ENTERTAINMENTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 190, 29 July 1911, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

NICOLA, THE MAGICIAN. Nicola, the Magician, entertained a large audience at the Princess Theatre, Hastings, last evening. All sorts of articles came within the grasp of his magical powers ; lie produced canaries by the mere discharging of a gnu, extracted eggs from everywhere and nowhere in particular, induced a spirit ball to answer questions, and performed a host of other feats which stamped him as a magician of the first rank. One of the star items was when Nicola and his assistant, after lie ing securely placed in a.trunk, reappeared in the audience. The manipulation of the playing cards was also a splendid item, as also was the turn where his assistant was bound to a torturing board and then placed in a wooden compartment where there was insufficient space to move. When the box was opened after Nicola had applied his powers, the assistant was upside down. In the second part of the programme the hilarity- of the spectators reached full meridian as Nicola extracted innumerable eggs from a. " bell-topper.” and heaped them in the arms of two mites chosen from the body of the hall. The Haunted Cabinet was another startling trick. In this Nicola exchanges places in the twinkling of an eye with his assistant, who is concealed in a trunk securelybound with ropes. The juggling of Mandolry was a splendid performance. The entertainment concludes with Nieokr's handcuff act. He challenged anybody- present to handcuff him. Three essayed the task, including one with a shackle, but in each instance Nicola freed himself within a very short space of time.

KING'S THEATRE, HASTINGS. A fair audience, considering rhe unpropitious weather, witnessed the final screening of the current programipi:. A complete change will be given this evening, when tlie usual good selection of pictures will be screened. The first scenic, ‘’Ski Championship of the World,” is a fairly- lengthy- one. and clearly shows what ext-iting sport can be had on the snow. A Bathe film, beautifully coloured, is entitled “Bear Hunting,” whilst other scenws are ‘‘Goldmining in Afrir-.s” and “ The Gorge of Rummell. The star drama is “ E'ather and Son,’’ a story of a young man who goes to the bad, is turned adrift by his father, rescues a girl and secures work in. a coalmine, rescues his father from an explosion, and is taken back again by the grateful parent. “The Redeemed Crimi-, nal and ‘‘The Show Girls' Strata-j gem ” are strong dramas. Of the comics, “Charley’s Aunt’’ is the best.