests. Roy Barton and Hugo Frankino will perform some dangerous tricks, turning flip-flaps and summersaults on galloping horses. A ho.st of other variety acts, etc.

, "ON OUll SELECTION." i ! The superb Australian comedy tlraj ma,. "On Our Selection," that will ihe presentt"d on Friday next in the . Town Hall by the Bert Bailey New I Dramatic Company, is unique in the ' instantaneous success it'.scored on being first presented in Sydney early in i 1912, aind in the way it has held the public ever since. Its popularity in Sydney and Melbourne recalls the days of the "Struck Oil" boom, and it bids fair to outshine even that famous play. "Oil Our Selection" is a perfect blend of merriment and tragedy, .sentiment ■ and rugged out back experiences, ro- ) mance and humour, and the members ' of the company are all admirably suit.ed to their respective parts. The story 'truly represents rural life as described by Steele Rudd in .his farj famed bowk, and the incidents are pre- ! son.ted with a fidelity that makes the I play seem like a piece of real life on ; a selection. The company includes specially selected English and Australian I artists, who have during the. nine months' run of this wonderful play earned reputations second to none in Australia. The company was got together early in the present year, having a largo repertoire of new pieces ready for production. But so sucoeiss- | fill iwas "On Our Selection" on its [ first production that the public have j by their patronage made it impossible ) for the management to substitute an- , other piece. • The box plan is now open ! at the Dresden.