ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13869, 1 October 1908, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

" THE- LITTLE BREADWINNER."-

It is an. axiom of the present-day theatrical manager that tho " heart interest"which usually means mawkish sentimentality—of the modem child play, will cover a multitude of sins of commission, as well as omission, in tho way a'play is staged and acted, because theatregoers are lenient critics of a drama which is built round and centred in the sayings and doings of some precocious child actress. In other words, theatregoers are,believed to bo indulgent to child plays, for the same reason that Dr. Johnson declared made .some people -stare at a dog dancing on his hind logs. The initial production of tho Clarke, Wren, Meynell, and Gurin Company at His Majesty's Theatre last evening, "The Littlo Breadwinner," is ti "child play," neithor better nor worse than many others of its class, unless, perhaps, it is a little more stilted and improbable. A slight—very slight-— suffices for a story to introduce two precocious children, one of whom practically- takes charge of the proceedings, and dominates tho play till the fall of tho curtain. Such absurdities as a female child of 10 covering tho villain and his female accomplice with a pair of loaded revolvers, and subsequently stopping whatever dramatic action there is to indulgo in an indifferent music hail turn of the serio-comic variety with the other child of the piece, are characteristic of child plays of "Tho Littlo Breadwinner" type. In tho second act, again, tho action of the play is stopped for a considerable time, just at what is supposed to be the most pathetic part, to give tho same two children an opportunity of presenting an alleged humorous travesty of the parting of Napoleon and Josephine. The incongruity of introducing such a scene into a household where the mother is blind and the family are in tho direst, depths of poverty apparently does not strike the author. • Of course, one docs not always expect probability on the stage, but even melodrama has traditions which should bo observed.

-The:.plot of "Tho ''• Little-Breadwinner"-centres round the machinations of Lord: William Dorrington's confidential secretary, Joseph Prior, to ruin Lord. Dorrington's adopted sou. In this ho is successful, but Margaret Daveutry, Lord Dorrington's granddaughter, goes with the ruined young man into exile in a London garrett. The rosuit of their marriage is Meg, the Little Breadwinner, who keeps her parents by singing in the streets till the reconciliation in tho last act. In this laudable effort she is assisted by a comic erstwhile bookmaker, a brother of the confidential secretary. The best, acting in the play is done by Mr. 0. It. Stanford, as the confidential secretary, and Mr. G. P. Carey, as Lord Dorrington. Messrs. Couglslan andr-Coapo' do tho best they can with the,parts of Charles iPrior and Richard Lawrence. The Little Breadwinner is played by ' Queen i© Williams, and Miss Beatrice Holloway takes the part of Lord William's granddaughter. The other characters in tho drama call for no. special mention. "The Little Breadwinner" will be played for three nights more, and on Monday will give place to a reproduction of "The Fatal Wedding." ,

" THE GLIDEAWAY." At this popular resort a large number attended last evening to.witness tho first two heats of tho milo handicap race for a gold medal. Tho runners in the first heat were F. Donnes ' (40yds), . Cusack (95yds), - and Saunders (120 yds). An exciting race was the result, Dennes-winning. - Second heat: Robinson (scratch), Bock (40yds), and Burgess (130 yds). __ Burgess won. ' Two more heats take place this evening between Grantly (30yds), Whitford (60yds), and Bradburn (160 yds). Lamb (50yds), Ward (80yds), Mulvrihiil (110 yds), and Rhodes (180 yds), the racing starting at nine p.m. OPERA HOUSE. The ""World- Pictures" wore again, presented at. tho Opera House last night to a J good audience. , The series depicting tbo;' Dieppe oircuifc motor race, with its attend-' ant accidents, was a film that proved in--' tensely interesting, while that of many beau*' tiful,4cep.Qs.in Sicily.,w3B also very popular." 'Humorous pictures are plentifully' dispersed throughout the programme, and the musical arrangements are all that could be desired. The programmo will be,repeated,this , own,., ing. ... ;.. ■ '■ """'. ' ".''■/. ■~,■ ";r •■■;■■■; ...... PIANO AND SONG, RECITAL. The programmo for, the recital to be given by Mr.. Horace Hunt (pianist) and Mr. Arthur Ballance (baritone) at St. Andrew's Hall on Monday next is an \ attractive one. The instrumental items will include works by Beethoven, Liszt,. and Chopin, and among • Mr. Ballanco's numbers will; be Wallace's famous " Freebooter Songs," and a group ot compositions by Mr. Hunt. Tho box plan is at Wildman and Arey's. ".:.■.•;,-: TABERNACLE GYMNASTIC CLUB. At the annual concert and display in connection with the above club, given in the Tabernacle schoolroom \on - Tuesday evening, the president (the Rev. R. Knowles Kempton) presided. Mrs. Kempton presented medals to the winners of the club's 1908 competition. These were won by E. G. Rountree (first seniors), F. • Sandham (second seniors), E. V. Dick (first juniors), and R. A. Hogan (seeontl juniors). During the evening the club made a presentation to the honorary, instructor, Mr. E. Evans, who is leaving at an early date to take up mission'work in the north. The. gymnastic items by the members of the club, assisted by Messrs. Crafts arid Rowe, under the instructor, Mr. E. Evans, were of a very interesting character.