AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14442, 8 February 1909, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

JIA.SKEf.YNK AXD DEVANT'S MYSTKHIES. The six tiigins ot imstery and mirth' whicii .\U?h-i-.- .waskelyne ai;<l Devaut, haveprovided seem !fl liuvo wliei-tod the sijipuuto 01 ihcatiegoeib lor more ciiU'riamm\.-.iit of tiie sn.me suet, for on Saturday evening, when the eiilrt'.|jAMicur.s offered a change oi piogramnie. including "mysteries" more weiul than ever, there was a lai-go audienw in Wis Majesty*. Theatre. People, apparently, like to Us puzzled. This is a materialinttc age, and tile pr-.tcnl generation relu&vs to believo in anything that is not cajole ol a. reasonable explanation. Spirits may rap iukl ghostly shades may ftil across the. landscape, but the man in the fit-root, like Scrooge, says " Humbug," ami alMilnilos to worythiug a- 'liumaii—or, at- lea.st, a natural—agency. And the disappearance iiid reappearance of men and things in mid-air and in the most surprising maimer, therefore, is not regardod as fearsome, or as magic or witchcraft, lutl- simply as a mechtutioal puzzle, io be simply explained by well-established rules. The more- difficult of solution such a problem is tho greater the entertainment it affords; if it cannot ho solved, it is the bigger attraction. Thus, doubtless, can 1m discovered the principal reason for the pronounced success of Messrs Maskclync and Deva.ufs mysteries. As before, Mr Owen Clark commenced the en-tertainment with a number of sleight-of-hand tricks. He produced flags and (lowers out of empty bags, doves out of hats, and gmnea ; pigs out of nothing—all with an cti.se und dexterity that w».s as acceptable to the eye as his bright and original patter was to ths risihlo faculties. Mi- Clark is a. past master in tho art of legerdemain, and wlictictct and wherever ho appears is a source of peculiar gralideation to bis audience. There is no suggestion of magic about MiBarclay Gammon, except, perhaps his humour. As a humorist he excels. lie. has a clever mobile face, ami can assume ■expressions a.ml burlesque others in a manner I hat is fnmiv in the nxtrenic; and. an accomplished pianist, he.(an play with the instrument, in a way that forces' a chuckle from the non-musical. IJiit as a talker and a saver of (maim, original things be excels. Ifo pours out his words in a way that would shame (■!» eloquence of the average cxeit'.st n.inu-msfl, while be rushes from one subject to another in a manner thai makes one feel limn and exhausted. "It j s „ ot so much wliat you can do,'' ho says, ,; a s what, you make peopb believe you can' do.'' And then, disretrardine relevancy and all semlilanos thereof, no proceed? to discuss Chopin, and with the aid of the piano reduces a. number of modern music-ball airs to Cliopiniso. Tim -piece de resistance of his I urn. however, is that in which ho burIwottos an oratorio. In Ihis his humour sparkles ajid shines, and Ik. is in every way delightful; and then, being encored, lie allows hi s talents full play in a,, imitation of a little girl attempting to sing while in the throes of indigestion. Uinlaro, the •lci|<ancsc juggler, shows a number of new tricks, again displaying that extraordinary dexterity and skill which mark him out for a special place in the. ranks of professors of his art. A s for the "mvstories" proper they are three. In the first a man is hidden in a cabinet, strapped t 0 a scat, only his hand showing. Two members o{ the "audience watch the hand. This disappears quickly as the curtain is pulled up, dis-playing-not-hing. Jn tho next ("An Artist s Dream ") a young woman, presented first of nil in a painting, is suddenly Ironsmogriffed, while momentarily covered, to an equally pleasing creature of flesh and blond—this whit-, ihe picture is high on an ea*s-l in the middle of Ihe sta.ge. The last and host illusion of all is that in which a man is placed in a huge beehive, ami is cbmw-ed into a young woman, while other similar changes occur among the people on the stage, w lio are faking part in a plavefle which has Hi,? several transformation's as Its plot. Each in its way is a decided mystery, for there sooths no exnla.nal.ion of the various things that happen two Inosrrapli pictures were again shown, atvl during an interval Signor G MarI mengo pleased his audience'will, a violoncello .solo. This programme, an excellent one in all ways, will be repeated every evening during the weok.

rmxcKss theatre Mm Tillell Bru„e is always a shining "gnt in the hnnanent of good melodrama, wine,,, as every knows, exists iii iniche-a m all Belaseo'.s best work. The comenscd version of "The Girl of the ijown Vvosl, now being produced at the IriHCMs llieatrc. under the auspices of Mr J. U Williamson, affords Miss Tittell l<rune many opporlunities, of which it goes without saying that the popular tragedienne makes the most. Though Saturday was the third night of the piece, the attendance was huge, and the audience, was snfficicmly interested not io he bored with I lib "eloquent pauses" or conscientious attention to derail, and it was evident that ll:o production would he good for many more ntgiit as far as Dmiedin is concerned. The stage picture of the rift in the Sierras, on which the curtain rises, and the tableau "At the Dawn of Day," on which it falls, were objects of manifest admiration. '-The Girl o[ the Golden Wiaf will l:e repeated io-night.

The next production, to lie singed on Wednesday evening; for the first time here, is Cicely Hamilton'* romantic comedy iii four acts. "Diana, of Dobson's," an episode in tile life of a. London shopgirl. IJjss Tittcll Bruno appears in the title role of Diana, and is skmi in an entirely new environment. Included in the caste is Mrs Robert Hrough, who is making her first appearance here this season. "Diana of DobsonV' will lie staged for three night* followed by •'Sunday"" (wo nights) ani '•Romeo a.nd Juliet" (two nights). The box plan? for (he season are all on view at the Dresden.

WIDE-WORLD PICTURES. Despite counier-attractions. the WideWorld Picture Company had strong patronng" at ihe Alhauibra Theatre on Saturday night. The programme will again be gone through ibis evening. wnmrs circus. \\ irlh's Circus brought a very successful season to a elose on Saturday, when a matinee and evening performance were given at the Oval. One thing noticeable will) the Wirtlii is their unfailing good faith with the public. Kvery item of the programme is gene thrumrh with the same fidelity on the Just night' as on the first, and patrons are not made to feci that the proprietors are in a hurry to get away. The season just closed has been a success in every way. Audiences demand variety, no n-atter how glad they are to see okl favourites, and it cannot be denied that this want has btwn met. THE MALUNSOXS. The Mallinsons' recital lakes place at the Burns Hall to-night, when an entirely new Urosraip.iuc is to be submitted, included in

which will ho the famous Sappho Songs, the composition of Mi- Mallinson. Mrs Jlallinson is an ideal exponent of her husband's music, am] indeed considers her labours in this light a mission. When asked wliat. is the secret of her power in irettin;,' into roiii-li with her audience, lior .inswer is, "That which comes from the heart goes lo the heart." The box plan is open at the Dresden, and, jurhtiujr by its appearance, i here will he a packed house .it the recital to-night.