The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-04-21 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL.

Madame Celeste, along with several members of the
-" °.Yal Lyceum Theatre, London, will appear at the
Theatre Royal on Monday next. The entertainments
for next week will commence each evening with a new
(~41raMe fantastipre, entitled "Paris and Pleasure; or,
and Happiness," and will conclude with a new
411,1 original extravaganza, entitled " King Thrush-
13eard." At the termination of the extravaganza will
1,
'e given a fanciful representation of the "Apotheosis of
the Chrysalis, amid the Fairy Ferns of Fancy ;" a
tillecessful display of scenic effect, forming altogether
°lie of the most brilliant, costly, and surpassingly beau-
tiful exhibitions ever witnessed. To give our readers
lame idea of it, we annex the description from the
-13Uilceer
The triumph of the evening as regards the scenic productions,
43:45 reserved, of course, for the great transformation arrange-
r IT' The audience is well prepared for that which is to
ee by the splendour of the preceding scene being gradually
ccealed from View by descending clouds of gauze and the
out" °Ts and actresses being seen dimly moving about and finally
thea„,PPe, attag• After a speech from the fairy Good Humour,
tet -usil7 gauzes move away as if dispersed by the rising sun,.
,:-re'ettteite it may be, by the bright part of the following
6-'cv, which brightness is found to be proportionately small,
ttiralPared with the rest of the view, when the clouds and
FL: have entirely vanished, and we find ourselves amid the
to 42
Ferns of Fancy." The bright light alluded to is confined
fends 11.°W compass by an arch formed of large and pendent
6araa
aver, the sides of the stage being filled with leaves of the
size but growing in an erect positibn. Besides the bright
gut seen through the low arch of overhangiugferu leaves, the
solemn twilight of the rest is increased by some twisted columns,
'te n tie 0 glass, in brilliant colours rapidly turning round.
With yellow, while
leaves now assume the tints of pale green
light while their serrated edges admit a diffusion of the
effeetw(l' faintly illumines the other part of the scene. The
gree of
the back scene receives the addition of some vividly
pro4e '3, which gently slide on from the sides. The contrast
After thed' bY these, changes the whole of the previous elf. ct.
v change the arch farmed of the fern leaves begins to
by this
ei„,
—"Y. As the brilliant light at the back is caused
Prod 8 a°Vernent to expand, a row of shells and other marine
Pattsucti"s become visible by receiving on their prominent
but t Portion of its rays. The bright green rocks disappear,
e arch-formed opening has continued to rise, and as con-
stantly to show greater
a expanse of the light at the back,
Whwhichbecomes
mereconcentrated in the centre, and its real
ircefleeetton is seen in the water, represented by large plates of
`king-glass laid on the stage at such an angle as all the
leeeeeeti°t's may be seen by the entire audience. The fern
the- 'e.s overhead have by this time changed to a darkergreenat,
ght continues to spread, and the pendent leaves, which
t"he first formed the low arch, having arrived at the top over
e middle of the stage, take an inverted position, as if grow-
eg ,
-Pwards ; and their edges, as well as those at the sides,
,eine tinged with gold, enlivened by stems ind fibres of
trthch crimson mingled with rockwork of a pale green colour;
Iljetil.riling columns at %the back having, during the whole of
time, been kept in constant motion.
tTceridin. g clouds now appear at the top of the back and
to gut Part of the scene. The effect, however, is again changed
e,a combination of pale green, shining silver, and delicate
tb"td• The mu green again appears at the side of the great
"Of light. The clouds descending from above bring with
The-41 Winged figures in white drapery, and the breadth of pale
'e4 is increased at the back. Groups of female recumbent
figures, Clothed in brilliant green, and glittering with countless
Kenna'
eCome on at the sides; the dresses and jewels being Aarly reflected in the supposed water. Thus far may
°e considered as belonging to the "Grove of Fairy Ferns;
t,
7,19Nv come to the apetheosis of the "Chrysalis." The
kjemt of lotus fierce has for some time occupied the
centre of the water, between two L:;laches of fern leaves
begins slowly to expand, until its petals, the ranti:;:::. are duly marked in the ef which
glass beneath, drop
parent anrface of the water, which reflects on the trane-
forms. A pair of largel„rossarner wing upon
and their inverteddd
are followed by a kneeling, infantine
and arise
a nlyh°l
oexpalnfi,gnaare.
The whole scene having gradually and incessantly icavari
varied in
t
its arrangements of form, light, and colour, has now arrived
at its culminating point, with the full illuminating pOwer of
the theatre, assisted by the entire sounding force of the
orchestra, and received with a burst of the long pent-up
applause by the delighted audience.
To dwell on the complicated nature of this scene, and the
ztraordinary ingenuity of its contrivance or the skill with
eh it is worked, would be superfluous after the above des-
bPtion. But it has a distinctive peculiarity which we must
ilorliettY explain : it is from first to last entirely imaginary--
the slightest trace of nature is attemuted---its sole
cnaracterissie is for the display of effect, produced by
eo
t'stlatt changes of light, form, and colour ; and the
"Zile taste with which that intention is carried out,
„hie be “a :
l the truly ornamental arrangement
files h fa particularly observable at its 'conclusion. The
are waving serpentine forms, the objects reflected In
11;7 water become geometrical from the angles formed by their
verkeil repetition, the centre lotus-flower and the figure
Pre-seajug the chrysalis, have on each side a semicircular
hea, °f fern branches, and the winged figures above, with the
11.11 e of the clones, form a celestial arch over the whole.
tine is generally considered the most successful transforms-
tasteaeetle of the season, and is as highly honouraple to the,
and invention a Mr. William Calleott, as it is
'
a creditable to the spirit, intelligence, and liberality of
napbee Celeste, under whose admirable management it has
oduced
tetl

rICIDE OF A CLERGYMAN'S WIFE AT

TIPTON.

itt"itra,‘"t distressing ease of suicide has just occurred at Tipton,
tiog°"tli Staffordshire. The unfortunate victim of selfrdestruc-
-144/Na the 'wife of the Rev. E. H. A. Gwynne, M.A., incum-
14ifie !Tipton, and chaplain to a division of the Staffordshire
that
corps.
At the inquest, held on Thursday, it appeared
oilbei7,ased, on Monday last, sent for an ounce of essential
iiiter almonds, en Tuesday morning she was taken very
:ohd4 ebt6re Medical assistance could be procured she expired.
8.41 %Jell had contained the oil of almonds was found,
A bottle:4°llth of the deceased smelled strongly of the poison.
Am
The hi,:,whinh had contained laudanum was also found empty.
frog,; of deceased, and other witnesses, stated that she
Ole 4-.4„,t17 indulged in excessive stimulants, and at such times
sarge,74elitlY threatened to destroy herself. Mr. Underhill,
"ever n, stated that the deceased had been under
.4is
and he
believeliraes whilst affected by the use of stimulants ,ofanbitter
alkohtill that death resulted from taking the o