FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Evening Star, Issue 10439, 7 October 1897, Page 3

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

[By Gall Boy.J The ‘Sign of the Cross’ Company are doing phenomenal business in Adelaide, where the average takings are £2,000 a week.

From Townsville (Queensland) Mr Fred Duval sends me tidings of the Pollard Opera Company. The Rockhampton season, owing to its success, was extended from six to twelve nights. From Charters Towers they play return dates down to Brisbane, where they open on November 6 for two week?, Sydney to follow, and back to “God’s Country” on December 11. The Nev/Zealand season begins at Wellington on Boxing Night. ‘ Madame Angot ’ has proved a huge success. ‘ln Town’ and ‘Manola’ were to be produced in Townsville, and the energetic management intend also adding to their extensive rcnorloire ‘ Nadjv,’ an opera by Chassayne, the composer of “Falka.’ Mr Wybert Reeve writes to me to say that he is bringing to New Zealand the cinematographe in its most perfect form— Lumaire’d original instrument. The views include' the Jubilee procession, the Melbourne Gup (showing Lord Bi a isey’s arrival) and Newhaven (last year’s winner), and varied views. Lumaire’s instrument has met with immense success in England, America, and on the Continent. Mr Reeve expects to reach Dunedin from Melbourne in the lust week of October or the first week in November.

Our Timaru contemporary says that Miss Alycc Lcitch has received a twelve months’ eD S a S el J'. en i' in the opera company which “The Firm” are now getting together. A Charters Towers paner forwarded me by last mail gives a very flattering notice of a performance there of ‘Thelrish Detective’ by a company at which our old friend Grattan Riggs is at the head. Another familiar name in the company is that of Mr J. P. O’Neill. The leading ladies are Misses Alrace Hoyt, Duggan, and Katie Towers. The Berlin police have prohibited the performance of Herr Hermann Sudermann’s latest drama ‘Johannes,’ which was looked forward to as one of the dramatic events of the forthcoming season because it is based ou the story of John the Baptist. The dramatist has appealed against this decision, and will give a recital of his drama before an invited audience consisting of jiterary men. Ihe police, in the order issued by them, strangely enough state that pieces taken from the Old aud New Testaments will uot be allowed to be performed. The decision creates considerable surprise, as a Passion play is allowed both at Oberammergau and Stieldorf.