"HUMPTY DUMPTY."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 7 September 1908, Page 4

"HUMPTY DUMPTY."

The maker of pantomime has no sucli difficult task to perform as that which 1 confio»;.J^;|he playwright. The latter must^ffea^, while the former has mereij te"; de^jg^ a framework upon which the pr^pdii^ft may hang the products^of his uigenttity and resource, and so it is withjiVfr? Coventry (the producer> that"■: a>. J^rge shai-e of the success of " Humpt^.^Dumpty,' 5 J. C. William«)n's next;-attraction, is due. The pantomime is sajdtti^be a series of glittering and gorgeotiH^^ctacles, full of ballets and marchesy'^Snd with plenty of oatohy songs. :Th© story—what there is of it— " has nothing to do witii the case"; whether Humpty Dumpty fell off a wall or soared with wings to' the abode of the fairies makes no difference. TJie -host of specialities and attracfionV which go to make up the sbx>w would" have been introduced1 just the same. Humpty Dumpty has the power of being able to'achieve whatever his wish may fall upon, and he naturally desires toy.marry. King Sollum's beautiful daughteft The monarch decrees that he who^can > Jiiake him laugh will win the princesspjor: his bride, and the opportunity a number of variety turns ilvfiilly availed1 here, but the king is not mwg4 to laughter thereby, but . oontihu^tHjg mournful wailings. Then Humpty- >|Dwmpty wilLs the king to laugh, rand does so. But the wily monarch t^yades the award, and announces itlfat he who shall find a certain rmg->a%tfejhas been v lost will be the suc^essful^suitor. This is where the opp^rtugit^-" comes in. He—or she^find%the^ing; thanks to the spirit of . gene!rrißiliy:^which is- indeed very ~ac-;\--:conTim«dWfcnig^^(i»Vpantoniime),:;and;^ai>; -^ Rydolph^fctid^ gthe princess v'are" tfniited^ .but- nifl^bCTiw-ei many'variety turns, bal-' letsy niaTches, and spectacular attractions have-lpassed: under review. Mr William;s6h?BVcompany? have been selected from?>aU parts of ;the: world, and in--elude MrT Bert Gilbertr(the celebrated J^nglish wmedtan), Messrs Harry Shine, Victor G. Howard, N. Easty' George Young, Queen; and Le Brun, Misses Mabelle. Morgan; Nance Maher, Plga Grey, 'Irene Dillon, Pressy Preston, and Beatrice English. The opea- ' ing takes place ori Wednesday evening. , Tho District High School pupils are using all their 6pare moments in brushing up tbeir items for the concert which comes on a week earlier than was a o first, expected. Every item is to be contributed by the school—either by individual pupils or by masses. The marches and the tableau are most picturesque,^ and the juvenile operetta with which the programme closes brings out a deal of youthful histrionic' and musical ability. : -The tickets are now in hand and will be in circulation this evening. One.noyel feature in this year's entertainment, and one which will add greatly to the comfort of those who attend will be the fact that books of the words will be supplied free of charge as patrons assemble, s-j that they will be able to follow every line of the songs and every word of the speeches in the operetta.

Some months ago, a resident of North Street (Timaru) was prevailed upon by a travelling canvasser to give an order for a coloured enlargement of a photograph which she gave him on the understanding that she- was to have a. framed picture for 10s. One day this week the agent turned up with the enlargement, which^- with the frame, «vas_not worth more than ss, and handed jt v over to the customer with an. J mtnn&tion that the total price for th<? "work of art" was £2 2s. The woman refused to pay anything further for the picture, frame included, as she had been led to believe that l(h was to be the price and this she had paid in advance. The -.agent then snatched the picture from, her hand 3 and, in full view of 4Qjno passersjby, kicked it to pieces. Ifc is stated that the rightful owner laid an information against the man for wilful damage of property, and that the .■ Jatter then offered to pay any reason*;.-^ jablo sum to keep, the matter out of \ ;Gourt. The woman relented and no .further action was taken, but the case rjinay be a warning to the public—"TimrSiu Herald."