ENTERTAINMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4580, 8 June 1917, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE NORWOODS. The second entertainment* given by Mr Norwoodl at the Opera House last evening attracted a largo audience and all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the demonstrations given by the marvellous power this gentleman- exercises over the minds and actions of others. There was no lack of volunteers from the audience when Mr Norwood invited any who were prepared to subject themselves to singular influence to come forward and within a few minutes about fourteen youths and young men formed a semi-circle on the stage. There was no selection by Mr Norwood, and singly and collectively all were made to do his bidding. Many of the scenes were very laughable and at times theaudience was in an uproar and rose from their seats in their eagerness to see all that Was proceeding. In one scene four or five- young men were convinced 1 that they were preachers. Instead of employing language they used the letters of the alphabet and each represented a different type of preacher and declaimed, pleaded and exhorted to the accompaniment of dramatic gestures jn a manner that would 1 have done credit to any pulpit, orator. A colored man was particularly ani.nsiiig and while still the victim of a hallucination sang in a pleasing voice a familiar hymn. To show liis complete mastery over his subjects, Mr Norwood changed , the scene entirely to a racecourse. Every man then became a keen and wholehearted sport ,prepared to back a horse with the last shilling, and the deep interest they were made to take in an imaginary race and their individual remarks when brought- to themselves after supposing themselves to have been badly “had M caused the merriest laughter. The whole entertainment is of its kind, excellent and Mr Norwood made good all his claims. No man gifted with hypnotic powers who has yet visited New Zealand has gone as far as Mr Norwood and throughout there was not the suspicion of any adventitious aids Air Norwood- gi}in.s his results appreciably by bis own gifts and powers and needs no outside assistance. The last scene in which be made half-a-dozen young men believe that they were chorus girls was a* capital conclusion to the performance. They seriously noted themselves, did their hair up, powdered their faces and danced for a. considerable time, just as chorus girls might dance, while one of their number sang ji wellknown music ball song. Mr Norwoodl will appear again to-night, when fresh scenes will he introduced; and also on Saturday night.