ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12819, 20 March 1905, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"FROM SCOTLAND YARD.'' Is the new piece, "From Scotland Yard," presented to the largest audience of the season, at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night, by the Maemahon Dramatic Company, the author, Mr. Geo. Darrell, has made concessions to lovers of melodrama along lines that have generally proved profitable. A succession of startling situations illustrates the features in a sensational story, there are several interludes ol moralising (the vice of drunkenness coming in for a particularly bad time), and no end of comic relief. The atmosphere of the play is rather heavily laden with crime, and the excitement is mainly due to incidents arising out of the detection of it. In th«! main tne> author has succeeded in dealing unoft'ensively with unnleasant types, the contrasting virlues of his clean-living characters .being at least as strongly accentuated as the lamta of the former. The result is a melodrama that makes very powerful claims upon the many who are fascinated the more their feelings are harrowed, and the more their blood is made to run cold. 1' rom the time the English detective, who is the hero ol the story, arrives in Chicago, bent on tracking down the murderer-of his friend, to the moment of his success, lie is the centre of hair-breadth escapes and thrilling adventures The climax is reached in the third act, when the detective is overpowered by the villains he is opposed to, and hurled down a mine shaft, 'ihis sensation v,'an well worked up. and formed the crux of a series of situations, with enough excitement 111 them for the most exacting. The piece was remarkably well received. Mr. (-co. Darrcll. .as Roy Wyndharn. the detective referred to, played with that calm and natural ease that always characterises his performances. Tie was very ably supported oy Miss Ada Lawrence, in the role of heroine, who acted with real fervour. .Mr. Oily Deering gave an intensely amusing caricature of a com it* Hebrew, the confederate of the villain, and was the means of raising quite an unusual amount of laughter. Mr. Alfred Boothrnan, as the arch-villain, Dan Lowry. was strenuous in voice and method, acting on the lines laid down for melodrama. He drew down upon the character much wrathful indignation from the audience. Mr. Henry Hodsou, a* a horrible example of what drink can do for a. man, played well up to the limits of the part, and succeeded in making it impressive. Miss May Granville, as an associate of the villain and his gang, conveyed the requisite impression without assuming unnecessary coarseness. Miss May Ilenno, as an honest denizen of the low quarters of Chicago, played very bright and with ability. Mr. Frank Hawthorne'was good as another of the villain's gang. Mr. L. Walsh showed the required histrionic ability as a police inspector, but was badly made-up.. The production was well mounted, and the mechanical and other effects cleverly manipulated. " From Scotland Yard" will be repeated to-night. OPERA HOUSE. A complete change of programme was submitted by Fuller's New Entertainers at the Opera House 011 Saturday night, in ho presence of a good attendance. The opening chorus was " Gay Paree," followed bv Mis.-; Lulu Eugene (serio), who sang " A Warning to Single Men" in a pleasing manner. Mr. Les. Warton again found great favour with the audience in his many songs, one of them being "My Bamboo Queen." Miss Kate Ma her (balladist) rendered "Could I But Dieam" vefy successfully. Misses May Rose and Ethel Preston (series) attained success in their songs, the former singing "The Daisy and the Dandelion," and the latter " C-h-i-c-k-e-n.'' Mr. Hugh Huxham (tenor) sail j? "Scotch Lassie, Jean," and Mr. .las. Williams (basso) "Out On the Deep," both being applauded. Mr. Ted Anderson was at home" in his numerous comic contributions. The first half of the programme concluded with an amusing conundrum, entitled "Marriage." In the second half of the programme, Mr. Harry Leeds and Miss Trixie Lemur appeared in some very pleasing sketches. The Reyes trio made their second appc-aranc-e. and gave some difficult feats of heavy "lifting with their teeth. The entertainment terminated with Mr. Ted Anderson's comedietta, " Cowboys and Indians." To-night Mr. Pete Miller, (comedy musical artist) will make his first appearance. FEDERAL HALL. The Federal Hall was literally packed 011 Saturday afternoon and night, the occasion being a complete change of programme by the New Waxworks and London Company. The chief attraction was, of course, the giantess, Abomah, who is presented as the tallest, woman in the world. The wax figures," "representing many of the world's famous men, etc., are wed worth inspection. Besides the above aid-actions a concert programme is provided, ill which Abomah sings. To-night a baby show will be held for children under 12 months old. The champion baby will receive a perambulator as a prize. On Saturday afternoon a. number of the veterans of the Veterans' Home, at the invitation of Mr. Rowley, paid a visit to the waxworks. OLYMPIA RINK. The Ol.vnipia skating rink on Saturday was taxed to its utmost, the sessions being the largest since the rink started in Auckland. The principal feature of attraction last week was a toboggan, which caused no end of amusement and laughter at the endeavours of novices to negotiate it. On Thursday night next the- first of three polo matches will be played between two local teams, and the winning team is then to accept a challenge from a team formed from employees of the rink.. The team winning the first three matches will lie presented with five gold medals by the proprietors. The management are arranging to extend the rink another 30ft. which will make it the largest rink in New Zealand. BAND PERFORMANCE ON THE DOMAIN. A massed bands performance was given on the Domain yesterday afternoon in aid of the widow and children of the late Harold Pernio. The deceased was a bandsman, who took part in the recent band contest in Auckland, and was one of the first to perform before the judge. Shortly after his return to Waihi he was accidentally killed in the Waihi mine. The collection taken at the gates yesterday amounted to £43. The performance was arranged by the management of ths Band Contest Committee, which consists of Messrs. Hume (manager), Anderson. Hill, Tatton, LeQuesne, Johnston, and Testor, who deserve great credit for the assiduous manner in which they worked to make the affair a success. The bands that took part were the Auckland Garrison, who played 'Eldorado:" No. 1 Battalion. "Washington Post"* and "Reel Eagle:" Imi>ey'« Band, "Serenado la Militaire;" North Shore Mounted Rifles Band, " Songs of Shakespere." The. massed bands played the "Dead March " in "Saul." VAN BIENE IN "THE BROKEN MELODY." Mr. Pete Hughes arrived by the Mokoia yesterday after completing a tour of the world. Mr. Hughes is representing Mr. George Musgrovc's Van Biene Company, which he had secured in London. "The Broken Melody" has been one of the greatest successes known of recent years, having been played by Van Biene over 4000 times. Van Biene is supported by 18 picked dramatic artists in the melodramatie piece. During the second act Van Biene will play his celebrated 'cello solos, an instrument on which he has lone; become famous. The season is limited to six nights. The l>ox plan will open at Messrs. Wildnian and Arey's on Wednesday at ten a.m. STEELE-PAYNE BELLRIXGERS. The Steele-Payne family of accomplished vocalists, bellringers, and musicians are once more touring the Auckland province. They appear to-night at Tuakau, and will play at Ptikckohe, Waitiku, Papakura, and Otahuhu in due course. The company lias been completely reorganised, and now consists of Misses Lizzie and Maud Payne, Miss Lena Fisher, Mr. Tom Elston, Master Claude Steele, and Mr. Ralph Steele. The- company have just concluded a most successful tour of the South Island, Taranaki, and Bay of Islands.