THEATRE ROYAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13438, 9 November 1907, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

MAUD HILDYARD COMPANY.

The Wellington " Times" epeaks of Miss Maud Hildyard's performance of "A Beautiful Fiend" in the following strain : —Playing as the " Beautiful Fiend," Wanda Ltibinou, Mix* Maud Hildyard gave a splendid exemplification of artistic versatility. Oiib moment happy and even jocose.; the next;bitter, malignent and indeed the incarnation of wickedness, she enacted her scenes, and in each of them, trulv represented the fitfulns-ss of the strange character which the authors of the plav had conceived, a character which is almost in as magnificent contrast to that of "Dr. Jevkell and Mr Hyde." The temptation to overdo such a part must have been ve:y strong; yet Miss Hildvard's acting and by-play were never more nor less obtrusive than the situations of the piece demanded. In fine.it was an admirable performance. The scenic eelting of this play, apart from the acting, is something well worth seeing. It represents, and adequacy represents, views of places and districts so dissimilar that one could not but wonder how it was possible in the short m'ervals between the acts to make such drastic'changes in the ensemble as< appeared when the curtain rose again. The rmiforms were accurate copies of the Russian military and police forces, and the dresses of the ladies were vary beautiful I in fact, the feminine portion of the I audience declared them to b| " diearns.

Inability to find a seaihan out of work, : in a shipping centre like 'Wellington,' seems almost incredible.-, Yet, says the " Dominion," the Blackball collier Petone, was delayed through being unable to pro-, cure a seaman, to .r-eplace a deserter. The captain ./of the Petone 'approached three seamen, and they all' expressed themselves willing to go oil their own terms,- which' were: Hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ;..wages", 10s per day; and overtime, for work clone after 5 p.m.. As their .'request was considered unreasonable, the wageiJ alonebeing about twice as much as what ordinary seamen receive, they were passed. A substitute was found next reaming, and the Petone sailed with her full complement for Greymouth. You are the only genuine hair restorer I've seen, said the bald-headed man, as the boy handed him his wig; which had blown off. "Hallo, George! -What;* everybody crowding out of the drawing-room for? Have refreshments been ■ /announced ?" George: " No; but Aunt Matilda is getting ready to sing."