ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1155, 16 June 1911, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

..... OPEIJA lIOI'SE. The hiy!ily-})oj)nlor romantic drama, "Hip Prince and the Beggar Maid," which lias been having a successful run at Iho Onera House, was repeated last night to a full The last performance will he to-night. The foccml production of Mr. William Anderson's new dramatic company will ho presented 10-morrow night, when Wilson Jiarrett's iamous play, "Lucky Durham," will form the attraction. Mr. 11. li. Roberts has a splendid opportunity in the name part, ami is snid by the northern press to be rjiiito at his best. Miss Beatrice Day is excellently suited as Lady Mmintfnllou. The box plan is at llollirtay s. THEATRE ROYAL. There were several changes in the programme at tho Theatre l?o,\'al last night, a notable addition to the company being the dwarf comedian, "Little Willie," who was making his first appearance at this theatre. Ho was at once a favourite with the audience, and, after earning applause for his singing, he proved himself a clever comer man, and brightened the first part of the performance considerably. Lucy Lavinia, who had not appeared before a Wellington audience for some years, was. accorded a good reception, and she had to supply an cncorc number. The Tossing Testros did clever juggling with a variety of objects, and also performed balancing feats with .numerous articles—from billiard cues, and felt hats, to breakfast tables and Japanese 'rickshaws. The Wetherleys appeared in a musical melange, 'in which Mr. Wethcrley introduced what is described as the "Can-a-Phono." During the lime that these performers are on tho stage music is produced from half-a-dozen strange and different sources, while, between ,times, a deal of comic patter is interspersed. The turn appeared to please the. audience. The remainder of the lengthy programme was of good quality. Miss 31. .Tandcscherokey's transformation dancing, and lvearns and ltoslyn's sidewalk conversations being features. The other performers included: 3liss Nellie Power, 3fiss Annie Tye, and 3lcssrs. E. R. 3tartin, and George Sparkes. Tonight the programme will be rep;ated.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. The increasing interest in natural history, born or "Wellington's growing "zoo" is most interestingly catered lor in a very fine .series oi views taken at the London "Zoo" and presented under the apt title of "Who's Who at the 'Zoo'." ■ Besides lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, giraffes, and hippopotami, pictures are shown of strange animals and birds which are on tho point of becoming extinct, such as the Tasmanian wolf, and the "pom pom" bird (there are only two in captivity). Thero arc also some close-up views of tarantula spiders, scorpions, ;i pair of elegant' zebras, and a wonderful range of tho monkey tribe, including "Jack Johnson" and "Undo Sam," whose "makeup" has been responsible for this incursion into tho domain of nomenclature. What will interest "Zoo" men is (ho admirable manner in which the animals are housed. In the dramatic section that very acceptable playlet "The Voice of tho Violin" was revived villi great success. It concerns'a violinist who loves a beautiful lady, and cannot stick to crochet's and quavers when she is on tho premises. When at length he declares his passion tho beauty "turns him down good and hard," and driven to desperation he joins an anarchist band. He and another are selected to blast the home of a monopolist with a bomb, and when Comrade. Fireworks is about to do t'ho deed _in the cellar the fiddler hears (lie strain of a violin, and peering through tho blinds, sres that his lady-love is the player. He tears down again to the cellar, has a wild struggle with his fellow murderer, who binds him with a rope and leaves him there with the fuse fizzing rapidly towards its death-dealing goal. He struggles madly in a frenzy of fear, and just lias time to pull the fuse out and so save all in Hie house. Discovery follows, .the violinist becomes a hero, and Mr. Monopolist gives him his beautiful daughter to love and cherish for aye. "Davy Jones in the South Seas" is a most realistic comic of excellent , photographic qunlity. Davy, a rough old barnacle, is so pestered with female admirers that he ships away to the South Seas, and becomes wrecked on the coast of Borneo. There he is netted by a black I rile, who aro so staggered by his exploits with a magnifying glass tiint they not only smro his life, but make him their Chief .Tanjandram. Eventually his fatal fascination works trouble with the chief's dauKht'er. and marriage is being forced upon him, when he makes his escape to the. seaside, and is picked up by his old friend Dick Deadcye. The picture is worked out'with the e.id of a crowd of bl.irks. who act their parts finite admirablv throughout. Other srnod pictures ere "Thomas VBeckot," "Max nnd His Molhov-i«-T,aw." "Elephant "Racing at Terak." "The Romance of TTeftv Rurl-e." and "Glimpses of Burmese Life." On Monday next, a verv ' fire picture traversing Diekens's "Tale of Two Cities" is to be shown.

"HENRY VIII" AT THE KING'S. Long before 8 o'clock last evening the sale of tickets' at Hie King's Theatre.had to be stopped owing to the rush to witness tho first public show of tho very line picture "Henry VIII," being n succession of scones of Sir Herbert Beernohm Tree's production at His Majesty's Theatre, London, taken under special conditions by Mr. Will Barker, whose "Bull-dog" braiid pictures are well-known to lovers of the kineuiatograph show. This picture ie doubtless the forerunner of many of the class as it must be only a matter of time when film-makers will offer managers sufficient inducement to allow them to reproduce photographically the important productions of the English and American stage. "Henry VIII," as produced nt the King's Theatre, is comprised of tho scenes of outstanding dramatic interest in Shakespeare's play—the arrest of the Duke of Buckingham at the instance of Wolsey, tho ensnaring of gay King Hal by Anns Boleyn, tho divorcing of Katherino of Arragon, tho fall of Wolsey from his high estate, and finally the crowning of Anne Boleyn at Westminster. The acting of Sir Bcorbohm Tree as Wol.-ey, Mr. Arthur Bourchier as Henry, Miss Violet Vanbrugh as Kathorine, and Miss Laura Cowio as Anne .Boleyn was superb, and the mounting of the play and costuming of tho characters arc wonderfully impressive. The picture is screened at about 0 p.m., and lasts for the best part of half an hour. Last evening an attempt was made by Mr. .T. E. Read to give an historical outline of the events of tlu time, with biographical notes of Henry and Wolsey, but these were not welcomed by tho audience, and the lecturetto had to be abandoned. All lovers of the bard should see Tree and Bourchior in "Henry VIII." tho facsimile in parts of a production that has broken all records in Shakespearean runs at Home. Other than the big play film, the new programme is very interesting. Tho pictures include tlio "Patha Gazette," " Mexican Filibusters," "Glimpses of Bird Life," "Postal Delay," "The Gorge? of Rummell." "All for tho Love of a Lady," and "Why He Lost Her." On Monday next will lie shown a SOflftft. picture of Dickens's "Tale of Two Cities.," one of .the novelist's most powerful stories, said to ba exquisitely acted by a company of French players.

NEW THEATRE. A complete change of programme will bo introduced at the New Theatre today. • The principal items will* include "Deputy's Honour," "Sonsntionnl Logging," "Lea Tn tho Fashion," "The Preacher's Wife," "Four Little Tailors." "Big Elk's Turndown." The pictures will be shown continuously from 11 a.m. till 11 o'clock to-night. The fpcetacnlar, historic film, ".\ Royal Divorce," is to be revived at an early dale

SKATING KINK

Large iiilondancpi are (lu- order al Fullers' Olyinpin Kink. Attractions of a varied character are announced from time to lime, and everything is done by tho management to add to the comfort of the patrons. Great interest is being laken in tho fancy dress carnival, which will lake place on Wednesday, July 12.

At the Opera House on Sunday afternoon and evening next a number of lectures on various subjects will bo delivered by Professor Mills, M.A. It is said that Air. Mills is a very eloquent speaker. Tho lectures arc (riven under the auspices of the Trades' Council's Federation of Labour.