AMUSEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11424, 12 November 1897, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

The final performance of In Sight of St Paul’s at the Theatre Eoyal, by the Bland Holt Company, attracted a, very large audience last night. The play went with spirit, and was received with heartiness. To-night the Adelphi drama. One of the Best, by Seymour Hicks and George Edwardes, will be produced. It is a military, melodrama, dealing with the troubles of an officer of a Highland regiment, a Scottish prototype of the unfortunate Captain Dreyfus. This officer. Lieutenant Keppel, is condemned, on a false chargexff selling plans of British fortifications to the French Government, to imprisonment for life, and suffers public military degradation. The scenes of the court-martial and of the degradation of the unfortunate man are impressive and realistic spectacles. Another fine scene is provided by his reinstatement after his innocence is proved, which of course it is, in the last act.

The huge tent of the Flying Jordans was crowded last evening, and every item on the programme was received with enthusiasm, many of the acts being encored. The clever performances of the Jordan family, the wire act of Mdlle Arragon, the horizontal bar work of the Mario Bros., and the bicycle acts of Schrader, were all of a high order, and met with loud applause. To-night will be the last of the present programme, and to-morrow evening there will be a complete change. At 2.30 p.m. to-morrow there will be a matinee for the benefit of country visitors. There was a fair attendance at the Cycle Show yesterday afternoon, and in the evening the large buildings were thronged with spectators. The electric light showed off the exhibits to great advantage. The concert was well attended, and a good programme was gone through. Songs were sung by Miss Lake (with violin obligato by Miss Marsden) and Mr Maitland Qard’ner. Mr T. Tankard played a cornet solo and Mr Biinz a violin solo. Orchestral selections were played by Mr Biinz’s string band. Mass West was accompanist. The Alpine slides of Mount Cook and its glaciers, exhibited. by Mr J. J. Kinsey, proved very interesting, and will be exhibited again to-night. The show will be open to-day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. To-night will be the “ people’s night,” and the building will be brilliantly lighted with the electric light. The orchestra will play in the main building, and a first-class programme of music will be gone through. The Oddfellows’ Hall was well filled last evening, w T hen there was another of the series of kinematograph exhibition. The excellent views shown were highly appreciated, and in addition a short concert was given. Another entertainment will take place this evening. The series of entertainments arranged by the Canterbury Engineers’ Band was continued last evening at the Opera House. The attendance was better than it had been previously. The programme constated of a scene from the opera Hadrian's - Daughters, songs by Miss Corriok, Messrs Young, Trewerne, Pooley, C. Close and S. Clifford, and recitations by Mr D. Ryan, with the kinematograph views of the Jubilee procession. Some humorous views were also shown. The entertainments will be repeated this evening. Tha exhibitions of Drayton’s kinematograph at Tonics, Norton and Co.’s auction rooms yesterday were well attended. A j series of exhibitions will bo given again ; to-day.