The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-21 00:00:00

active.

What is called the official programme of the festival is
not yet published ; but the announcements placarded
against the walls and inserted in the local papers are as
follows :
" Saturday, April 23—Banquets at 3 p.m., Lord Carlisle
in the chair. Tickets, 21e. In the evening grand display
of fireworks by Darby.
Monday Morning, April 25, at noon, the " Messiah :"
Mesdames Parepa, Sainton-Dolby, Mr Sims Reeves, Mr G.
Perren, Mr Santley; Mr T, Harper (trumpet). Band and
chorus of 500 performers. Conductor, Mr Alfred Mellon.
Tickets, 6s ; reserved seats, lOs 6d and 21s.
" Monday Evening, at 7 o'clock, a Grand Concert of
Music, associated with the words from Shakspere : Madame
Parepa, Madame Sainton. Dolby, Madame Arabella Gadd ard,
Mr Sims Reeves, Mr G. Perren, Mr Santley. Orchestra of
120 instruments. Conductor Mr Alfred Mellon. Tickets,
2s 6,1 ; reserved seats, 5s and lOs 6d.
" Tuesday morning, April 26, Excursion to Char leootte.
Tickets, ss. In the evening, at 7 o'clock, " Twelfth Night"
will be represented by the company of the Theatre Royal,
Haymarket—Orsini, Mr Howe ; Sebastian, Mr Weather-
by ; Antonio, IMr Braid; Roberto, Mr Walter Gordon;
Curio, Mr Clark; Valentine, Mr Worrel ; Sir Toby Belch,
Mr Rogers ; Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Mr Buckstone ;
Fabian, Mr W. Farren; Clown, Mr Compton; Priest, Mr
Cullenford ; Officers, Mr Coe and Mr James ; Olivia, Miss
H. Lindley ; Viola, Miss Louisa Angel ; Maria, Mrs E.
Fitzwilliam.
"After the comedy Mr Sothern (Lord Dundreary) will
appear in a new farce. Tickets, ss; reserved.seate,;los 6d,
and 21s.

" On Wednesday morning,, April 27,' A Shaksperean
Reading.' Tickets, 2s 6i each ; reserved seats, ss. In the
evening, in consequence of the withdrawal of Mr Fechter,
Mr Vining, of the Royal Princess's Theatre, has kindly
undertaken to put two of Shakspere's plays upon the stage.
At 7 o'clock will be produced the tragedy of ' Romeo and
Juliet.' The character of Juliet by Mademoiselle Stella
Collas, supported by Mrs 11. Marston, Mr J. Nelson, Mr
Vining, Mr D. Fisher, and Mr Forrester. After which the
' Comedy of Errors.' The Antipholi by Mr Vining and
Mr Nelson—the two Dromios by the Brothers Webb, sup-
ported by Miss C. Carson, Miss H. Howard, and Miss E.
Barnett.
6' The Hamlet' tickets will be available for this even-
ing's entertainments.
" On Thursday morning, April 28, in the Shaksperean
Rooms, a concert of instrumental music and glees from the
plays of Shakspere. Tickets, 2s 6d ; reserved seats. 55. In
the evening, at 7, 'As You Like It' will be represented
—Rosalind, Mrs Vezin (Mr Charles Young) ; Celia, Miss
Rebecca Powell ; Phcebe, Miss Balton ; Audrey, Miss
Charlotte Saunders ; The Duke, Mr J. Bennett; Jaques,
Mr Creswick; Amiens, Mr W, H. Cummings; Orlando,
Mr Mr. Farren ; Adam, Mr Chippendale ; Touchstone, Mr
Compton; Le Beau, Mr Belford; Oliver, Mr R. Dolman ;
Wrestler, Mr H. Payne. The play produced under the
superintendence of Mr Creswick, Tickets, 5s ; reserved
seats, lOs 6d., and 21s.
" On Friday evening, April 21, a Grand Fancy Dress
Ball. Tickets, by voucher, 21s.
"During the festival there will be an exhibition in the
Town-hall, of many well-known portraits of Shakspere and
eminent actors of his plays."
These announcements, I should observe, look more
cheerful than they did yesterday, when one of the headings
was followed by the simple and dismal statement that as
Mr Fechter had " disappointed" the public, the tragedy of
" Hamlet" would not be performed. Hence the names of
Mademoiselle Stella Colas and of the Brothers "Webb not
only awaken a legitimate curiosity, but they fill up an ugly
gap, and there is no doubt that the young and graceful
representative of Juliet will gain a considerable increase
of popularity from the alacrity with which she rushes
to the birthplace of Shakspere for the purpose of assisting
la perfide Albion in a very disagreeable perplexity. As for
the squabbles that have taken place, first between the com-
mittee and Mr Phelps, on account of Mr Fechter, and then
between the committee and Mr Fechter, on account of
goodness knows what, they have now become matter of
history. Those who desire to know all about Squabble I.
we refer to the extra leaf of the Drury-lane play bills,
wherein the whole of the Phelps correspondence is published
for the benefit of studious persons who wish to fill up the
intervals between the acts of Henry IV. with the delights
of epistolary literature. Those who desire to know all
about Squabble 11. must assist themselves as best they
may, and will perhaps distinguish themselves by their
pursuit of knowledge under difficulties. As for poor Mr
Fechter, there is reason to believe that his recent hurt
would have incapacitated him from appearing at Stratford
even if there had been no controversy at all.
The exhibition of pictures mentioned at the end of the
announcements is likely to prove interesting. Several well
known theatrical portraits have been sent to the Town-
hall, whither the curious portrait of Shakspere usually
shown at the house of his birth, and ascribed by Mr.
Halliwell to some painter of the last century, is already
transferred.
Although the amusements projected by the committee
will terminate on Friday, the 29th, it must not be too hastily
assumed that on that day the commemoration of the Ter-
centenary of Shakspere's birthday will absolutely cease.
The prices set down in the announcements repeated above
show that opulent classes have chiefly been consulted, and
townsmen of humble means, far from being satisfied with
the promised display of fireworks on Saturday, look back
with regret to the procession of Shaksperean characters
that passed through the streets of Stratford in 1827 and
1830, and was to be seen for nothing. Placards, uncon-
nected with the committee, announce a pageant of the sort
on the 2d and 3d of May, and it is said that the expenses
of this popular spectacle will be entirely defrayed by the
middle and lower cicases,