DE LUXE THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 100, 24 October 1925, Page 10

DE LUXE THEATRE.

For over thirty years "Charley's Aunt" has amused thousands of peoplo in all parts of the world.aa the greatest laughter-maker of the spoken stage. Somewhere about a quarter of a century ago it was touring New Zealand with the inimitablo Thornton in. the character ]^le, and since then it has appeared periodically, staged by both professional and amateur players, and always it has received its just tribute of hearty laughter. The stage! has moved ahead since these early days, and most of the popular comedies have provided subjects for movies. Now conies the screening of "Charley's Aunt," the admittedly funniest play of the English-speaking stage, which.opened a week's season at the De Luxe Theatre last night. The name part is taken by Syd. Chaplin, a brother of the famous Charlie, but whose humour is of an entirely different character. As the maiden lady who arrives from "Brazil where the nnts grow," he gives a very fine rendering of a character which has been made famous oy the world's greatest comedy actors. Piquant situations are expressed by the lift of an eyebrow, by a demure smile, or by some little gesture simple in itself, but with a wealth of meaning. The story is simple in its directness, and hardly needs relating'here, except to say that' it is the story of a youth who personates a wealthy maiden aunt in order to aid the love affairs of his chums. Arriving with her parrot and all. the gear that maiden ladies are expected to travel with—from a comedy point of view, of course—the story is^ soon in full swing and moves from one funny situation to another, until the audience is convulsed with laughter. Syd." Chaplin is supported by an excellent ■ east. Supporting films include a comedy, a scenic, and the usual Topical Gazette. Mr. L. D. Austin's large orchestra plays "The Fortune Teller" (Herbert) as an overture, "The Cuckoo" (Orensky) as the entr'acte, and incidental music selected from favourite light operas. A matinee is taking place this afternoon, and "Charley's Aunt" will be repeated to-night and again nest week.

A new and gigantic production of "Quo Vadis" has just been completed in Rome under the banner of the First National Company. For stupendous size, both in cast and scenes, for super thrills, and for rare beauty of photography, this film version of tho Sionkiewiez classic is proclaimed an unequalled masterpiece of the screen. The scenes staged in Borne on the actual site of Nero's tyrannies are enormous. The^ historic debaucheries of Nero and "his court, and the terrible cruelties of the despot, so vividly pictured, are tempered by the tender love of the pagan Vinicius for the beautiful Christian girl Lygia, and the unyielding faith of tho followers of Peter, the Apostle, oven when burned at the stake and thrown to the lions in the arena of the circus. Twenty thousand peoplo appear in the cast. The presentation will be preceded by a prologue, in which mil appear Mr. Norman Aitken and Mr. Sydney Tingoy. "Quo Vadis" will be presented at the De Luxe Theatre for one week commencing next Friday. Box plans are on view at >The Bristol, Aitken's Book Arcade, or reservations can be secured by telephoning the theatre.