AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 73, 26 March 1906, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATEE. '•'XED KELLY." "Poor 2s"ed!" was the prevailing thought of a packed house at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night, as it filed out, sorrow-stricken, mourning for its hero. For hero he deserved to be, and hero he was. The books with the man in a red shirt on the cover proved it, and this play supports them in pointing a noble truth: Police—wicked when not nincompoops—conspiring against him, old Father Moran even giving him the sacred support of the Church, and all the worthy characters upholding him —what more could he wished, except a tableau showing him in celestial bliss, and an epilogue recounting his canonisation? Of course, people really don't go to be converted from thinking the man a blackguard to thinking him a saint, but they go to have what many of them would term "a rattling good show," a show full of manly escapades and exciting conflicts between the noble band and the hard-hearted police; to see Constables Murphy and Maloney say funny things many times over; to find how' the respective girls stuck to their valiant knights till they lay dead at the feet of a piratical police. This is the tragedy; another side of the inversion of things remains to be done, and might have tempted W. —S. —G. But really it is a "rattling good show." The piece, which is new in its arrangement, is most admirably staged, and the production is in this particular the best thing the MaeMahon Company has done. The racecourse scene and the burning hotel were quite realistic, the mail-coach incident was admirably carried out, and most of the spectacular points were well worked both scenically and in regard to the human element in the actors .-.nd the supers. Mr Blake as Ned Kelly wa> sufficiently fierce, daring, and full of the manly virtues, but the quaint headgear he wears in the final scene (when he is in "armour") might have a hole in it for him to speak through. This is one of Mr Blake's best parts. Steve Hart, the young man who threatens to be good and thinks better of it, was capitally played by Mr Wilton Power. Miss Maie Nelson was perfectly natural as the heroine, Marie Byrne, as was the Kate Kelly of Miss May Granville. The police weie sufficiently wicked and comical by turns. Mr J. Lambert took Senior Constable Fitzpatrick, and made him a singularly unattractive person with his treachery, his cowardice, and his failure to appreciate the true nobility of the hero. The knockabout constables (Mr Charles Berkley and Mr Peter Saviori) asked one another to "have a heart." and knocked against one another, and played other pranks that kept the house laughing for most of the time that they wore on the stage. Sergeant Steele, by his sympathy for the heroic band and his apologetic defence of the police, hardly belongs to the ranks of the Philistines, but he was very good in the hands of Mr L. Walshe. " It is a pity that thia character should so far spoil the symmetry of the piece as to preach a moral at the close so totally at variance with its motif. Mr Harry Douglas was. of course, excellent as Father Moran, the protector of the gang, who with unnecessarily unctuous explanation warns the gang when they are on the point of being captured by the police. Mr Fred Cope was quaint, hut rather good, as the villain of the piece, Aaron Sht-r----ritfc, who so wickedly tells the police of the natural murderings and robberies of his noble associates. Hie minor characters were for the most part capably acted, and once more (still keeping the inverted commas)., it was "a rattling good show."' THE OPERA HOUSE. The large audience which filled the Opera House on Saturday evening in spite of the unfavourable state of the weather was convincing evidence of the popularity in which Fuller's Minstrel and Vaudeville Co. is held. The re-appear-ance of the Gibson trio in several charming songs and dances, and the Volteens aerialists and iron-jawed man-els effectively strengthened the ranks of the company. The first-named ladies, who provide one of the best dancing turns seen in the Fuller circuit, were speedily in the front rank of popular favour, the singing, costuming and execution of their turns being of the highest order. The Volteens fully upheld the management's description, their turn embodying great muscular and dental strength, neatness, and, above all novel-

ty. The performance takes place on a double swinging trapeze, high above the footlights, where a number of p volutions, for the most part entirely new to Auckland audiences, are presented in a ma.iner which fully merited the demonstrative applause they received. Of the other members of the company Miss Malvena Moore was very successful with hpr songs, and sanddance, and Miss Elsie Brown warbled to good effect in a number of popular coon items. A good reception was accorded Miss Dorothy L'Estrange. who sang "Because of Thee' , and "Annie Laurie." Both the singing, the class of song, and in several cases the cleverness of the local allusions, all combined to give Mr Bob Lloyd a series of recalls, coupled with most demonstration applause, which was in every respect well deserved. Illustrated songs and baritone solos were successfully rendered by Mr Chas. Howard, and the Driscolls introduced another of their eccentric sketches and speciality dance, which evoked much laughter and applause. A number of clever imitations were given by the Brewers, American sketch ar-

tists in the course of their novel turn. Mr Lai Logic and Mr Owen McAuliffe also appeared. A similar programme will be repeated this evening.