The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-10 00:00:00

NovEmntn 10, 1855. Sp puma. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. kr is related of George Colman, or some other dining-out celebrity, that he once unintentionally sent a large party of simple admirers into fits of laughter by the plain, unadorned declaration that "he never took apple-sauco with goose." Everybody had been carefully prepared to expect a copious issue of conversational pearls and rubies from his mouth, and this first utterance—a piece of the most " harm less, necessary" prose—was converted, by mere im• puted merit, into a gem of the first water. He was a wit—ergo, all he said must, of necessity, be wiry. The jester was sure to be always sporting his cap and bells. What be said most probably appeared at first sight not more remarkable for novelty of con ception than for neatness of expression, yet it was all but certain to his audience that underneath the plain outside lay hid some delicate allusion, some deep double meaning, which further reflection would infallibly bring to light—the goose was no common bird ; the apple-sauce symbolical, no doubt—mean while they applauded, though they did not exactly see why or what. Much in the same way as Colman's bearers dealt with him, do theatrical audiences, in general, deal with the novelties presented to them under the auspices of an actor of established reputa tion. " D'ye think the gentleman would say he were nine feet high if he warn't nine feet high, spooney ?" says Mr. Robson's credulous bumpkin of the giant in the " Country Fair." " Am I to suppose that Mr. X., the great light comedian, would laugh, swagger, shrug, and look knowing, if what he has to say—which, I confess, seems arrant rubbish to me ; but, then, I'm no judge—were not really what he seems to take it for ?" argues many an honest spectator of a modern farce; and so the rising hiss is stifled, he roars at a platitude, bolts a choke-pear of improbability, blinks at a dead lull in the dialogue, and the "New and Original," in two acts, is floated completely into port, and settles quietly down in the haven of public approbation. We are led to these remarks by the surprising and otherwise inexplicable success of the new pay at Drury Lane. Such a tissue of absurd improbabilities and pretentious vulgarisms, unrelieved by a single good point of dialogue, has not been presented to the public for some time past; for the Game of Romps at the Princess's was obviously meant to be nothing, and fulfilled the author's intentions very completely indeed. Yet, in spite of all the glaring faults of the Impudent Puppy, its success was never doubtful for a single instant. Mr. Charles Mathews wastes his cleverness on Nestor Nimble, a gentleman afflicted by a mono mania of the erotic species, which impels him to follow every lady he sees ; from a dairy-maid to a duchess ' nothing feminine comes amiss to him. At length, however, " one fine day," he pesters a femi nine Tartar, one Lady Olivia Paragon, and is fairly caught. The lady, wife of an M.P., finding that neither threats nor entreaties will produce the least effect on his " seguacious" pertinacity, invites him 'to dinner at her house in Grosvenor-square. Fancy a highly-bred lady of rank, instead of appealing to one of the park-keepers, asking a gentish-looking fel low in a white wrapper to dinner, where, far from enjoying the comfortable Weds tite which he had anticipated, he finds himself the butt of a party of fourteen, including his charmer's husband ! All - sorts of victims of his "slight peculiarity" appear on the scene to vex and annoy him, as a matter of course, but, after an interval of rather laughable tortures, he manages to turn the tables against his tormentors, by employing against each those common weapons, picked-up notes and overheard conversa tions, and converts the whole set from enemies into supporters. Lady Olivia is played by Miss Talbot, who is condemned to sail about with the "calm dignity" which marks that most thankless of all characters, the modern lady of fashion theatrical. Who does not know the stage•countess,ber immense diameter, and the loftiness of her derision? What well-ordered mind does not tremble at the very sound of her approach—has not shuddered at that high-toned hiccup, representing a laugh, smothered at last in mercy to its snob victim in a cloud of white cambric ? What sensitive soul has not groaned over that pointless satire out of which the author, in his efforts to be delicate, has expelled all the flavour, and succeeded only in being utterly insipid? We have a sincere reverence for our aristocracy, and should be glad, therefore, to see the haut ton banished for ever from the modern stage ; or, if admitted at all, reduced to a dead silence. They might produce all the required effects merely by costume and gesture, turning on the heel by way of repartee, and smiling and bowing their benevolences and benedictions. It would not be difficult, we imagine, to devise a system of graceful pantomime for the purpose ; of course, a preliminary step would be the careful avoidance of THE PRESS. all existing traditions—the caricatures which Bromp , ton now makes of Belgravia are really a little too ridiculous. ADELPHI. A SECOND revival of a Lyceum burlesque has taken place here. Valentine and Orson has followed Open Sesame, and will probably be played until Christmas, when, we believe, the engagement of Mr. and Mrs. Keeley terminates. This burlesque was one of that capitcal series furnished to the Keeley management by Messrs. Tom Taylor, Albert Smith, Shirley Brooks, and Charles Dance, at a time when this class of entertainment depended for its success upon wit and good acting, rather than upon spectacle. Valentine and Orson, now some twelve years old, is still attrac tive, from its neat construction, from its real fun, and from the finish and spirit of its writing. Con. siderable attention has also been paid to the getting up, and Mr. A. Smith (one of the authors) has com pressed it into one act, and introduced allusions to the topics of the day. With the exception of the Keeleys, who act as brilliantly as ever, the cast is in almost every respect inferior to that of the Lyceum days ; but an Adelphi audience is easily pleased, and accepts Mr. Paul Bedford's stolid buffoonery, and the " forcible feebleness " of less pretentious per sonages, with a delight which it would be unkiud to disturb by criticism. The ladies, as usual, acquit themselves best, and Miss Wyndham, Miss Kelly, and Miss Laidlaw, are all entitled to honourable mention," the first lady's name happily suggesting a telling allusion to the hero of the Redan. A general call followed the fall of the curtain. VUSif. COVENT GARDEN. M. JULLIEN commenced his season at this theatre on Monday, the ordinary results of his " first nights " coming out as copiously as ever in the police reports of next morning. The house was crowded to excess, and all the soloists, vocal and instrumental, had to bear the astounding plaudits of the promenaders, every one of whom appeared to possess "the brass lungs with steel works " which Mr. Dickens attributes to the election mob of the borough of Eatanewill. A rather serious "row " came off near the end of the second part, in consequence of the obtrusive ab surdity of three persons in a private box, who per sisted, in full view of the whole audience, in keeping ' their hats on during the performance of a national air. They were attacked by the inmates of a neigh bouring box, and, judging from their appearance when they did appear, conquered, uncosered, and contrite, rather roughly handled. Their position was certainly far from enviable. Mme. Gassier was loudly applauded (as who was not ?) in "Ah ! non giunge," into which she Introduced some very cleverly-executed ornaments. The famous "British Army Quadrille," with its pretty stringed representa tion of night, its stirring trumpet-calls, cavalry gallop, and all the regular bustle and noise of a musical campaign ; the glorious Dead March from Beetho ven's great Eroica, like the death-wail of a Titan ; the andante and allegro from Mendelssohn's Scotch Symphony, the one full of flowing grace, peaceful and calm, the other quick, stirring, and thoroughly Scotch ; Weber's overture to Euryanthe ; a selection for wind instruments from Don Giovanni (nearly inaudible), and a great many other things (perfectly so), made up the programme of the performances presented by our indefatigable maestro. The new balcony, the decorations (a little too light for our taste and for the fair English complexions), the news and refreshment rooms, appeared to give the most general satisfaction. MME. JENNY LIND GOLDSCHMIDT has just arrived in Paris with her husband. She comes from Geneva, where she appeared in a concert given for the benefit of Ernst, the violinist, and in another for the poor. She intends to remain in Paris for a fortnight, and then proceed to England. M. ADOLPHE FRANCONI, the well-known director of the Equestrian Circus (now called the Cirque de l'lmperatiice), has just died in Paris at the age of fifty-three. NICOLAIEFF AND KIIERSON are so little known, in point of locale, that the small map Mr. Wylde has lately published appears at a most opportune mo ment. It has been compiled chiefly from the sur veys of an intelligent engineer, who was employed by the Russian Government last surnmei in dredging and deepening the passage of the Bug from Nico laieff to the Liman. The depth of water is carefully marked in feet, the coast is accurately drawn, and the positions of both Russians and allies, and the whole nature of the late operations, can be compre hended at a glance. To Mr. Wylde's Globe, in Leicester•square, we may ai,o mention here that a great addition has been ma le of late in the shape of a European reading-room. Every published paper in Europe is to be found there, besides American, Indian, and Australian papers, in abundance. It is a great boon to the western end of London. Court anl3 lastioz. Her Majesty and the Court remain at Windsor. Her Majesty has received visits during the week from several members of the nobility. Upon the departure of the King of Sardinia, who is expected to visit this country the first week in December, the Court will go to Osborne for a short period. Theatrical performances are to be resumed at Windsor Castle on the 22nd inst. St. George's-hall is being fitted up for the purpose under the superin tendence of Mr. Grieve. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge is about to visit Paris, upon an express invitation from the Emperor of the French. The Duke and Duchess of Richmond and family and suite intend leaving Gordon Castle on Monday next, for Edinburgh, en rcute for Goodwood, where the Duchess and family will pass the winter. The Right Hon. B. Disraeli, M.P., and Mrs. Disraeli are now on a visit to Mr. and Lady Anna Gore Langton, at their seat, Hache-park, near Taunton. Sir John Burgoyne, who has been on a visit to the Queen during the week, returned on Thursday to Brighton. Stttings. SIR JOHN M'NKIL, G.C.B. (lately one of her Ma jesty's Commissioners to the Crimea), on Friday evening last, at the introductory sessional meeting of the Philosophical Institution of EDINBURGH, deli vered an address upon the subject of the working classes and the war. In exposing the present un satisfactory state of the social position of the working classes, arising from the want of instruction and example to guide them in the management of their ordinary affairs, Sir John M'Neil proceeded to show that the existing minute division of labour tended too much too limit the sphere of action of every worker, render him dependent and helpless in a certain degree, and inevitably contract his intellect, unless this tendency were carefully and systemati cally counteracted by education. What was true of the manufacturing population was also true of the army, and to this cause Sir John attributed many of the serious sufferings of the soldiers in the Crimea last winter : -- - A part, and not an inconsiderable part, of the sufferings of the British army in the Crimea during the last winter arose from this very circumstance. (Cheers.) The manner in which both officers and men endured the hardships and privations of the last winter was, perhaps, even more heroic than their conduct in action. (Applause.) Yet, with all their indomitable courage and energy in action, and all their fortitude and high moral beanng, most of them were in some respects very helpless fellows. Few of them could handle a spade or a mattock with any dex terity—fewer still an axe or a saw, a hiuniner or a trowel. Few of them could even mend their own clothes, and fewer still could mend their own shoes ; they were bad cooks, and all, except the old soldiers, bad hands even at lighting a fire. In short, they could hardly turn their hands to anything except fighting, and that, it must be admitted, they could do as hardly any other men could. All this helplessness among the soldiers Sir John attributed to the same cause as exists among the manufacturing classes, a want of more general in struction, and that system of restricting a man's daily occupation to certain routine duties and no more. Upon the subject of the war Sir John made a few concluding remarks, that the reverses which Russia has met with in the Crimea would, he hoped, convince her that universal dominion was not to be her destiny, but that her true mission is to subdue herown vut deserts, and to civilise her own numerous population—that the intellect and energy which ham hitherto been directed to the means of overturning other Governments will be more advantageously employed in improving her own; and that her only wise and safe course of foreign policy is to respect the rights and liberties of other countries and the publics laws of Europe. (Loud cheering.) It is for her to tell us when she has arrived at those convictions, and, as soon as her actions have convinced us of her sincerity, we shall rejoice at her success in cultivating the arts of peace as truly as we now rejoice at her discomfiture in war. (Re newed cheers.) THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMERS held a meeting at GLAsoow on Friday evening last, on which occa sion a deputation from the society in Lonilon attended. Mr. Lindsay, of Austin Friars, explained to the audience the meaning of Administrative Reform, and stated that he was of opinion Parlia mentary Reform must also be insisted on. Mr. Jacob Bell and other gentlemen addressed the meet ing at great length, amid roars of laughter, hisses, and the most determined uproar upon all sides. At length the motion of a Mr. Buchanan, that a " full, fair, and free representation of the people in Parlia ment be secured," was carrie d, and the petition which gave rise to the meeting, "urging the neces sity of Administrative Reform, and proposing a plan of co-operation throughout the emplre," was finally adopted, when the proceedings terminate& 1079