ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 591, 20 August 1909, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

. THE./NELLIE.STEWAET. SEASON.. - : '•'. ,Sweot ■Eitty- Belftiirs' and.,tier ; brilliant entourage , appeared .on! the, stage .of the Opera House kst_evening-a. charming- pioture. of a .past)but. brilliant decade—and- a large .audience followed with tho greatest interest and! admiration the delightful; story .which-the Authors of ..-..The Bath. ■Comedy".- have mitten about Sweet. Mistress Kitty,-.:*.-story .which affords' .that clever actress, Miss Nellie/Stewart, Vljun-' daut scope for'.ths djsplay,' : of. those,.characteristic , histrionics which have made, her- reputation,; .Ably, assisted by Messrs.. Claude King, Frederiok Moyes, Conway Wingfield, andXangham .Burton, , . Mies Stewart gives to the story jf Kitty. Bellairs all th'ocharm'aridatniosphere associated .with, the picturesquo period to'which the dainty heroine belongs. , The finaPperformance will be given this evening..,'.-. It was'in , 1902 that' Nellie Stewart scored a triumph in the drama, "Sweet Nell of Old Drury,' and. there,is no doubt' that for many years to come she*,will<.be aKociated'with the character of the' orange girl- 'who ■ beenme an actress, and. who,i-.w.as;■.srst,,-.jfsvpflrite. l i. with Charles -11. The,;merry,-, monarah ;hadi many favourites, .and,. ajthough ,he, lpved,::o,thers;as httlo-Tas .he. thought.. -'.Nell Gwynne .must ; hayd exerpised",ayh.old on the King's real affections; toy his dying words , werb' .of her. Of Nellie Stewart's Sweet ..Nell,' nothing, can be said that has not" already' beoii said scores of'times. It-is a bright,'brisk,' and appealing . performance. It has' notes in it that creep into'the: heart; and the four- revivals of Paul Kester's fascinating romance, commencing on Saturday .night next, will'probably , havo the : effect ■ of- taxing, the Opera Hous-j to its capacity! - : The last three nights' of the season are to bo,devoted to , a production of Shakespeare.s famous , comedy "As You Like It." .'■ :. .. :■■'"' '.' '.■; . ■ '* ' ■■-.•. ..-■

~. ! FILLERS'PICTURES. V' ■ . Patrons .of tho Theatre. Royal to-morrow evoning are promised an historical treat; as Messrs. Fuller will vpresent "The Life' of the Great Napoleon." Interest in the.life of the "Man of Destiny" has never waned, arid iin opportunity of witnessing. somo of : the niost stirring scenes in. his eventful.career will no doubt be largely availed of. The maters of the film,' which is 2178 ft in: length,- have .sparo'd no. effort in. securing ac'cnnicy.k--every'detail'. There are two parts, depicting Bonaparte's rise and fall, the nrit devoted ..to events which : raised Napoleon to the 'pinnacle- of fame, and the other to the severe ■reverses, which 'robbed him,of~his great power, leading eventually to , his captivity and death at St. Helena.

HIS. MAJESTY'S .THEATRE.. '. " • The change, programme.-of the Royal, Pictures is a good example qfitbe'varied'attractions embraced by tho art of kinematography.' The lover of travel may take lightning! trips to British Columbia or Ceylon, and admire. the sqenic beauties.or''6rudy the; industries'of the oduntries. If the, watcher, 'is' a\ stay-at-h'oine he may have dramatic entertainment, , for-there is a great variety of films'of the kind marked "tabloid... drama.".. ."A, Son's Atonement," "The Widow,", and."A Tragic:Night":are pictures of this', class. /To' the comedy class belong '"Salome Mad" and "The Electric Enlarger."; :-.'.' . . . >■. ... i ' ..■;, • -

.-■:,.■• SKATING 'KINK, v:../ / - The dull roar to be heard outside'HieOlynipia Rink in .Vivian- Street ,everyVevening ; proclaims the' fact that: rihknjg "continues, to be one of the popular , standing, 'recreations' of the Wellington public.. Tho chief topic, of' inr' te'rest among , Tinkers at present'is-the big oarnival , ne*t-Wednesdayi , preparations for which are' being actively pushed: forward. BENGOUGH. '• ' ' ' Bengough, the-entertainer from Canada, will open his Now Zealand tour at the Town, Hall on Friday, August 27.; In Sydney recently the new-comer' talked,- smiled, sang;' , ; and sketched himself into high favour, while his entertainment.proved a- decided , 'novelty;' The "Brisbane Courier" eays: "Bengough, with a few sheets of white paper> and some coloured chalks, kept the in a perfect, ripple of laughter, as he related: some story, or/sang some song applicable to his'sketch.. Bengough's illustration of'how'/Robert Peanut' eang: before and after a sk-months! visit to .Italy: was screamingly funny, and equally so was , his recitation !Tsarbara I'rietchie/, as'delivered'by a young lady elocutionist." ;V " ' ; • PUBLIC rLIBRARY LECTURE. ':;■: "' : Mr.' P. R. Waddy, ~B.L, LL.B;, will" give a lecture this evening,-in, the New! town' Library, on "Animal. Life in South Africa." The , lecture wilJ.be under the City Council's'auspices, , arid admission will be: free.; , ' : '~ ■-.- :- . ■ - SUNDAY .CONCERT. '■' ' v The ■ Wellington .Orchestra will make their reappearance oh. Sunday next at the Town Hall to augment their library- funds. Among'the items will bo songs-by. the prizewinners at the ; popular ooncerts.. With the ■exception of benefit concerts, to which.tho orchestra have, always readily responded, the returns at the. Sunday concerts are small. It is hoped, however,:, that "the.library .'fund' will benefit very, substantially.' : Tho full, programme will appear in.;to-morrow's issue." -'