The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-27 00:00:00

THE NEW ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.

A new and elegant circus and theatre, which has
been less talked about during its erection than any similar
enterprise, was opened on Saturday night with the moat
perfect success. It stands near Red Lion-street, on
the site of a horse repository—a commercial failure that
at one time was nearly being converted into the New
Holborn Theatre. The architects. Messrs. Smith and Son,
of Bloomsbury-square, have succeeded, at a very moderate
coat, in raising a well-ventilated, cheerful building,
admirably adapted for the purposes to which it will be
applied. The ground plan is oval, one end, a length of
about thirty feet, being cut off for a small stage. The
circus is in the exact centre of the house, and the seats
rise round it in such a way that all persons can obtain a
full view of the performances. The ground floor is arranged
as • pit ; the dress circle tier, immediately above it, is
divided into a balcony backed by a circle of private boxes,
a copy, to some extent, of the Adelphi Theatre,
and above this is the gallery er amphitheatre. The
Royal box is midway la the *ale of beam, ilkady
hails iftwelimaud wellh a btflatirairvAraw
• .

drawing room. The deeorations are light and agreeable,
French green being a prominent colour, and the lighting,
which is ample, is furnished by a central gaselier and sun-
light. The two weak architectural points in the building
are the lowness of the ceiling and the narrowness of the
lobbies; but the width of the house and the cheerfulness
of the decorations destroy any feeling of heaviness in the
interior.

London has been so long without a place where eques-
trian entertainments are regularly provided, that the
present enterprise has the *harm of novelty to recommend
it. Cremorne maintains • circus, but Cremorne, strictly
speaking, is in the country, and the tournaments as
the Agricultural-hall are temporary and uncertain.
This new amphitheatre, if properly managed, ought
to supply • distinct form of amusement th►t
always has been popular, and probably always will
be. It will be some years before the New
Hall of Arts and Sciences, promoted by the South Ken-
sington Chevalier' of Industry, and planted by the Queen
the other day, will be ready to compete with such an es-
tablishment, and Holborn, for many years, will remain far
more central than extreme Brompton. The new Amphi-
theatre, unless we are much mistaken, has an excellent
manager in the person of Mr. Thomas lleCollurn, who
15 years ago was one of the most graceful and daring
gymnastic riders in Europe. The entertainment provided
for the opening night was excellent of its kind, with two
exceptions. The band—an important feature in a circus
—is rather week, sad the dramatic part of the perform-
ance, not particularly strong in itself, is introduced in the
wrong place—at the end instead of in the middle of the
programme. The acrobat. and riders, the hoses and
II clowns, are all good, some of them having peculiar merit.
The fiipflap and summersault throwing of the Delevasti
family could hardly be surpassed, even by the Arabs ;
Messrs. IL A. Bradbury and Gerard are equally good se
bare-backed and trick riders ; a horse called Zamor, eche-
bited by Mr. Fillis, is a wonderful result of training.
and two well-knows clowns, named Daniels, exhibit real
humour and musical talent. The ring business is managed
briskly, though one or two of the clowns might be ordered
to condense what Ducrow used to call their " dialer"
with advantage. The concluding dramatic sketch is sailed
Grin Griffis Hotel, and is the joint production of Pro-
freer Pepper and Mr. Oxesford. It is supported by •
useful dramatic company, which includes Mr. S. J. Sheri-
dan (from Liverpool), Ur. K. Lynn, Mr. James Francis,
and Miss S. Turner. The house, which holds &bent two
thousand persons, was well filed, and all the entertain-
' meats were received with genuine applause. Mae prices
of admission are within the reach of all classes,. sad evesy.
disposition has bees shows by the renegers to.gsovide for
the comfort and amusement of mined audiences.

A new comic ballet that has all the *lemmata of
pantomime, without the conventional dreams, and there-
fore ought to be dragged before the maMetrates hke tar
Christmas absurdity, has been produced sh this house as a
relief to the spectacular ballets. It is suer/reed by a com-
pany of excellent pantomimist'. A user and graerehl
acrobat, named Avolo, who is as perfect as the horizontal
bars as Leotard was on the flying tsap:•ze is algaone
amongst the varied attractiom of thia establishment The
orchestra km no equal is London encept at the sperm
holism

SALE OF VALI:TABU PICTIMZIL —Three choice
collections of valuable pictures now disposed of on Satin-
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King-street, 81. James's. The bit was that of Sir Frede-
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Right Hon. Sir Thorns' Wyse 1L.0.8., dammed ; and the
third that of the celebrated tbchockerwick Collection, in-
chiding sesta works of T. ftainsborough, ILA., the pro-
perty of the late Dlr. John, Wiltshire, and several other
ital:ctures.
Witt OF IRELAND 7•1111N1 FUND. —Numerous
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It
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