ROWLEY'S WAXWORKS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9736, 8 December 1899, Page 3

ROWLEY'S WAXWORKS

A short papier ceason was successfully inaugurated at the Ga : ety Theatre la-;t 'eVaVSihg by Rowley's Waxworks aurl London Variety Company, and it can sifely be said that the large number of persons present went away guile satisfied that in what they saw and heird they received full value for the small charge., made for admission* The principal feature of the show is undoubtedly the waxworks, Which are grouped in appropriate sections round the hall. Roya'ty is represented by her Majesty, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke and Duohess of York. Of celebrities there is an almost unlimited supply, the list covering Shakespeare, Gladstone, Dickens. Gordon> Nelson, Salisbury, General and Mrs Booth, Irving, Ellen Terry, Bradlaugh, McKinley, and one 'distinctly up-to-date group is that comprising Chain be r lain, Rhodes, and Kruger. The " chamber of horrors " has its representatives in Deeming, Jabea Balfour, Mrs Dean, Mrs Maybri'ck, Charles Peace-, and the Kelly gang, all excellent productions of the wax modeller's art, if the photographs of these interesting individuals may be relied upon. Not less attractive and entertaining from a different point of view is the performance given by the London Company. Professor Antonio amuses old and young with the vagaries of Punch and Judy, Vantell doe 3 some really clever gymnastic work on the trapeze and horizontal bars, Nierbo entertans ventriloquially, Miss Davenport and Dave Warno appear in a most amusing sketch and other comicalities, Rexo juggles with articles of varied shapes and sizes in a manner indicative of long and careful practice, and Ward Lear mimics with j the accuracy of a Frank Lincoln, being particulaily good in his Chinese eke'cues. One of the cleverest items on the programme was the lighting oil painting of Professor Beckford, who in'the short pace of three minutes painted, upside down, a pretty bit of Australian scenery. A song by Mr Bryant, and an amu-.ing sketch by Messrs Woods and Watd Lear, closed this.part of the show. After witnessing the Variety Company's performance and viewing 1 he waxworks, there is plenty to entertain the visitor in the side attractions, comprising a series of cosmoramic views of London by night, si .miniature kiuemaiograph, fortune telling machines, etc. To sum up, the show requires no fulsome flattery, but will win popularity on its merits alone. Certainly auyone who visits it and complains of insufficient value for the .admittance money is indeed hard to please.