AMUSEMENTS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12481, 6 March 1909, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

A WONDERFUL ENTERTAINMENT

Everything 'that pertains to the marvellous br mysterious appeals to the pSiblic, and. the, large audience that attended'the'opening -night of Maskelvne and Devant's Mysteries last e'ven- :- ing left the: Theatre Royal with something to ponder over. .. For the last forty years the fifm of Maskelyne and Cook nave r myßtified thousands at the Egyptian anci.St -George's Hall, London; and until the present tour the ,cohipany has never Been, outside of Great' Britain.. ■, In' Australia lengthy seasons w.ere played at the capital cities, 'and the visrbjto -New Zealand has been equally successful. .It was an expensive venture. ' to ; transport such"- a large, company, of talented artists from the other side: of the worid, but the cnterpris'e'of '. the-, entrepeneur Mr Henry Hayward; ; am English manager, has been- rewarded. :■ /Last night the .audience marvelled and wondered at the numerous, varied and- mysterious'feats that Were performed, and the artists taking pajjb. therein,. were applauded most enthusiastically. \ The programme opens *ith some remarkably clever sleight of hand tricks and conjuring of a high! standard by -Mr Owen Clark, wno keeps his audience 'simmering with' amusement -with a funning fire of clever patter. : He Concludes his performance with an interesting arid puzzling illusion, "Diogenes." An empty barrel is placed upon the stage, both ends of .which have been removed so that it can. be seeif through. Pieces of plain white paper are placed over the ends, and the barrel is placed on vtrestles — everything being done in front of- the audience In a ■ second' one- of the paper ends is broken from- inside, and an old man- steps forth! Altogether it is a most bewildering trick. Ihen follows a sketch in appropriate setting, entitled M St Valentine's Eve," the characters being taken by Misses Florence Barclay- anS Marie- Curtiss, and Mr '1V- Mayne. The mystic .is "also, introduced into this, »the; vision of a wbm'an appearing at the •• conclusion. ., Mr Barclay Gammon, who" has been described as the greatest living monologuist of the : day, then mroduces himself and a piano to the audience, which he keeps rocked with laughter for half an hour, with -his clever imitations, character impressions, and witty stories. He is also an extraordinary clever pianist, and-his topical songs on suffragettes, patent medicine advertisements, etc, fairly brought down the house, as did his character impersonation of a German lecturer He good -riaturedly responded to several encores. The second part of the nroTamme opened with the illusory sketch, "Will, the Wtftcli, and the Watchman," which introduces Maskelyne's marvellous cabinet and -box trick. The scene is laid in ,tne days of George 111. On the stage stands a barred cage, guarded by a watchman A runaway sailor, . who _ has' broken leave to. -see his sweetheart, is captured and imprisoned, but through the aid of a friendly witch, escapes. Then follows a mazeof amusing and mystifying incidents. The sailor, the village butcher, ail ape, an-x the witch disappear in and out of the lock up at ■will,, ana finally the ape is placed 111 a box, .which is securely locked, covered with canvas, aad roped up. /This is placed in the cabinet, and in : less time than it takes to write a. hairy hand is popped through one of the small windows. The cabinet is opened, and the box-taken out intact. ■ The canvas is taken off and the box unlocked, and the lid raised, but it is empty. The ape then hops in from, the wings! The cabinet is raised from the ground, so that the audience can' see underneath it, and two representatives from the .auditorium are present throughout the performance, walking round and inspecting' the cabinet -while the sketch is proceeding It is an act that should be seen to be appreciated. The entertainment concludes with some spinning and balancing feats by Gintaro, the: Japanese juggler. His feats are really marvellous and ere done with a skill and grace that make the most difficult appear comparatively easy. This clever artist was received with rounds upon, rounds of applause, and was compelled again and again to bow his acknowledgements. The coriipany will appear again at the Theatre Royal this evening, and to enable country patrons to witness the whole of this wonderfully clever entertainment, the porformancq will commence at 7.45 sharp:; We can strongly advise our readers not to miss Maskelyne and Devant's Mysteries.