AMUSEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17290, 4 October 1916, Page 11

AMUSEMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL. " HAMLET." With the appearance of the second play in Allan Wilkie's season one naturally casts hack through the years to the Hamlet presented here hy H. B. Irving and the differences in the performances must be measured up in the appraisement of Mr Wilkie's work. Ifc may be said at the outset that "Hamlet" as produced at the Theatre Royal last night was not so uniformly sombre as its immediate predecessor. The Irving version, with its frequent use of shadows, introduced an atmosphere of gloom which never lifted. The Prince bad no humour in his make-up at all. From the outset he was wrapped in melancholy. Even a very foolish old Polonius could not afford relief sufficient to be noticed in the sombrous surroundings. And one always finds it difficult to acknowledge that the play as written by Shakespeare did not indulge in comedy. Mr Wilkie, of course, has not th* advantage of the magnificent scenic effects or the wonderfully effeotive lighting that characterised the Irving production, nor can he remain free from the charge of anachronism in his mounting. One might question, for instance, the very modern looking dinner-plates on the banquet board, and the very modem air about the fanfare that frequently broke in upon the ear. Mr Wilkie, however, makes his Hamlet a human being. Ho is very much a man, albeit a rather obvious one. Without any suggestion of the etheareal, Mi Wilkie by means of his free us.e ot byplay and movement suggests more oi the subtleties of Hamlet's character than he does with the speeches, which, too offend are marred by a hard separation into syllables and phrases which gives a suggestion of disjointedness. The soliloquies have a tendency to develop into speches, and at times one catches glimpses of the elocutionist. Taking his Hamlet broadly, however, one must confess that it is impossible 10 refrain from interest. Hamlets sanity in these days, of course, is never in doubt, and Mr Wilkie takes care his audience shall never regard the suggestion of insanity as worthy of credence. It is interesting to notice that he emphasises the depth of Hamlets love for Ophelia. His Hamlet is a romantic figure, though simple in texture. One misses the scholar and the philosopher, the two sides in Hamlet s character which are necessary to make his dialogue belong to him. One is tempted to Temark that Mr Wilkie s Hamlet quotes the philosophy of others, rather than utters his own ideas. It is not a profound Hamlet, but it is a very human one, and there the matter may be left. . The King found a forceful interpreter in Vivian Edwards, and Miss Valentine Sydney was excellent as the Queen, especially in the more emotional scenes. Miss Frediswyde Hunter-Watts, handled the "mad" scene with commendable restraint and with undoubted effectiveness. Edward Landor was an excellent Polonius and Walter Hunt a forceful though not too coherent Laertes. John Cave extracted a lot of good comedy out of First Gravcdigger withm the approved bounds and gave a. really enlivening performance. Fred Kehoe was an effective Ghost. , "Hamlet" will be repeated to-night and to-morrow evening "Twelfth Night" will be presented. A matinee will be given on Saturday.

OPERA HOUSE. There was again a large attendance at the Opera"'House last night, when the attractive programme presented on Monday was repeated. Bert La Blanc s Bevue Company was frequently applauded for its good work in the revue "At-the Exposition," and hearty approbation was also bestowed upon the vaudeville artiste, "the Robert de Mont Trio, the "Twa Wee M'Colls," Clark and Wallace, the Arteens and Les Le-' gerts. The programme will be repeated to-night. On Monday Madge Maitland, billed as the "Irish Girl from America," will open a season.

PICTURE SHOWS. "The Circus of Death." the Cines Company's sequel to "The Jockey of Death," was shown again at the Queen's Theatre yesterday before very large attendances, especially at the evening sessions. This picture will be screened at 11 a.m., 12.30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3.30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6.30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9.20 p.m. every day this week. Next week a double star bill will be presented, namely, "The Fireman," the second of the Mutual-Chaplin releases, in which the well known comedian is seen in a particularly funny part, and the great Lasky comedy-drama, " Chimmie Fadden." The society photo-play "At Bay was presented at His Majesty's Theatre last night before a large attendance. The story of a woman's fight against overwhelming odds was followed with interest and the pretty setting and stirring incidents made the film the mere attractive". The varied nature of the pictures in the first part of the programme pleased patrons, and the " Gazette " was particularly attractive. The same pictures will be shown at a matinee to-day at 2.30 p.m. and at the evening session. ,The Red Feather Company's masterpiece from Bret Harte's story, "Two Men of Sandy Bar," was a popular attraction at, Starland yesterday, and the fine scenes of,mining life were much appreciated. The comic film, "Two Elderly Cupids," created much merriment, and the "Eclair Journal" contained an interesting selection of war snapshots. The programme will be shown again to-day. At Everybody's Theatre yesterday "The White Hope" was the leading attraction in an interesting programme. Tli ere were large attendances throughout the day. The picture is of a good, clean type and deals principally with incidents in connection with a boxer's career in his training for a championship, some realistic views of the fight) being shown. The programme, which includes humorous, topical aud scenic pictures, will be repeated continuously to-day. The fifth instalment of the " Broken Coin " serial and the Metro production, "The Wall Between," were repeated at the Grand Theatre yesterday. The pictures will be shown again to-day, " The Broken Coin" being screened for the final time to-night. At the Globe Theatre yesterday the Triangle-Keystone comedy film, "Fickle Fatty's Fall," was again the leading attraction. This film and a number of good supporting pictures will be included in to-day's programme. The Pathe drama " At Bay," dealing with a society girl's fight against a geng of blackmailers, was shown at the Sydenham Theatre yesterday to good attendances. A special film showing the French Navy at work was much appreciated. The pictures will be shown again to-day.