OPENING TO MORROW.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1925, Page 5

OPENING TO MORROW.

THE NEW OPERA HOUSE. LARGE modern theatre, MANI SPELTAL. FEATVKES New Plymouth now haw a home for epcra. drama, musical comedy o r pantomime that will rival any theatre in New Zealand in size, is better than the majority in most of its appointments, and eclipse* all others in Australia and New Zealand ;n one of the most important features, fha lighting. The new Opera House in Devon Street lias been completed and will be opened to-mor-row night by Denis Kehoe and his Irish comedy-drama company. The advance booking shows that the Opera House will open to a large audience. When it is said that the Opera House rivals in its dimensions any theatre in New Zealand, there is no menial or other reservation with regard to the proportionate size of the town. It is fact borne out in feet and inches. The auditorium us exactly one foot wider and one foot deeper than that of His Majesty’s in Auckland, and the stage 60 feet wide by 40 feet deep, with a proscenium opening of 30ft in width, is exceeded by only two others in New Zealand. Furthermore, the audience of 1300 or more which will be able to sit in luxurious ease while the drama unfolds itself on the stage, will not be smaller than the audiences that will have seen the play in the civies, It is. therefore, no mean theatre that the Opera House Company has had built, but one that is in keeping with the rapidly growing importance of New Plymouth The directors have had an eye not only to the proaeni but to the future. however, does not necessarily li<h a good theatre. It is in its appointment© both for audience and company that the new Opera House will make its appeal. Whether the patron be in the stalls, circle or “gods,” he will be ablff to gee and hear all lhai going on on the stage. The supporting col am ns to carry the circle and the gallery have been reduced to a minimum and have been so arranged that they will not obscure the vision of anyz one in any part of the theatre. The pit oh of the floors in the stalls, circle and gallery will also make it possible for a small person to take a seat behind somebody of more ample proportion* without the feeling that his evening will have to be devoted to a surveyor head and shoulders. SPECIAL LIGHTING EFFECTS. A big surprise is in store for thosc who arc in the theatre on the first occasion when special lighting effects arc called for. "How is rt done I’’ will be the question that will be asked when, for instance, the scene is of a sunset and the sky is changed from blue through all the delicate ehades of gold and then crimson back to gold and blue again. Or when, for instance, the moon rises in a huge golden mass to tnrw in a few minutes U> a silver disc in the *ky. This is a feature of tb« stage equipment that will eneourag? theatrical producers to bring their = shows to New Plymouth. “Dimmers” is ' the technical name of the apparatus that will give these effects. 'Without going into minute details, it may be said that “dimmers” are an attachment to the electric switch board and are arranged in sets according to the effect to be obtained. By putting the apparatus in motion the- supply of current to certain lamps is broken down, thus dimming the lights, while the supply to other lamps is increased, thereJby increasing their brilliancy. Controlled if r ora the switchboard, the lighting changes are effected mechanically and Smoothly. The other stage lighting will on the X-ray system, a system which gives brilliant lighting with a minimum of current. Even while the stage fe Valliant ly illuminated the auditorium will be in complete darkness. LOUNGE AND CLOAK-ROOMS The vestibule of the new theatre is In panelled rimu. The ticket boxes which flank the entrance are equipped ior quickly dealing with those who have not loked ahead. A wide polished rimu staircase leads to the dri i 9s circle, while j>n either side of the stairs are the en'trancee to the stalls and orchestral stalls. At the head of the staircase is a big lounge, on one side of which are cloakrooms and on the other side the office. The lounge is not the titeast attractive feature of the theatre. Eadies will be pleased with the fulllength mirror which forms part of the furnishings of their cloakroom. Fibrous plaster work of the period of Louis XIV ami panelled rimu dadoes illuminated on tlK* indirect lighting system, give an attractive appearance io the andrto- ’ rium over the centre of which there is a huge dome. The seats of the i dress circle and orchestral stalls am finished in corduroy velvet and those of the stalls In leather. There is plenty of room between the rows, and the seats are more than comfortable. The theatre has been erected by Messrs J. T. Julian and Sons, Ltd., to plans prepared by Mr. Tbos. H. Bates. Messrs Clow, Buckley and Cross carried out the decorations, and Messrs Baker and Company supplied the stage curtain of gold velvet, and the box curtain* of similar fabric. The lighting was installed by Messrs Smart Bros. The piano, which forms part of the theatre equipment, is a Sherlock-Mannjug instrument supplied, by Messrs H. Collier and Company.