Theatre Royal.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12289, 23 June 1903, Page 3

Theatre Royal.

To-morrow evening ]\lr Harry llickards' new English, American, and ' Continental Vaudeville Company will make its iirst ap;pearance in New Plymouth at the Theatre KbyaJ. .Great expectation has been aroused by the wonderful bicycle act of Hill and Silvainy. Many clever performers on the winged wheels have been <seen in N.Z. „ trot the feats of Hill ami Silvainey aro said to stand out from all preceding efforts by reason of their daring cleverness. The riding of Hill down a steep flight of steps on a single wheel balancing himself on the pedals and at the same time carrying in an upright position on his shoulders his assistant is one of the most tritaanphs of equilibrium that has been exhibited on any stage. The musical sketch artists, Messrs Seeley and are prolific in a~ tausement. pvodiucino; mjusic from a variety of queer articles,- besides being finished performers on the cornet, saxophone, bassoon, banjo, etc. Miss Graeio Emuiett and her associated company of American performers will appear in an entirely new and original con*?d>y, entitled', "Mrs Murphy's Second Hiusband"' said to be excruciatingly funny. Hii^s E-hvmett's Irish and Dutch impersonations are world famo,us, arid .have made her one of the most favourite actresses on the -vaudiville stage. iM.r Wallace Brownlow, of whom all theatre-goers have pleasant recollections ac a member of 3fr J. C. Williamson's Royal Comic Opera Company, will sing a nuinlber of his latent successes. The art of legerdemain is represented by one of the leading conjurors of the 'day, the great Clive. and the company also includes Mr Rett Bradley. Misses Flo Barnes, and Maclire Thomas, and little I ; Eileen Gaud. The season is limited .io two niirhts' only, and distinct changes will be given flight ly. ARE YOU A MASON? The unanimity v.ith which the? Auckland press eulogise tie farcical comedy *"«Arc You A Mason?" and the production of it by Mr J. C. Williamson's new Comedy Company, is exceptional. The following, taken from the N.Z. Graphic, it> a fair illivsTtration of the general notices: "Lodlting back on over three decades of theatre-going in. England avji the iSolonies, the wrifei- can fc?ay with confidence that he cannot recall a funaiier, brighter, more original, and more excruciatincrly ridiculous farce - than "Are You A Maron?*' with which lh- V.'illiamsr-n's London Comedy Co. commenced their New Zealand tour at His Majesty's Theatre, Aucki^land, on Monday. It is not our cus- ■^ lorn to gush or lay the flattery on with a trowel in these columns, l:wt it would not be fair to the author of "lAxe You A Mason? " or to the admirable company which interprets the same, not to state, and state emphatically, that nothing better of its own particular sort has ever been seen in the colonies. "The ideas of the play are as fresh as they are irresistibly funny, and original situations of the most laughter eomipeliing- t} J pe follow in such brisk succession that the sides ache and ache again before the evening is half over. The acting, moreover, is altogether admirable. The whole company is remarkably aven, and the different members play together in a wonderfully affective manner. Space will not perm,ifc ox a description of the plot, and if it did the relation thereof would detract from the enjoyment of those who saw the play after reading the story. The ladle of the company are the handsomest quartette we have ever aeen on the comedy stage at one lime. They came with a big reputation in this line, and they deser,ve all we w»re told of them. The dresses, too, are extremely beautiful, an,d. in brief, "Are You A Mason?" is by far the most complete affair of its kind put upon the colonial stage within the recollection of the writer. Jt will be I a genuine treat to even the most blase theatre-goer, arid it needs no prophet to predict for it a record sft&cess from Auckland io the BluijF."