ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 53, 27 November 1923, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE CAT AND THE CANARY.” "Tho Cat and the Canary” is a mystery right to the fall of the curtain. In this it is like "The Bat,” but far belter in its class. Its dramatic intensity is relieved by incidents of humour. One enter's into the thoughts and situations of the characters and shares in tho impending catastrophe,as though one were concerned in them in actual life. For this the quality of the acting is responsible as much as the story itself. Each succeeding event is but the opportunity for fastening suspicion on a new character, until one is baffled by their very number and the complexity of tho problems which the play so forcibly presents. In this play more than most, there are no unnecessary characters, and each part demands a high standard of acting and absolute realism to give to a difficult piece the success that attended it last night. Last night's audience was both large and enthusiastic. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. Tho change of pi ogramme at 1 ullers vaudeville last evening drew a crowded house. Billed as a headline attraction Linn Smith's Royal Jazz Band, proved the hit of the evening’s entertainment. Consisting of five performers,, the band gave as concerted items "Some Sunny Day,” "Oh!” and Don t, all of which wore enthusiastically received, the capers of tho musicians to the syncopation creating much amusement. In addition solo items were rendered by Arthur Curnick on the violin, Sam Cope on the xylophone, Linn Smith at the piano, and Paul Jeacle on the saxophone. They concluded by giving a jazz burlesone of "Beneath Thy Window” and "Georgette,” and at the end of the performance there was a remarkable scene of enthusiasm, the audience showing its appreciation by prolonged applause mingled with cheers. It is a long time since a vaudeville item in Wellington has mot with such a flue reception, and the band promises to bo a great attraction during its brief season. Of the other artists on the first part of the programme Trixie Ireland and Aston and Marshall were heard to advantage in their songs, am 1 MnNe and Malfe were successful in novelty dancing. The second half of the programme was devoted to Mr. George Wallace and his company in their No. 7 show, entitled “Midnight Revels.” Whilst attempting no plol'in the ordinary sense, the revue gave Mr. Wallace further opportunity to nlace himself on good terms with his audience with new quips and antics, and other members of the company were heard in musical numbers. Mr. Marshall Crosby sang “The Storm” very pleasingly. and other good items were "Nestle in Mv Arms.” by Hilda Gifford; "Jazz.” by Reg. Collins: and "Sunny Ilnlv.” bv Nellie Hall ; while the ehorns of Six Rascals contributed tunefully to the success of the revue. The same programme will lie given again this evening. KING’S THEATRE. The programme at the King’s Theatre this week is rich both in quantity and quality. "The Heart Raider,” featuring Agnes Ayres, is a picture full of rare good humour, and a veritable worry-dispeller. It is the story of a girl, the despair of her millionaire father because of the pranks she gets herself into. An insurance company which issues a policy against damage caused by her in its turn falls into astate of despair, and seeks to terminate the policy bv persuading her to marry one of its clerks. The situations are complicated and Inimorou®, ami the final solution one of hanpine«. "Tho Forgotten Law,” starring Milton Pills, is a drama crowded with action of the most intense kind. The King’s orchestra provides a choice selection of popular music. EMPRESS THEATRE. The fascination and the dangers attendant upon an overdose of jazzing are well outlined in “Wandering Daughters,” the chief picture at the Empress Theatre this week. It represents two opposite viewpoints. The father of one girl bars her from attending jazz dances; the father of another girl leaves her to exorcise her discretion, and to find out and understand the fitness of things. The story moves forward with an increasing snoed and dramatic situations when both girls succumb to the fascination of n jazzing master. The cast, an all-star one. includes Marguerite de Ln Motte, Mariorie Daw. Noah Berrv. and Princess Ylademar Volkovsky. There are excellent supnorts, and tho mnsto of the orchestra of fourteen instrumentalists is a distinctive feature, A delightful interlude is fnrnishoj j p n novelty stepdance by little Billie Murphy. "THE BEGGAR’S OPERA.” .Much theorising is necessary before a right consideration may be given to "The Beggar’s Opera.” whioh is to ho produced at the Opera House on 'Saturday next. There may he great argument among the critics ami the nnblicists about tho spirit of the original work being recaptured, but it is claimed that tho plain fact will be admitted wb.«v the opera, is seen that the producer has given, a show that for modern neonle is a. delight from beginning to end. Every situation, every character, every sneeoh, every scene, is saturated with artificiality. The satisfaction to D’e playgoer w’ll come primarily from tho completely truthful nresentation of the vagaries of civilised iniman'fy of 2CO hundred years ago in OldtLondon. Hero are the pimps and the stroet-w'lkors, the rogues and the vagabonds. Here the hero. who. fudged by anv code of morality, is a baser knave than cither of the villains of the piece. The author, John Gav, says a contemporary, is a seventeenth century man. who refused to sentimentalise. refused to ideab'se —with (he result that his work pulls oddly at the heart-strings, tickles our ribs till we roar, loaves us with a liealtliv taste in our mouths, and a. lasting illusion of having spent nearly three hours in a sparkling atmosphere of reality. Macheath. a bonny, bonny rogue; Polly Pcachuni. whose part has inspired every ono of the greatest of English actresses for two centuries; Mrs. Poachuni, the rumbustious old harridan; and Peachum himself. Apart from tho lure of tho play, the music weaves a spell such as our groat grandmothers wove on iheir harps’chords. Under the baton of Gustav Slaiwffski an orchestra, playing on oldfashioned instruments, will, it is claimed. nrovo that there is more music ’twixt heaven and earth than is dreamt of in jazz cacophony. The box plans onen for the season on Thursday morning at the Bristol. "ONE SUMMER’S DAY.” “The Thespians,” who. under the direction of Mr. Culford Bell, have presented quite a number of pleasant little comedies. tried their hands on H. V. Esmond’s three-act comedy, "Ono Summer's Day.” at the Concert. Chamber last evening with fair success. Tho comedy of the gently senlimental order boars the impress of tho years in its construction and dialogue, yet. gives scope for a certain amount of delicacy of treatment in its romantic passages which was not always taken the readiest advantage of in the earlier scenes, but ns the interest deepened tho pinvers did much better. Miss Phyllis Adams showed to distinct advantage as Chiara, the beautiful yet intriguing Gipsy. Mr. T,aurenee Hanlon was well placed as Major Dick Rudyard, the well-meaning, but lazy, cynic. Miss Linß'C Nicholas was frosh and attractive in e modestly maiden way as Maysio, and John Watchman did very well indeed as a cheeky urchin of the irritating order. Other parts were played w'th varying effect and iudgniciit by Chris Tollorton. Harry Brown, Leslie Anderson, Stanley Airth, Moira Young, llene Dingle, and Queenie Sample. The performance, in aid of tho Rev. Fieldon Taylor’s mission, will be repented this evening. Mention should be made of the sprightly music supplied by 'Miss Jean Turner’s Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar Club’e band.

AMBASSADOR CABARET. With the coming of the warm weather the management have provided an excellent ventilating system, and now announce the opening night of the flannel season to-morrow evening. This innovation is expected to prove very popular and patrons are advised to reserve thetr favourite tables.