SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1377, 14 September 1916, Page 34

SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

(By

“Lorgnette.”)

WELLINGTON, September 11

Mr. Allan Wilkie must have been pleased with the reception accorded his Hamlet at the Grand Opera House last Saturday evening. It was a triumphant success, and proved Mr. Wilkie to be an actor and producer of

high repute. In fact, the performance, taking it all round, was one full of genuine merit. Throughout there was a soundness of acting that made for perfect balance. There is not space enough to do tribute to Mr. Wilkie’s interpretation of the title role. It would be difficult to find a fault in such a sound performance. The pathetic figure of Ophelia was sympathetically portrayed by Miss Hun-ter-Watts.

Horace Goldin, the royal magician and illusionist, and his supporting vaudeville company, brought their Wellington season to a successful close on Thursday evening last. The combination is now playing overland en route to Auckland, where it is due to open at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday evening, the 16th hist.

There are some very fine turns in the programme which the Messrs. Fuller are this week presenting at His Majesty’s Theatre. Amongst the most popular acts are those of Mr. Villiers Arnold and Miss Pearl Ladd, Miss Madge Maitland, Les Warton, Clement May, and lhe Dancing Johnstons.

The Misses Hay and Crawford, the simultaneous stepping girls, who are at present touring New Zealand with

Horace Goldin, are natives of the Old Country, but came to Australia from India. Prior to their tour of India the clever little dancers had been through China, Japan and Siam, and at the conclusion of their present engagement they will leave for South Africa. While in Siam they gave three command performances before the King of that country, and at the end of the third performance they wore each prest..red with a massive gold Siamese chain and pendant. The nine nights’ season of the big picture “The Birth ot a Nation” was brought to a successful termination last Thursday night. The seating accommodation of the big Town Hall was fully occupied at each exhibition. The picture is now being shown in Christchurch.

The Tivoli Follies, after a most successful tour of the Dominion, returned i.o Sydney by the Riverina last week, it was originally intended to open their Australian tour at Brisbane, but it has now been altered, and they will make their re-appearance in the Commonwealth at the Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne, on Saturday evening next.