"The Little Stranger"

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume VI, Issue 1849, 26 January 1907, Page 2

"The Little Stranger"

Groat interest is being manifested in looal theatre-going oiroles in tho forthoomtog performances of" The Little Stranger," which takes plaee on Wednesday and Thursday, and is limited to two nights only. As the plot ut ontiroly an original one, a brief outline is here given. Mrs. Dlok Allenby has become infatuated with the teachings of a neurotic Spiritualißtio humbug, Paul Vrousky, head of a sect known as tbe ' Soul-bunter?,' To effect a ouro her husband is persuaded by bis friond, Aleo Howard, who had pre. viously distinguished himself by the ex. poßun of frauds, to pretend to have been drowned, and permit the plaoe of the real baby to betaken by a precocious mannikin, who is supposed to possess the sonl of the presumably deceased DioJ< Alleoby. The' resemblance between the ohildren is suQicieut for all praotioal purposes, and as soon as the exchange is effeolod the fun begins, Baby no longer submits to being petted and played with, bat prefers "to blow his own nose," and satisfying his thirst with bot'lad«Sootoh" Mlw than with bottloi milk. In fact, he develops all the vices of the adult male, as a result of which thu nursois drivon into hystoiios, The builer thankß Qod there is a refuge downstair?, and the family and visitors generally are dislraeted until such time as tho mother, soared out of her (fits with snoh'a refyonßibiliiy, oomeß to hot senses, forswears Spiritualism, and all Ib explained, Master Willie Parke, who impersonates "Tbo Little Stranger," has been specially imported from the Oriierion Theatre, London, for the Australian tour of the oompany, and his performance has been acknowledged to bs the most extraordinary example of oblld-aoting oyer- seen in ttje soutbom hemisphere, The splendid booking of scats at Woodham'a avgui'3 well'for tho same success as that which has choracltvised tbe Australian tour, '