AMUSEMENTS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12483, 9 March 1909, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

MASKELYNE AND DEVANT'S MYSTERIES. Last evening tlie Theatre Royal was crowded in every part, when Maskelyne aud Devant's Mysteries gay*. their third programme of the season. An entire change of programme was presented, and tho various items were much appreciated. Illusions formed -tlie principal- part of tlie evening's entertainment ,a.nd kept the audience deeply interested. In the first part Mr Maskelyne's famous illusion, entitled "Elixir Vitae," was produced. While performing an operation on -ft farmer, who has come to consult him, a qyack doctor accidentally severs the patient's head from his body. In order to conceal their crime tho doctor and his servant place the victim's body in a box, the head being placed upon a table close by. While congratulating themselves on having successfully disposed of the body, the lid of the box is raised, and the headless man steps forth, and guided by the voice speaking*from the head on the table, lie walks to his head, tucks it under his arm and walks off the stage. The headless man appears again a few seconds later with his head still-, under his arm. It was a most baffling and thrilling sketch. In. the second part a spiritualistic sketch, "Mrs Daffocjil Downey's Seance," was. produced. After .the preliminary table rappings, the cabinet was introduced, and a walking stick placed inside at once commenced knocking. It then showed itself above tho roof of the cabinet, came through one of the windows,; and finally moved "about the stage under the direction of the spiritualistic professor. A woman. also appeared in the cabinet, and disappeared, as . was done in the illusions on Saturday evening. The object of the sketch was to show that the results obtained by spiritualistic mediums could be produced by material means. It " was certainly a most interesting and ** bewildering and the characters taking part therein were very cleverly portrayed. Mr Owen Clark introduced a number of new conjuring tricks with coins, handker- . chiefs, otc.,' and he - made a ;eannon ball run up and down an inclined . plane at will. His interesting patter kept the audience simmering -with merriment, and his efforts were warm--ly applauded. Gintaro, the Japanese i- juggler, executed a number of- extremely difficult balancing feats, top ; spLuriing, "and juggling, 'his performances eliciting rounds of hearty ap- . pla'use. Mr Barclay Gammon, the monqloguist, again proved a host in himsel fapd kept the audience in roars of laughter during the half hour he occupied the- stage, with' his humourous storeyettes, character impressions and songs. His description of the rendering of an "ontario" was most .diverting. _ Tlie season will be concluded to-night, when another large audience may be anticipated, as it is seldom that such a unique entertainment is presented in Nelson. * * ■