ENTERTAINMENTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 65, 16 March 1912, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE ETHEL IRVING COMPANY. "THE WITNESS FOR THE DEFENCE." To be quite frank, it is a big drop from Somerset Maughan's clever comedy " Lady Frederick " to A. E. W. Mason's (juafai-drama "The Witness for the Delence," which va-s introduced by the Eihel Irving Company befoi© a, crowded Opera House lae-^ evening. Constructively and sentimentally the pla.y is not strong. Ethically it is rather insincere and artificial. The iirst act concerns tho drunk-mad Stephen Ballantyne and his wife, Stella. It is wholly enacted in a. warm-looking official tent on the plain of Rajputana. India. l 7 ears ef brutal and disgusting tyranny, coupled with tho visit of an old lover. Henry Thresk, who is on his wa,y Home, force the tragedy which is suggested by a strong curtain : the whisky-maddened husband shrinking before the overwrought woman, who is gripping a loaded rilie. Thence the author is hard put to Jovetail the parts of his btructuve without "showing the joints. _ The .woman, tried for murder, is acquitted 011 the evidence of Thresk, who, guessing all, testifies like the lover he is, or was. Thresk. some two years later, and when the widow has become Airs. Richard Hazlewood, somewhat inexplicably reopens the whole business. After teime and strenuously passionate scenes between the woman ajid Thresk, the former (under pressure) confesses to the shooting ii» the Lent on the pjain at Rajput-ana. The ' curtain falls on a weeping Stella happy in the anne of a forgiving Richard. My. Mason, in an attempt to be unconventional — to avoid marrying the lady to Th'vesk — has, apparently, become both unreasonable and insincere. In another act — a. second act. entirely lacking hi incident — Threek is subjected strangely to a professional examination by another legal light in the house of Hazlev/cod on his evidence in the trial at Bombay. The night scene between Thresk and Mrs. 1 Ballantyne (really Mrs,. Hazlewood by a secret marriage) is skilful and powerful in itself, but always there was a, feeling that there should have been no occasion for such a scene. The stage settings' were lavish, appropriate, and generally charming. • Without "Miss Trving's art the play would liot greatly appeal. Perljaps the best and greatest • thing that can be said of her is that she wa6 so earnestly natural and,eo convincingly a woman in all her change of emotions'. Her work in the duel with Thresk as to whether she would confess or not: the wild torment of passion that swept her heart and brought tears to her voice, • her pleading, cajoling, entreating of him to let -things be^— all was stamped with 22-carat histrionic power. Miss Irvine's interpretation made the scene a pitiful one a.nd one to remember. Mr. Stepheh Ewart was once again a success. The more one sees of this finished artist the' more he impresses with his personality, and restrained playing. He gave an excellent counterfeit of Threak. Mr. Halliwell Hobbes had flashes only as, Stephen Ballantyne, but Mr.. Wai 1 burton Gamble as Richard Hazlewood did little to enlighten a colourless part. The other roles were more or less capably delineated. ' ' , The piece will be' staged to-night and Monday evening. JANSEN. ■ " There wer« many, things that touched me during my tour of the East." eaid Jansen, f _the '"tranEformist, after his arrival in "Sydney, "but" tho one that I think went deepest was the pathetic home life of the little Boy Emperor of China. To the healthy human mind there is nothing happier than wholesome laugh of a child at play, free from care, and' living' in' that all too brief period' to which each of us look back with longing from the disenchanted Land cf Grownup.' I was invited to 'that little chap's home to give an entertainment whil« I was at Pekin, and I found out that h© was the loneliest boy in all that vastcity. He .couldn't run about and play with other boys, or bowl a hoop through the window *of. the grocer's shop at tlie corner, or fight Billy Ah Sin for " Braking " his alley tawr, or land, home from art orchard expedition with the rear guard of . his pants cut to ribbons, or play tally oi- anything efse worth-while. The whole Court was at that entertainment of mine, but I just laid myself out to amuse that lonely little soul, and we both • enjoyed • ourselves thoroughly. When it wa« over I handed hhn two white rabbit* which I found roosting in the air, and made him my^ friend' for life. I'm glad he lost the throne.. , ltd •sooner be a boy than an 'Emperor any day." Jansen makes hit. appearance before a Wellington audience on 27th March. "BEAUTY AND THE BARGE." The- revival •of W. W. Jacobs's delightful farce. "The Beauty and the Barge." by Mr. Allan Hamilton's Company, has. met- with, success in Sydney, Peith, Adelaide, and Auckland. It « tome years since this comedy was etag«d in Wellington by the • Brough Comedy Company, and theatregoers will note with pleasure that Mr. Hamilton intends reviving it at the Opera House next Tuesday evening for a short reason. Mr. Charles Brown will be the Captain Jauies Barley on this occasion. Miss Beatrice Holloway, it- is -stated, proves herself quite as much at home in comedy, as in drama,, and makes a dainty Ethel Smedley. Mi&s Lillian Lloyd and Mr. Kenneth Brampton, who were- engaged in England for the present production, appear as Lucy Dallas and Lieutenant Seaton Boyne respectively. Misbes Muriel Dale, Katie Towers, Agnes Keogh, and Messrs. Robert Greig, Wilton Welch, John Fordc, Stuart Clyde, Richard Bellairs, and John Bruce, are cast in the remaining characters. The plans are open at the Dresden Piano Company. SONG RECITAL. Mr. Hamilton Hodges, the well-known baritone, wil give a song recital on Wednesday, 27th March, when he will songs by Schubert, Straut>s. Mass, Godard, a group of five American songs new to Wellington audiences, and the Song Cycle, Maud SomervelTs setting of Tennyson's beautiful poem. Mr. Baxter Buckley will play the Chopin "Fantasie in F Minor," and the MacDoweli "Polonaise." Miis. E. H. Queree has been especially engaged as accompanist. The box plan is now open at the Dresden. THEATRE ROYAL. The Theatre Royal was again well patronised last evening, when the programme was eliown for the last time. This evening Sahib Fasola will introduce an entirely new programme of illusions, etc, including the "Stock Challenge," in which he will allow any member of the audience to fix him, aud Jie will, with reasonable time, release himself. The Windsor Churisters will give another new selection of songs. An > artist (.0 appear i'or the first- time this evening is Roy Itene. wlio will gi\e his laughter-pvovokiug "Levensky at the Wedding" aud other impersonations. BIJOU PICTURES. The Bijou Theatre management has just secured a selection of nuo films from American, French, and English firms. Amongst them are subjects of educational value, dramatic, and comic pieces, as well as some beautiful tia,\el pictuiefc. This evening theie will be iureeued a dramatic representation of Rider H»s.e«rdV "She." Theie me other- selections in -the • pipai'dmnie>