ENTERTAINMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2738, 17 February 1910, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS.

‘CARTER THE GREAT.

A large audience was present in His Majesty's Theatre last night, wnen “Carter the Great” gave his opening performance of a, three-night season. The programme Is divided into three parts. The first portion is given over to the performance of many conjuring feats of a high order of merit, accompanied by excellent patter from the magician, to whom nothing appears impossible. Vessels containing piec-cs of white paper, pieces of colored paper. and bran are, by a wave of the hand, transformed, 'and an amazed audience discovers, instead of the original contents, loaf sugar, milk, and steaming hot coffee. A lady is hoisted into the air. seated on a chair, and at the flash of a pistol disappears mysteriously into space"; from an ordinary black 'jott!c those who desire it may name rod obtain a sample of any liquid refreshment, but to" their horror the lottle upon being smashed reveals a very live guinea nig. A bunch of flowers, ducks, and hosts of other articles materialised from apparently nowhere, and cuius chosen by the auditors leap, at the conjuror's will, out of a glass h-owl. At his behest a- young lady, apparently defies the laws of gravity and floats through space, and spirit forms appear in a cabinet, one, the spirit of Cagli■osiro. going so far as to perform a stately minuet on the stage. A wooden hand (placed on a sheet of glass resting on chairs answers, by the familiar rapping, the questions of conjuror and audience alike, and there are many other illusions, which border on the supernatural, and utterly confound the minds of the beholders. Whether by a system of mental telepathy, ventriloquism. or by what means it is accomplished, the portion or "'he entertainment in which Miss Corinne Carter figures is. to say the least of it. most interesting. Seated blindfold on the stage, she describes minutely articles, taken at random by Mr. Carter, as he passes through the auditorium. One will be the number of a vaich, the next the date on a coin, and again an unerring description of an inscribed silver medal hanging on a gentleman’s watch chain will be given. Later. Miss Carter supplies answers to questions which she never hears, which are written by members of the audience, and retained by them. Some most wonderful things are done by -the conjuror in the concluding part of the programme, when he impersonates the •celebrated Chinese magifcian Chung Ling Foo. and from the folds of his clothing produces such tmeonsidered trifles as dishes of fruit, large basins full of water, etc., and a largo trunk securely locked is. on being opened, immediately found to contain a prepossessing fair-haired damsel. Taken all round the entertainment is an excelle2it one. Mr. Carter's manipulation is well nigh perfect, and his feats of magic are clever and convincing, and are performed to a running fire of inimitable drolleries, keeping the audience convulsed with laughter. Th? show is well worth a visit, and is sure to be well patronised for the remainder of the season.

A second performance will be given this evening.