AMUSEMENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10243, 4 September 1909, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

j ,-i-On Monday v the Qperd Houie, tHfe'Beuers, be-, ing looked much interest, bring an entertainment ..which Js qtalte aistifact ititim'. 'for. 'theft Hfesriienc, laßet. prittiaEStitf^ctsy; '"W weU Orise-s/ e they'. rayei nouses, ano* ;, who nayfe apeSded. €hfi tehtertairinfenlW i theKhopVdf" sblving the" mysteries whiah have' "made the v the • wdria bver -.HaVe; cdme* awaf«''mbre" ,The. Hellers "are alsojjsupiiJaKeas'byfa. seject who'lntrpauce'musical and'' vocal.' items: : i^".dontemporajj' says :r--/'Mr*-arid : Mrs HeTleC Hav« Jjeett before the pubhc for many years, vyln fact Mr Heller can.be Regarded:as one of- the'vefemn. entertainrers' of;the^'color, .nies. Age> ? ', : dbes; ridt Vrther. n,dr onstom stale;Jins and -he: is* still JasufreslL'as' paint. :• He performs' his: tricks x hsr deftly..as in - ' the day^ r 6f yore; "while 1 , his as u?itty ..?; and ,; as - humorous' as" 1 tever". '• Madame Heller's mesmeric trah'ce act is; .as 'perplexing as ever. _., Mr Black, wlio ;iias. a. robust .'baritone 'voice 1 ,-'' contributed'several songs,, and some excellent biograph. nictures added .Variety to the - entertainment:".-. '. - *rr"

"A BACHELOR'S'HONEYMOON." "A Bachelor's Honeymoon" is exactly described as a farcical comedy. It .is in the line of succession*-of' sucli pieces as "Charley's Aunt", and "What' Happened to Jones," and should prove the most successful of the' many mirthprovokers that have been staged in Australia. The comedy runs on legitimate lines, and the farcical element even does very little violence, t'd'th'e'probabilities. In fact, the author, Mr John Stapleton, lias observed the dramatic' unities "of time, place, and action with classic severity, the three acts of the play tak- ; ing place in the one room, within. 24 hours, and the incidents arising naturally out of the plot, if the simple story which underliesi.the" Series of.'entanglements which' are developed carf-be dignified with that description. Mr Benjamin Bachelor. .has . induced.- Missl "Juno Joyce, a leading light .-of: the stage, to elope with him, but, .although-he .has entered into the- bonds of matrimony with her, he decides.-.to keep his marriage a secret,{pending; an pppd'rtune time for its disclosure to" his sister and moral guardian, on /whose good favor his financial- fortunes depend. Out of this preliminary episode are. eyplyed a succession of situations and incidents which through the whole of the three acts provides mirth without measure, and leaves. even the" seasoiled playgoer with" laughter-aching sides. "A Bachelor's Honeymoon" is purely and simply a fun-hiaker, and if belongs'. toT the category' of what Sir' John described as "tomfoolery de profundis" it has its justification in the. proverbial relish ;of even the'wiest'meivfdr a little nonsense! now' -and then?. "SeyeraT songs and soriie dancing, afier th? 'musical comedy' style, serve to' add variety to the performance. Unlike some recent productions of the. jcomic playwright, "A Bachelor's Honeymoon" sustains its interest to the close. ;''-- SWEET NELL.

At the Dresden oft Tuesday morning next,- -at half-past eight o'clock, the bos plan will be placed on view for the ■ first and only representation here by Miss Nellie Stewart and company in "Sweet Nell of Old Drury." There Are few bills in the" realm of romantic comedy, few such happy combinations of actress and plaj* more, acceptable to the playgoing public of this .part of the world. "Sweet Nell"' was : the medium by which Mis§ r Nellie Stewart, already an operatic sta'r of -great popularity., .and talent, leapt into fame as a Comedy actress. Fortunate indeed with Miss Stewart in securing such a suitable vehicle for- the display of her : bewitching [gifts. One might have been led to remark that "Sweet Nell" had been" written for Miss Stewart, that Paul Kester must have had her person and personality in his eye,'were one' not aware that this was not the case":' What is clear is that "Sweet Nell" is not a pnttypart that could be squeezed to suit any [actress with talent.' Miss Ada Behan, the great American actress, failed conspicuously in "Sweet Nell of Old Drhry," though an established star; yet the play ran for sis weeks in San Francisco—in which city plays run for seldom more' than a' week —with Miss Stewart, "an unknown actress from Australia;" in the ;: part, ; and as the result of her." captiyation of the city within the "Golden" Gate a big management hustled along; to. boom her through"the State's.' "No' period'of British' history is more picturesque" than the. one _during which Charles .11.. was King, 'and no incident- of a reign, could, he entrancing 'thaii "that which' tells the story of "Sweet Nell of Old' Dhiry," - royal favorite and great aciressV 'The' story of the hdydehish .riraiigfc girl'who set constitutional authority at nought..'meiidea' 1 the hearts of > others, arid broke her own, requires special telling. There is so niuch that is jSweet, gracious, wi£t3*, vivacious, and dramatic in the character of "Sweet Nell" that ..it' calls -for unusual' powers. Miss Stewart's perennial alacrity of mind and bodj-, charm of" pose and expression, arid great versatih'tv, are adequately catered for in the play'. Her pathos, says a critic, rings true, and where tears chase'seniles and tragedymoves aside so that mirth may enter,' Miss Stewart, escels'.: The touching finish to a telling tale synchronises its' finest joui.ts,_and provides the favorite actress with one of her finest dramatic efforts.- •'- --- -' -•-.-.....