The Express.
London, England, 1865-04-17 00:00:00

DRAMA.

PRINCE OF WALESTI.
A good many pleasant theatrical memories hang
Toned the Ms hours to Tottssibunwtsset, which was no-

speed on Saturday sight under • new name and • new
amaagement. It was originally known as rarquairs Ocamrt
Boma, and hone—•bout the close of the last amtury—Yea.
Billington and the capricious Mara sag Handers arataios
to the meat brilliant audiames, King Geary 111. lamsell
being, probably, the most enthusi•aiio listener in the whole
room. Here the famous Pie-Nio Sosiety ran its very brief
career, under Ooload Grevilie, and succeeded in making
Swill about as great • bugbear to the managen of that period
in ear conic-halls have become to those of the present day,
Is 1808 the pines was fitted up as • theatre by ewe Saunders
(previously an itiassant showman), and opened fee horse-
riding, but the estartaionaut was wretched, and Sanaders
very soon dropped the management from his burst
fiogers ; than the home was taken by • pawn-
broker named Pea whose wife was •micas to shine in the
lyric drams. Since those days the theatre is Tottaahms-
street has known many MIMI sad many masters. It
has been called snocessively the llagesey, His Wert Louden,
the Tottenham, the Fitzroy, the Theatre of Varieties, sad

the Queen's.
Those members of Saturday night's audience who rend-
lected the previous condition of the house must have bees
agreeably astonished at the thorough transformation that
has been effected in It. The interior has been entirely re-
einestructed, and decorated in a very taaNief n 1 manner; the
tone of colouring employed being exceedingly harmonious
throughout. A new sot-drop, painted by Mr. Charles 8,
James, was exhibited before the night's perform-
ance began, and was vociferously approved of by a
house crammed to the roof. A sew and original omsediettm
by Mr.'''. P. Wader, opened the entertainment ; and this
trite, @stifled A Wiettig Hazard, introduced to • London
audience three provincial strangers. One of these, Mit.
Bella Goodall, played with osesiderable spirit. The plot of
the pieta Is sot intensely complicated, bat the action—which
develops the stratagems of two young gentlemes in search
of wives and fortunes—was amusing enough, and there was
*call for the author when the certain fell.
A medley overture (which was three or four hundred bars
too long and eseasely tried the patience of the public)
sabered in the special treat of the ocasion--a new operatic
burlesque, La 1 Bensittuabe/a / or Bee Supper, the Sleeper;
and the Merry Suess Boy, by Mr. B. J. Byron. The
having found, probably, that the ohmic source of
inspiration becise to run • little dry, Medalled his Lempriere
for • time, and sows gives us his owe peculiar rendering
of the simple villige-story that Bellises music has immor-
talized. We consider that the present is one of Mr. Byton's
very happiest attempts in the style that he has done more
than anybody to make popular. The Italian opera-plots are
seldom without some objectionable Incident that betrays
their foreign birth ; and, although Felice Roinani's liieetto
is purity itself beside many of its companions, the canoe of
Amines troubles is perhaps capable of being modified from
the original without any loss of refinement. Mr. Byron has
got over the difficulty in • triumphant way ; and, were it not
far occasional visitetione of kleptomania during sleep, the
heroine of his burlesque would be irreproachable in con-
duct. The pameenes of Count Rodolpbo's watch and
chain is 11/1111110110,1 is this sew version as the proof of
Amina's guilt, and her innocence's established tJuoughlthe
original medium of deep-walking.
The burlesque was admirably placed upon the stage, end
Mr. James was twice called os to receive the *drawly.
ladgetests of the audience for his new scenery. Yin
Kane Wiltos, who was enthusiastically readved, spoke some
telling 1119111 to referests to the oceasios, sad played the
part of Almelo, the "Merry Swiss Boy," with eves more
than her usual grace and animation. Miss Pansy Josephs,
as Elvino, looked very fascinating, and sang charmingly.
The other ladles, having little else to do, dressed well and
looked pretty. The berates was represented by Mr. J.
Clarke, who was welcomed with a burst of applause,
mingled with rears at the artistic absurdity of hie make-up.
Mr. F. Dewar threw some excellent barite/quo acting into
the character of Count Itodolpho, whose entrance is rumpled
Seen and unkempt heir was highly effective. Mr. Many
Cot, who appeared for the first time before • London
audience is the interpolated part of a Virtuous hamlet,
made the most of • little, and was encored in • boroplpe.
Mr. H. W. Mostgossary (from the Surrey) added to the
diking of the cossetted pieces, two or three of which
were selected from Bellied. The burlesque is peeked is
full of pane and parodies as any of its antivar'e pre-
vious productions, and the fun is not allowed to
flag for a moment. At the red of the pieta all the
chief performers were celled before the curtain ; and Mr.
Hyrax, who came formed is obedience to a metal dammed
for the &Mbar, made an apology for two or three musical
hitches that bad occurred tiereugh the stresses of the first
violin—as important character in this elms of estratein-
moat.
After the barlsitme, "God save the Queen and "God
bleu the Prima of Wales," were sung by an tiagtraa7, tad •
the fined famed Vandyke Brown brought the programme
of • mere plesemet evening to as eud. To judge from the
epodeg mg t, lag some that the sew stssegemeict is deter-
mind to spare so pates sod so expense in providing amuse-
meet fee He pitman ; sad there ma be little doubt, we
%Mak, ressesding dee ssecoe of • vesture essaseted cm sack
pdagiplas. Whether berlearposb tlertiesd te
biome ea limeades • standiag-dish in Totheadisse4trest es
it lisa long bees is Me SteesT romaine to lee ems : at i I
ems* its latesisetios bed taken plea wider the mod
favourable auspices and the seams of Mr. H. J. Byros and
Hiss Mario Wilton woad certainly seem aufllriost ams•
restos peg he maws.