The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-13 00:00:00

N U

... 2

DRURY LANE THEATRE.
The only novelty which Mr. -Bunn -produced for
the gratification and amusement of his patrons IPst
night, was a short ballet divertissement, in which
Madlle. D. Antonie Adele, and a host of other cele-
brities took pont, and in which the graceful and
elegant dancing of each was exhibited to great ad-
vantage. It was perfectly successful, and a " Pas de
Pelichinel," by Mr. H. Marshall, was vocif. rously ap-
plauded, and although it must have been very
fatiguing to the dancer he was obliged to repeat it.
The ballet was preceded by Aleyerbeer's Robert the
.Devil, which was exceedingly well given, Mr.H. Dray-
tc-ri, in his diabolical character, having played, if
possible, with increased powers and dramatic intensity.
At the conclusion all the principal vocalists were called
before the curtain. The new season which commenced
last night has been inaugurated by a reduction of
prices of admission to all parts of the house, and
considering the excellent operatic company engaged
by the lessee, and the daily growing taste for the cul-
tivation of music, we are sure the houco will be well
supported. In addition to the ever fresh and delight-
ful opera of the Bohemian Girl, several others are
to be produced speedily. On Friday a continental
star of the first magnitude, .Madame Falconi, makes
her appearance in Beethoven's Fidelio, and a new
opera (probably Mr. .111‘Farren's) is in " active prep-
ration," and will soon be presented to the public.
Pc.rhaps we cannot do better then quote from Mr.
Bann's manifesto, iu endeavouring to give our-readers
an idea of the principles on which he is in future to
conduct the affairs of Old Drury :
" The pertormaoc.es recently terminated at this theatre,
were, from circumstances beyond the control of the
lessee, of a general character, which tended materially
to retard the progress of any specific object;
.but his
efforts henceforth will be directed to the furtherance of
such entertainments as are exclusively of an operatic
nature. By the diminution of expenditure on the oue
hand, he will be enabled to atrengthen„ even beyond
their present limits, the musical resources of this Estab-
lishment, and thereby give a more perfect representa-
tion of such productions than has hitherto been the
ease."

^t Y B
i ~ `f

... l

If he acts up to his present professions, snd produces
sterling works, we can have no fears of his being un-
successful; and although the theatre was not quite so
well attended last night as we could have wished to
have seen it, yet, when his intentions have becntn,
fully known to the public, we are sure his benches_
will be nightly filled to overflowing.

HAYMARKET THEATRE.
The Easter novelty at this theatre is the joint pro!.
duction, as we learn from the bill, of " two members
of the Amalgamated Society of Dramatic Engineers."
bears the title of 0, Gemini; or, the Brothers of
Co(u)rse, and is a burlesque on the melodrama of tee
Corsican Brothers, now playing with great success
at the Princess's and other theatres. There is but one
step, we are told, from the sublime to the ridiculous,
and in this instance, though the distance be a five
minutes walk from Oxford-street.to the Haymarket,
we certainly think that a more complete transition
from one extreme to the other has seldom been wit-
nessed. The plot and personages of the melodrama
have been preserved, but the travestier have so skill-
fully brought down the harrowing incidents and
spectral situations of the original into an every. day,
not to say burlesque, interest, that M. Dumas himself
would he puzzled to recognise his own progeny.
The weight of the piece falls on Mr. Buckstone, the
representative of the two "De Frenches," who, we
need scarcely say, made the most of the points en-
trusted to him. In the first act, or rather the act
which is played first, we find him as the Corsican
country gentleman, using the "influence of his posi-
tion" to put an end to a Corsican vendetta, which
has existed between two families for the last 500
years, the original cause of which appears to have
been the laying of an egg at a neighbour's door by a
vagrant hen, and the subsequent strangling of the
progeny in the dispute as to its ownership. In the
execution of this amiable office, he utters so many
vile puns, that even the litigants are compelled to
groan with horror. Next we see him, as in the ori-
ginal, under the influence of the sympathetic cord
which binds the brothers ; but in place of the vague,
undefined feelings of fear and foreboding, Mr. Buck-
stone is only affected by a violent fit of sneezing, from
which he infers that his brother Louis, at Paris, has
caught the prevailing epidemic; -and directly after a
violent pain between the eyes, convinces him that his
brother has got into some row and received one for
'his nob, ala mode de boxe. Then be sits down to in-
dite a letter to his brother, and we have the ghost
scene, in which an illuminated turnip lantern and a
sheet are substituted for the spectre of the murdered, and
the scene opening out displays the Parisian just floored
in a street row outside the Grand Opera, and not able
to come up to time. In the next scene we are carried
off to Paris, and find Mr. Buckstone, as Fabian, in
the broad-breeched, narrow-waisted, and large-hatted
Frenchman of the Boulevards, in love with a pretty.
modeste, Emile (Miss Collins), of the Rue St An-
toine, from whom, by way of striking up an acquain-
tance, he has purchased twenty " cheap summer
straws." The Chateau Renaud of the original is en-
acted by Mrs. L. S. Buckingham, who displays the
Parisian roué and dandy to the life, and by him Emile
is decoyed to the bal masque at the Grand Opera, where
we have Louis in an outrageous Roman toga, helmet,
and nose; and then follows the encounter, where in-
stead of being run through, he meets with the
more satisfactory, though Jess dignified, misfortune
of being polisbPd off with a " black eye."
In the next scene Fabian arrives in Paris, " regard-
less of expense," by an express train, seeking revenge
for the said " black eye," of which we have seen him
informed by the mysterious electric telegraph. The
duel then follows, first with single sticks and then
with fists, when Chateau Renaud being vanquished
and polished off in his turn, the family honour is
avenged, and we are carried off to the Grand Opera,
where, still as the representative of the two brothers,
Mr. Buckstone exhibits to us a solution of the " two
single gentlemen rolled into one problem, and after
singing a song in front as the Corsican, jumps round,
and discovers the Parisian brother fastened on be-
hind. The subject is a difficult one to burlesque, at
least while following the original so closely as has
been done in this instahee, and we are bound to say,
that however creditably and cleverly the travestie
has been carried out, the piece of' itself pos-
sesses too few points of wit. and humour
to have succeeded on its own merits.
The dialogue is extremely flat in parts, and we looked
in vain for any of the smart hits which we bad ex-
pected from the opportunities which the piece itself
affords, and which the acknowledged talents of the
authors could have well supplied. We intent almost
fancy that the censorship had been hnsy at work, for
with one exception there is not a political allusion in
the whole piece, and the only fun attempted in the
dialogue was a series'of plays upon words, such as we
had fancied had been long ago consigned to the tomb
.of all the' Minus. Mr. Buckstone's vivacity, how-
ever, made the most of what there was, and his skilful
imitations of Mr. Charles Kean, the original repre-
sentative of the Brothers in this country, and the
admirable manner in which he seized upon and
burlesqued the little peculiarities of that
gentleman's acting in the part, were a real
treat, *and contributed very much to the
success of the piece, Mr. James Blard had also a
double part to play, and !acted with his usual spirit.
The piece throughout is adinirably put upon the stage,
the scenery is excellent, and the scenic effects ex-
ceedingly well managed. The bal masque scenes
were given with great fidelity, and so real did the
racket, the glitter, end the continual bustle of the
masqueraders on the stage appear, that we could
almost have fancied ourselves spectators at the Grand
Opera. The dresses, too, were very tasteful, and it
is evident that no expense has been spared to place
the piece on the stage with full effect. On the whole,
though by no means the best burlesque which we
have seen at this theatre, we have no doubt that 0,
Gemini will meet with a pretty, fair share of success.

At
.this.. ADELPHI THEATRE.
the .Market 1° Popular place of entertainment the amuse-
ments opened •
effects," with
, with a new drama called the Queen of
Frenth
jcer,ibed•in the bill as full of " Adelphi
celltrtred to Mrs. Keeley, being
cipal
character tivvalid.ditionsl attraction that the prin-
her first appearan
itshtheatre, The plot of the
To bette°r
piece, which is
bout, may be briefly
told. Maurice Diu:and (Zug
in ;all. Hughes), of life Louise (Mrs.
known parentage, marries
..„Syndic of the
un-
Keeley), daughter of Leonard LIY
Ins position, he
watercarriers of Paris.
. , , ebe remains for fis
leAvlng his
- vnieC
and
It
cclbiLl with
proceeds to St. Domingo, where
yeiers,
bor parqntse
During his abAence the
lea ,ing a will in which he
Count
'fell! (141-nbale', a svcalthv
nobleman (Mr. Worrell), is
~ fit, . y the fail of "a
bequeaths oheex-
•ii to his family. The natur
istence was wholly unknow . . eof.
a villain named Lorraiu
beamfrom
his title e to an on.ly son, whose
purloin it, and,
this will becoming known to
making his way to
(Mr. 0. Smith), be contrives to
St. Dl'lnll3g°' 1. he is tho son
infuses into the
mind of Maurice Durand the belief tbs.
sue-
and heir of the deceased Count, and ultimately
needs in putting him in possession of the inheritance,__ec
under the promise of a munificent reward. To efi t.
this the usual amount of forgeries and villanies
1(1)f
every kind are practised by him, and in due time t e
new Count en'ers Paris in grand style, hut is seen
and recognized by his wife, who, by industry and
perseverance, has gained the position of fruit and
flower merchant to the King, and is recognized as
"Queen of the Market." The usurping Count,
though innocent of the forgeries that have been
committed, finds himself so mixed up with the pro-
ceedings of his agent, Lorrain, that he berorr..?s
the 'virtual slave of the latter; who, to .!-rt,c. 'Ma
own Pecuniary purposes, insists upon his renouncing
bis 'wife, the humble flower woman, an 1 marrying a

I 0 N 7.) I)

EASTER AMUSEMENTS 1 lady of rank and opulence. At this point the deep
' interest of the drama commences. The so-celled
Count, fearful of the galleys on the one hand ,and re-
taining all his o!d affection for his wife on
the other, is subjected to a severe mental
struggle—at one time denying all knowledge
of his wife, and at another resolved at all
hazards to do her justice. In the meantime she is
made the object of persecution, and, through the in-
strumentality of Lorrain, backed by the Duchess de
Cerny (Miss Emma II trdinB), an excellent specimen
of the old French noblesse, is arrested by the officers
of the Bastile, with the view of frightening her into
a renunciation of her marriage. Some stir-
ring incidents occur, but at length the better
nature of the pseudo-Count prevails ; he acknow-
ledges Louise as his wife, and in the end is relieved
of all danger from the law by the al.pearance of the
real son of the deceased Count de Salnalles, who for
years has been the friend of Louise and her parents,
and who, on discovering his' birth and rank, freely
abiolves Maurice Durand, who now returns to his
true poSitfon in life, from all
biome. Such is the
main plot of the piece, but there are besides a variety
of telling and well-sustained incidenm which throw
an attractive interest over the whale drama. and from
first to last the attention of the audience is never per-
mitted to flag. Mr. Paul Bedford as Blaise Lefort,
Syndic of the Porters, is the source of no small
amusement throughout, from his grotesque mode of
courtship towards Louise, whose husband he assumes,
from his long absence, to be dead; and some of the
minor characters also are brought in with consider-
able effect, so as to lighten the play. The character
of the " Queen of the Market" was hit off with great
force and skill by Mrs. Keeley, and the same compli-
ment might fairly be applied to all the leading actors.
The new farce of Who Stole the Pocketbook 1' and the
comic opera of Good Night, Signor Pantalon, fol
lowed, and thus closed a series of excellent Easter en
tertainments.

LYCEUM THEATRE.
An eight act piece, extending over the entire even-
ing, was the potent attraction at this elegant theatre.
La Dame de la Halle, the original drama, by M.
Annicet Bourgeois and a collaborateur, was in six
acts. The two additional acts added by the Lyceum
adapters, Mr. Slingsby Lawrence and Mr. Charles
Mathews, seem intended principally for
.the iastradae-
tion of &shipwreck scene, excellently managed—better,
indeed, than anything of the kind since the famous
' shipwreck ineMr. Kenable's last revival of the Tem-
pest, at Covent-garden. As a medium for displaying
the entire resources of the Lyceum, both in regard to
company and scenic effect, it serves its purpose well.
Mr. Charles Mathews was a scoundrel of the first
water, with a coolness, ease, and imperturbable effron-
tery that were exquisite, and occasionally made the
audience roar in the midst of the gravest passages of
villany. Madame Vestris acted with fine pathos in the
scene where the loss of the 200 louis d'ers is disco-
vered, and Was efficiently seconded by the rough and
hearty earnestness of Mr. Frank Matthews, who
made the most of the part of Pere Bonneau. Mr.
Roxby exhibited a great deal of vigour as Alcide le
Fort, and Mr. Suter was quietly humorous as
Brididi, the accepted lover of Javotte, which person-
age was played by Miss Julia St. George with
charming sprightliness and ease. ,Mrs. Frank Mat-
thews was as genial and natural as she always is in
Madeleine Richard, one of the chiefs of the Halle,--
and Mrs. Macnarnara's stillness and dignity as the
Marchioness were thoroughly characteristic. Mis
Laura Keene made her first appearance at this theatre
in the character of Teerese, and her debut must
bee
pronounced decidedly successful. There is a vast
deal of. promise in this young lady, who only
wants more familiarity with the stage to be-
come an actress of more than common pretcnaiont,
particularly in melodrama and domestic plays. She
has youth and everything in her favour. The other
characters call for no special remark—except that
every one, including Mr. Belton, another debutante
(in the part of George Michel), did his very best,
whatever that might amount to, to secure a good en-
semble. The scenery brought out the admirable
talent of Mr. Beverley in a new light, and showed
him as happy in the treatment of real as of faery
subjects. The moonlight scene of the Market of the
Innocents was 'a masterpiece of picturesque design.
One of the most striking effects we have ever wit-
nessed on the stage was the shipwreck on the rocks
of St. Domingo; the reality was most appalling.
The ballet was appropriate, and the dancing of
Miss Rosina Wright extremely animated. One of the
dances, entitled La Fricassee, by a troupe of pois-
sardes, was quaint and spirited, and elicitt.d an
uproarious encore. Mr. Tully has been very suc-
cessful in the music, and introduced more than one
pretty song. The fall of the curtain was the signal
for an unanimous recall for Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Mathews—then for Miss Laura Keene—and, lastly,
for the author; in response to which Mr. C. Mathews
came forward and candidly owned that the piece was
an adaptation from the French, by himself and
another gentleman (named above). The Chain of
Events adds another to the chain of Lyceum suc-
cesses.

PRINCESS'S THE A.TRE.
The extraordinary run which the Easter piece en-
_eyed at this theatre last year was less attributable to
any peculiar humour in the dialogue than to some
very picturesque scenery, to the extraordinary and
inimitable personation of a monkey by Flexrnore, and
to the convulsing exploits of Keeley and Wiean as
" the bounding bricks of Babylon." Not thatb the
dialogue was, as regards fun, much below the average
of that employed in fairy burlesques, but the fact is,
that the profusion of puns, old and new, good and
indifferent, which has signalised production 3 of this
nature for several seasons past at divers of the Lon-
don theatres, has so jaded the public that the speaking
parts have become in their estimation completely sub-
servient to the effects of scenery, costume, and ballet.
People go more to see than to hear a burlesque. In
the entertainment, however, produced last evening at
the Princess's Theatre under the title of Wittikind
and his Brothers; or, The Seven Swan Princes and
the Fair illelusine, this stale trick of punning has
been wisely abandoned by its author. The
dialogue is smooth and unpretentious, not
destitute of humour, but free from pointed
absurdities. The story of Wittikind and his Brothers
is founded on the German fairy tale, yclept " The
Seven Swans," which, if we recollect right, has been
also handled by Andersen. Esel, King of Miirchen-
land, the father of seven sons and one daughter,
Melusine, by a first wife, is married to a sorceress
Queen, Mandragore, who persuades her henpecked
epouse to send Melusine, when a child,' to be reared
by the shepherds of MUrchenland. The opening
scene of the fairy tale finds her celebrating her birth-
day swung the peasants. Their rustic merriment is
broken in upon by the arrival of Adelmann, the
mayor of the palace to King Esel, with a summons
of Melamine to the court, on the occasion of the
knighting of Wittikind and his brothers. Melusine
leaves her shepherd friends with regret, and one of
them, Ulf, her foster- brother, contrives to fol-
low her to the. court. Here, by the spells
of Queen Mandragore, who poisons her high, Me-
lusine is transformed into hideousness, and is driven
from, the court as an impostor. Ulf alone recognises
her, and protects her from the blows and the insults
of the lacqueys. With him she wanders away into
the woods; and there, ley the intervention of the fay
Rinnilde is restored to her original beauty. • Mean-
while, the Queen, anxious to obtain the sole power,
transforms the King into an owl, and the seven
princes into wild swans, who fly forth incontinently.
At nightfall, however, the spell is and the
princes resume their human forms. During. the night
they discover their sister. Anxious to escape from
pursuit of their' step-mother, they weave a net of
rushes, end fly with Melusine over the sea to Avalon,
leaving Ulf behind to follow as he can; and this
flight doses the first act. The second act discovers
Melusine sheltering in a cave overlooking the
plains of Avalon. The fay Rinnilde, in a vision,points
out to her that she may restore her brothers to their
human shapes by spinning shirts of thistledown,
during the spinning and weaving of which she is
neither to speak nor smile. Ulf arrives, having some-
how crossed the sea, and is perplexed to find Melusine
dumb and sad. She sends him to gather thistles
for her, and while he is absent Lothaire, Lord of
Avalon, entering the cave in pursuit of his hawk, is
charmed by her beauty and silence,—he happening to
be blessed with seven sisters who are inveterate
chatterers. Melusine is taken to court, and there
Lothaire weds her with great eplendour. Meanwhile
Mandragore, who has been driven from MUrehenland
by the revolt of her people, has arrived in Avalon to
ask Lothaire's aid against the rebels, attended by
Adelmann, and bearing 'her wretched husband with
her in his new shape of a horned owl. Recognizing
l'ilelusine, she persuades the King she is a witch, and
inclines him to follow her to one of her nocturnal
visits to the churchyard, whither 'she 'goes to gather
witch,cou nte rs consentsber
broth t o ewxheoc uhtai
have
thistles for her spinning. The King, believing her a
en'beeina aprrries
sotne heo
nena-
charge of
whom maligning the princess (with
duringinterviews the piece, they have secret
still unceasingly
spins on, and, distrusted
,by all but
about to fire th'el h.ompleting the shirts as they are
a sorceress. The princes
she is to be burnt as
the pile as swans, are rceesst) who have flown down to
King Esel haying Preeiouosr.ed to their human forms,
the presence of mime of I
vsrpttikb.een disenchanted by
having been, in her turn, chat, .d, and Mandragore
of her owa spells. The princegecleinoto an owl by one
and innocence of Melusine, recognises et grimes the. faith
Wittikind the Wise, and his giddy.
he seven princes,
pated brethren
Ottio,lr the Oh3tr:TeroTlF, Rudig-_r
- th.
R W. 17
e oug •,
ring Egi dr!rd th,.
' Energetic Elide.
brand the Headstrong, and Luitprand the Loving, I
wed the voluble-tongued Princesses Avalon,