ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6703, 29 December 1908, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

"THE THIEF." A play of the character and scope ot ‘'The Thief” lias all the certainly of success before it. The Opera House was filled again last night by an audience for whom fascination and emotion werj never allowed to ebb. ” The Thief" can hardly bo called a problem play, but it possesses a good deal in sympathy with the modern drama that has been making such heachyay in London and Paris in the last few years. It deals with real men and real women, and its interest is intensely human. It reveals the whole econo and spirit of the modern drama—a dram.T that asnlrcs to raise the stage above the level of clever amusement and incidentally broaden the art of the actor. Last night’s performance was a thrilling success, that owed .much to the hno acting of Mr George Titherago (Raymond Lagardcs), Mr Henry Koiker (Richard Vorsin), - and Miss Ola Humphrey (Memo Voysin). Mr Williamson is to bo congratulated in not only having brought such an excellent combination to Now Zealand, but in introducing a class of play that will appeal, strongly to the artistic insight and taste developing steadily in a young community.

THEATRE ROYAL. The new picture programme'* at Messrft Fuller and Sons’ Theatre Royal is so diversified and interesting, that it again, attracted a large unci woll-pleascd audience last evening. The series of films showing the immensity of the flood dfisaMery at Hyderabad, India, hold tho breathless interest of tho audience, na also do the novel scenes in Lapland, giving picturesque glimpses of tho daily life of an interesting and little-known folk. Up-to-date- moving pictures of Brussels have special interest, and tha comic clement, which is always such a drawing power in a picture show, fij large and varied. The orchestra £» a good one, and tho music always appno< pric-tc. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. That favourite place of entertainment, Hi* Majesty's Theatre, has practically been a “full house" during each evening since tho Royal Pictures have -held thosfogo. Tho holiday programme-.is-pro-’ babiy tho best of <lx good series,; novelty being Ohe outstanding feature ' oftho .subjects shown. All the pictures ■ arc in excellent taste, and cover a very 'wide field of subjects, ranging from pictorial presentations of places tnc world over to the wildly comic events. The- "chasms pictures arc received with applause, and uhe tragical devices, pictured on tho screen, snow to what immense trouble the producers of cincmatograms go nowadays to ensure s. market for their goods. WEST’S PICTURES. largo crowd which gathered at the Town Hall last night showed that West's Pictures have lost none of the popularity which has been theirs so long. Nor will they while they keen up the present high standard of their pro. grammes. It is seldom that such a line picture lias been seen in Wellington as that at present being shown of the manoeuvres of the Italian fleet, which concludes with an exceedingly interesting view of a piece of clever torpedo practice. Scenes in the Egyptian Soudan and the Riviera are also of great interest, while the programme, which will bo repeated to-night, includes the usual proportion of comic and dramatic filmsEDWARD REEVES’ RECITALS. One of the meet interesting and attractive entertainments to bo given in, this city are the series cf short elocutionary recitals by Mr Edward Reeves, the professor of elocution of tho Adelaide University. Mr Reeves has been touring Australia with very great success which entitles him to a place in the | front rank of entertainers. The r<y •citals will be held in the Town Hall Cou}cert Chamber on January sth, 7th, and* Sth.