THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4, 5 October 1912, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

[By Prompter.]

r p HE present programme at the I Opera House contains new turns of special merit, of which the Anderson Trio, is in the lead, their dancing, singing and contortionist business being original and good. Miss liay Glen is a musical monologuist who has a good delivery, an excellent repertoire and an extensive acquaintance with a variety of musical instruments. George Collins is a comedian who is described as " London's leading comedian," which is hard on George Robey, Albert Chevalier and others, although Collins is good in his way, and gets deserved applause. Leonard Nelson is as great a favourite as ever, and his singing deservedly wins him his popularity. Elsie McGuire s songs and business make a bright item, and one of the most appreciated. Lucy Drumley's songs and (Spanish'dances make another attractive turn, while Frank Yorke is as funny as ever, and as popular. New items are given by the Clitte Quartette, Bella Pernian, Stella Eeid, Muriel Eskbank, Charles Carlisle and Ted Tutty.

At the Queen's Theatre the great draw this week is " Zigoinar," a melodrama that is crammed with exciting incident from beginning to end. It ia the story of a diabolically clever chief ox a criminal gang, of his machinations, and of his pursuit and dramatic end. There is enough incident and variety in the piece to make half a dozen picture plays. Another picture of dramatic merit is "The Teacher and the Waif/ which is apparently based on Bret Harte's story "Mliss, The acting in this film is particularly good and one of the best scenes is that where the teacher induces the unruly girl decoyed away by a false offer of marriage, to return to her home. There are plenty other films to make pleasant variety, scenic, dramatic, and comic. Of the . farcical comedies, "Bill's Picnic" and "Charley Player Catches a Tartar," are the best in conception and humour. It is not remarkable that the crowds fill the Queen s every day and night the excellence of the programme is the excuse.

The star picture at the comfortable and commodious King's Theatre this week is a* splendid picture version ot Robert Louis Stevenson's famous pirate romance, " Treasure Island. .The interest and excitement of the original are preserved despite the necessary condensation and setting and acting are very realistic. "The Coiners is a thrilling detective story done into picture form, and other dramas are "The Man Under the Bed" and "A Child's Prayer." A good example of the class of pictures known as scientific is given in " Curious Creatures or Pond Life." A striking series of pictures is that showing a review of the squadrons of the British navy at Spithead, Plymouth and Madrid. There are other interesting pictures to add to the variety and the usual bunch of laughable farces and comedies.

Speaking of Tiny Town, the unique entertainment, which "will open in Auckland at the Town Hall on Saturday night, the Wellington "Post" says : " The cits and • citovennes of ' Tiny Town , are the nearest approach to childhood's fairies and elfmen and elfmaidens' we shall ever see. For this, they will be most remembered, it is probable. To the childish imagination these happy miniatures of men and maidens will conjure up the strange little people who frolicked over toadstools and danced in fairy rings under honey-coloured moons how many years agone ! To-day, these little people have come to us as tiny men and women who have forgotten to grow up what time the years brought them maturity. This strange happening has not affected their humanness—the fitting word is hard to find one whit. Here they are among us, manhood in a body thirty inches long, womanhood bright-eyed, clever, and as gentle of sex as the queenliest of duchesses three or four feet taller.

In a word, there is nothing freakish about these wee townsmen. 'Tiny Town ' is an exhibition that is guaranteed to make the most tractable child disobedient—to see it, and to give the average adult, sensitive or callous, a desire to study further these charmingly unusual people/ . After the opening night, there will be two preformances daily at the Town Hall.

The Lyric Theatre is noted for its variety no less than for the carefully chosen programmes which it displays. Of the dramas shown this week the best are " A Child's Prayer, " The Gamblers*' and "The Colonel's Es--cape," all of which are well constructed picture plays, well acted, and full of incident. The "Gaumont Graphic" depicts interesting European events of last month, and there are two exceptionally good scenic pictures, one being a series of views of Mount Egmont and the other of Majorca and its capital, Palma. Humour is supplied by the farces " Never Again," " Spooks," and "An Invisible Cyclist."

The Plimmer-Denniston Company, which is aeeking to occupy the place which Brough's companies once filled, and is doing so very successfully, opens in His Majesty's Theatre on Monday, the 14th, after having made a remarkably successful tour of Australia and the southern centres of the Dominion. playing "Inconstant George," "Nobody's Daughter," and "A Woman of No Importance," a most attractive repertoire which is sufficient excuse in itself for the good business done, but which has the additional attraction of being played by a notable group of performers. Mr George Titherage, Harry Plimmer, Reynolds Denniston, Miss Lizette Parkes, Mrs Brough are names which guarantee that the acting like the plays will be something worth while expending money on.

Professor Max ijieinhardt, the man who is responsible for the biggest feats in theatrical production of these years, who produced "The Miracle" and revived " Oedipus Bex," the greatest play of that ancient Greek writer Sophocles, who has been dust for the two thousand and a few hundred years, is getting busy again, with

productions on the same stupendous scale. With Paris, as his head centre he is now busily superintending the rehearsals of shows in London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna. In London he is to direct his own version of "Hamlet" for Martin Harvey, and in Vienna and Berlin will respectively stage "The Miracle" and Julius Caesar." His Parisian entertainment is to be " Oedipus Rex," with Sarah Bernhardt in the part of Jocasta, M. de Max as Oedipus, and Madame Suzanne Deprey as the daughter.

When "The Quaker Girl" finishes its Melbourne season and goes on tour it will be succeeded by a revival of " Floradora," which musical play is likely to prove as popular as ever it was. Grace Palotta will once more appear in the part of Lady Holyrood, in which she scored such a big success during the initial run of the piece. Mr Bertie Wright will be Tweedlepunch, Leslie Holland will play Cyrus Gilfain ; Andrew Higginson, Captain Arthur Donegal ;

Blanche Browne, Dolores ; Jessie Lonnen, Angela Gilfain ; and the remainder of the cast will be filled by the popular members of the Koyal Comic Opera Co. A special feature of the " Tell IVIe,. Pretty Maiden " number will be *that it will be sung by the principals instead of, as formerly, by members of the chorus.

Up to usual standard, and that implies much, is this week's programme at the cosy King George Continuous Picture Theatre in Durham-street. The leading picture is "Zigomar," a record of the wily and desperate ways of a King of Crime, in which is to be found a wide and various admixture of incidents exciting and fantastic. " Zigomar "is a show in itself. A picture of the American Civil War is "The Battle of Pottsburg Bridge," a stirring drama of war such- as the Americans know so well how to construct and stage. Those whose interests are mainly inclined to the racing track will find " The English Derby of 1912" to be a realistic portrayal of that great event in the racing world. A good secnic is that showing the town of Eruvan, while "Her Hero" is a comedy hard to better. The farces which are screamers, are " Too Much Swedish Drill" and "Their First Divorce Case." and altogether it is a programme which is calculated to give pleasure to any and all temperaments. * * »

'"• An advertisement in this issue notifies that that second annual Festival of the New Zealand Competitions Society will be held in the Town Hall, Wellington, from the thirteenth day of next month until the twenty-eighth. The prizes amount in value to .£650, including a .£125 Grand Chappell piano. Information and text books are to be obtained from -the secretary, Mr James Dykes, Featherston Street, Wellington.