CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 938, 27 February 1908, Page 16

CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

My Christchurch dramatic co respondent thus : —Friends, Romans, Countrymen ! Lend me your ears (which is merely my Shakespearian, or Baconian, Way of bespeaking the attention of your readers). Our new temple of the drama wi 1 ! throw open its doors to an expectant public next Tuesday, 25th inst.. and thus is the sneer of the ill-natured persons who dec'ared the new p’ayhouse would never be finished during the current century, refuted. As I told you in my last, J. C. Wi liams'n’s Company opens the “ Sh’ndy Rat? ” theatre with “ The Blue Mo"n ” ; but as the season is only on 13 nights, and there are to be frequent changes of bill, the “ Blue Moon ” wi l ! on’y be played thriceIt wi’l be followed by “ Lady Madcap,” “The Little Michus,” ‘ The Girl from Kay’s,” and “ Three L : tt e Maids.” This seems an appeti ing bi’’-of-fare enough. All the pieces under’ ned for p'oduction are new to us d?wn her?; bit "f course you have just seen them in Auckland.

Carter, the magician, having packed up his *" vanishing lady,” and other i.fusions in his portmanteau, has gone North, and by the time you receive this he ought to be bobbing up serene y in the Oueen City. ~

C.ear the track ! Wirth’s Circus is coming ! It is a very long time since “ the greatest show on earth was in these parts, and as we just dote on circuses, Mr Wirth may confidently reckon on collecting a potful of money here. He says he needs to take a lot of money everywhere, to keep “ the greatest ” etc., going, the exes, being simply enormous. He seems particu arly pleased to have secured the huge King Edward Barracks for the ho’ding of the big circus, which can thus, so to speak snap its fingers at wind and weather. “ Wirth’s ” is divided into seven sections: (i) The Society Circu-; (2) the menagerie; (3) the museum of freaks; (4), the vaudeville circus; (5). the hippodrome ; (6) the great elephant herd ; (7), the Delhi Durbar Pageant. Leading attractions at Fuder’s Opera House just now, inc’ude : Hugh L’ovd, Pastor and Merle, Davy’s Marionette. Lav. Tyson and Jas Opie. A tight-rope walk:ng competition for amateurs is promised for Friday night, and ought to furnish lots of fun.

MacMahon’s Pictures are knocking

about the country districts. A return season will be played in Christchurch : hortlv.

Our city fathers are considering the question of compel ing theatrical managers here to number all seats from D.C. to pit, or gallery. This system would be a great boon to patrons of the cheaper seats who have just as much right to reserve their places as have the people who can afford to pay. ss. 6s or 10s (or more) for seats.

Ambitious local amateurs talk of forming a Musiqal Comedy Company., and of staging “ The French Ma : d ” as their Initial production. Ye gods I