ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 952, 20 October 1910, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"TRILBY." Miss Nellie Stewart, and the company of capable players, who support her appeared in "Trilby" again last evening. The dramatic version presented 'differs slightly from Du Maurier . and Paul Potter's , version, which was originally ■played in Wellington by a company headed by Mr. Reuben Fax and Miss Edith Crane, and makes ono daring innovation. . It is in that scone where Trilby ("starred" as "La Svengali, the great singer") makes her appearance in tho Cirque des Bashi Bazouks. In the old version the characters on the stage looked 'through the wings, and spoke their dialogue as if the stage on which Trilby' stood were visible. In the version being '- played at the Opera House the' .curtains" are . drawn - apart, and, through a screen of guaze, Trilby is'scen singing, to a vast audience, while Svengali, laden with orders, leads • tho orchestra as he keeps.- her under' mesineric control. Then comes the, denouement. Svengaji, seized. with - heart 'failure, cannot go on, and Trilby, without his influence, is heard making a burlesque of the . nursery rhyme, "Au claire de la: lune.'Vas the Jew, ghastly pale, audibly draws breath through , chattering lips. The little glimpse- of' the audience in the theatre was quite-logical,'quite artistic, ( and it is surprising: that the .idea was not thought of originally. ■, Mr'..; Gaston, Mervale's Svengali deserves nothing' but'praise. It is the m.os't 'powerful bit of ■: strong . character work seen-von the local'stage/for... a long time. ; Miss Nellie' Stewart'makes a satisfying, if. not ideal, Trilby,, and scores'in .the / emotional passages. The song/"Ben Bolt" is admirably, given .by Miss Thomas, who has' a . fine, full-bodied contralto' .of'. good quality. ' ' ,' '."Trilby" will be played to-night and to-morrow nighty anil; on. "Saturday "Sweet Nell', -of Old, Drury" .will' be'- revived, •with Miss Stewart as ■ the ,• incorrigible but . warm-hearted Nell, arid Mr. .Harcourt, Beatty 'as King', Charles. - THEATRE ROYAL.,. v . The vaudeville ' programme presented at tho Theatre /Royal. /nst; evening at-, tracted.a large l audience, and was'received with. approval. • A' popular,. turn;. ; is-.that of the' American musical comedy ; artists, Fred Gray; and ; Nellie Graham.. " The vocalists,• comedians, and; other,', 'artists who .contributed- to' : the programme were all well received. The,escape of "Hanco" from 1 ; apparently ;lasting, 'bonds .continues toiafford an interesting spectacle. Last evening, a small /party from the audience trussed him up i with his wrists' tightly, fastened together behind his/ back,;.,aud his feet almost I touching his;; .".hands.. "Hanco" escaped in eleven The programme 1 will' be repeated (his evening. . HIS MAJESTY'S PICTURES. ;' "Full up!" was the brief, comment or the; manager of His 'Majesty's Theatre 'last evening, when, the weekly,-change of programme was made. Out of the way scenery' always interests, and the. !one depicting. a trip to . Sohynige Platte,; the. 6800 ft.'peak in'.the, Burmese Oberlaiid,'.is: Extraordinarily/- fascinating. . ' /Another, travel picture is that showing a series:of scenes "in/ Ismaliah markets, which, in-, ;olud6 a" camel, sale.;.' .Then in a .flick the' 'audience; was' transported, to/Japan and. shown Tokifl, during/the' great;; flood;' jin which nearly,.9oo lives were lost. ' / Quaint street- scenes were ' shown, , exhibiting the ■water flowing ihip-high/ withvthe- populace .wading.'about/'their/ business, and punts' conveying cargoes, of,rice/to those, in (lis-; tress.. .Another; picture; showed a company-, ofisoldiers,cooking/£ood : for the.starving .thousands'.'' Amongst the dramatic pic-; 'txir'es.'shown,v'!The/'.Highbinders";. took' a. prominent," place.*;/ The scene', opens in'/a school,J. whore/ some woll-intentioncd young, ladies/and a clergyman are teaching Chineso to read and-write. The classes include/;. 60ine; : of the " most ;, evilly-disposed .of tho race known as'"hatchet'men" 'in !Ne)v York, 'owing to their predilection for the' small axe/in'disposing' of their/.vie-; tims/.; One/is discovered; aboutto commit /murder- by the clergyman, and, for ; that the latter. becomes a marked -man;. They plan another- plot to kill him, but. their -scheme is. overheard by; one, of the/lady teachers,' who .advises the police ■at tho moment, tho .Chinamen'break, into the vicarage. ' Tberoas .a,fierce .struggle, 1 and the clergyman is just about- to be killed when 'the police, rush in' and; overpower '/the Chine'seV : ."The. Way-. of the lted Man" is., another!: powerful .'.'..drama from the : Wild West .'library. /.It, .is. the; story; of 'a gambler rescued from ; justice _by an - Indian couplfy 'who, • after .-.being 'nursed ,back to life/ betrays the young squaw. ■ • The husband/ orders;' them' both away, ' Years .later/, the. .wife is punished by the Indian with torture/ and is finally flung into a'river arid drowned, "Farmer Jenkins^!visits tho. White -City" is the amusing; 'experiences of . "tho waybacks" seeing tho■ sights.;. Other pictures./of 'merit are:"The/ Peacemaker, !',' "The, Call to Arms,",, "Affectionate, Pets,""Tweedledums Dancing Fits," "Unexpected Help,", and, "'.The. Almighty. Dollar." ,; Mr. Frank Crowther's orchestra deserves commendation for the bright accompanying music;/

WEST'S ROYAL PICTURES. • As ■ usual'J:he ; King's;'. Theatre, was ; quite' full last/eveiutfg,'when a new-programme was. screened' to the _entire .satisfaction of all present...! A picture entitled "Our Darlings," showing, a" number of charming children, deligntedj.. the/audicjice;. ; and evoked very * hearty applause. ; .The "Wild West/ drain a.' was by "The ,Way of : the R«l- Man." JA', gambler has raised, trouble .'in asliaity,. by .'crooked dealing;' and.tlie guns'play, i to'some; tune :as.he escapes! after shooting ono' of. the players. He esoapes .with •leg,; .'.and is. succoured by an' Mian ;'wonian and, her husband.. Wijen convalescent he makes love'; to'the'woman,'and the Indian . husband 'Orders; them both 1 to emit. Years -later / the, harvest of doing is reaped. ~; '..The. gambler .' turns, drunkard,, ana knocks.- the woman about. The -news, is conveyed'; to the Red .Man;' wlio goes; to her rescue .only in .time'; to' see her , die. of brutal'treatment.' He, ties the dissolute- white to. a ; tree ' near,'.the . woman's /grave, .and . camps: on' the spot' to watch; him. die of hunger and thirst—it is ; tli© Red- Man's Way.. Bnt'.the cliild is' persuaded by; the ■ white to cut his bonds, and "..'just, as he-is freed-the '.Indian grapples ..with him, : And. hurls jhim./over; a cliff. into tlie' river., The' scenery ' was .a feature of the picture. ;"Why ,Nick .Winter went to, the;Races",is. more I 'iritercstr' ing than its title infers. Nick.goei to the races to. shadow a - couple • of. wives on behalf of. suspicious husbands, but incidentally a; splendid steeplcchaso on one of the Parisian racecourses is'depicted with startling fidelity. , Lovers of sport should be further / interested in the runnings of the St. Leger at Doncaster,. which is shown in Pathol Gazette. Pathos is the, dominant emotion'"in "The. Three Friends"—an old cabby, ■an old dog, and an old horse, who, travel -life's stormy track in loving community.'' In" assisting his horse up a' stiff pull, the old man over-exerts himself, and falls', ill. .He creeps into his cab, and . the' dog takes the reins, .drives Mm . to' aii. infirmary, and actually rings. the ■ bell.. ■ The final tableau the old <horso and. dog wandering into the cemetery and standing mournfully by a .new-made grave.-' "Methods of Transport in Indo-China" is a "beautiful naturally-coloured picture of life and scenes in the ,East. Other pictures, shown are;" The. Eloods 7 .in Tokio," "Affectionate Pets," "Tlie Queen of May," i and the comical "His/ 'Little Smi .is. With Him all .the'Kme." V, , .' STAR ■ PICTURES. A large "house" assembled at St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown,' last evening, when' a varied selection of ' pictures was submitted. Included ip> some*. particu- ; larly lino travel scenes, and an excellent range of dramatic, comic,., and industrial films., ;The same pictures . will be screened this; evening. OLYMPIA RraiC; The Whirr' of the wheels still • makes music at caclr session, at the Olympia Rink ill Vivian Street. Last evening there was a good attendance of the public, indicating that interest in this favour-, ito winter pastime lias not diminished, although tlio warmer weather is approaching. ' ' /;

'Hie Now Zealand Shipping Company,insert a notice to • passengers by-the R.M. Tongariro, which leaves for London todajvat -soon.