AMUSEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17665, 18 December 1917, Page 9

AMUSEMENTS.

THEATRE. ROYAL. At the Theatre Royal Jack Waller's " Look Who's Here" Company performed successfully last night before another large and enthusiastic audience. This evening the. programme will be changed. The big musical specialty will be th> overture to "William Toll." instead of Tschaikowsky's " 1812," and Frederick W. Dennett will play as his pianofore solo Liszt's second Hungarian Rhapsodic, while Gregory Ivanoff, tho violinist, will bo heard in a "Faust" fantasio. Many new burlesques will be introduced, the chief being " The Police Station," and " The Big Stare." The Hungarian Band trio will, present " Tho Policeman'3 Holiday," and " Tenessoe," and tho Ideal Trio will play another collection of popular melodies. The other artists in the clever company will also bo heard in new items. >

CYRIL MAUDE AS "GRUMPY." What is announced by the J. C. Williamson management as tho most important and expensive engagement ever made by tho firm is that of the eminent English character actor Cyril Maude, who will play a brief season, commencing at tho Theatre Royal on Boxing night. Mr Maude comes heralded with <he most flatterinir of encomiums. In his own line he is acknowledged the greatest artist of the day. Ho has for twenty-one years at his own theatre delighted London. Ho is, moreover, the creator of most of the parts in most of tho big successes for a decade. It remained for " Grumpy," however, to put tho Eeal of complete artistry upon his career. Ho has appeared in the character of the fascinating octogenarian no lees than one thousand times in England ond America. A loading Sydney critic writes of Mr Maudo as follows:—"It has taken Mr Cyril Maude to show us in Australia what real acting is. It is not only a pleasure but a duty to welcome so accomplished a comedian. Mr Maude is gifted with an unusually appealing personality, but being a true craftsman ho has mado this personality his sen-ant, not the master of the art. He stands in a class by himself. It is safe to say that no actor on the English speaking stago to-day is moro versatile and entirely artistic than ho." The play, although of a sensational nature, is roplote witli comedy situations. It has been styled a modern detective drama of sai intensely interesting and novel kind. Neither is it entirely Mr Maude, for it is understood, an exceptionally strong company supports the brilliant principal. Tho box plans will bo opened at Messrs Milner and Thompson s on Friday morning.