The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-07 00:00:00

TILE _ SUN,

PRINCESS'S THEATRE

Last night, after the 16th representation of the
Prima Donna, a new two act melodrama was success-
fully produced in a style befitting the paramount
managerial reputation of Mr. Kean. It is from the
pen of Mr. Bayle Bernard, and bears the title of
Mont St. Michel ; or, The Fairy of the Sands. The
opening scene displays the Bay or Avranches, on the
Norman coast, with Mont St. Michel in the dis-
tance. A village fate is in course of proceeding, in
which a delightful feature is presented in one of the
best grouped and most pleasingly spirited dances we
have ever seen produced on the stage, and which was
rapturously encored. The festivities of the villagers
are interrupted by the receipt of information most
perilous to their good lord, the feudal Seigneur
of the Sands, Count de Rochemont. He
has given cause of offence to the then
virtual ruler of France, the despotic Cardinal Ma-
z Irin, and an order for his seizure is placed in the
hands of Captain de Fortbras, who is incited to the
ruin of the Count by personal enmity, and the bait
of the Cornmandantship of the stronghold. The
Count receives a friendly warning, and, assisted by
the Chevalier St. Prie (who is betrothed to his
daughter Claire), and a loyal farmer, Urbain Tron-
chet, escapes across the dangers of the shifting sands
to the sanctuary of the convent on the mountain. St.
Prie is seized and made prisoner by Fortbras, on the
accusation of aiding the Count. De Fortbras is further
stimulated to revenge by jealousy, being an unsuc-
cessful suitor for the hand of Claire. The Castle of
Rochemont is seized, set on fire, and pillaged by the
soldiers of Fortbras. In the meantime, the heroic
Claire, who has accompanied her father to the rock,
where he is in despair, from the knowledge that
some papers, which would prove his innocence must be
destroyed by the conflagration of his chateau, which
they see in flames on the opposite coast, resolves to
save the precious documents, and, recrossing the
sands, enters the hall of the chateau by the window.
The fire has been extinguished, and Claire, after
picking her way through a heap of soldiery, who are
asleep in the great hall after a work of pillage, not
only succeeds in taking the papers from a cabinet,
but wrests her father's death-warrant from the hand
of the slumbering Commandant de Fortbras. To
descend, she places herself on the casement window of
the hall, swings round upon it till she reaches the top
of a cabinet, and then descends, using the handles of
the compartments for steps, and in the same extraor-
dinary manner she effects her rapid escape, jast as De
Fortbras starts from sleep and calls on the soldiers to
fire at the retreating figure. They, however, believe the
white clad figure in the moonlight to be a supernatural
appearance, " the fairy of the sands," and in their
confusion she is enabled to vanish unscathed. The
rising like a phantom to the window, the gliding
among the sleeping groups, and the rapid, super-
natural-looking escape were most effective, and in
these situations the mute aetion of Miss Le Clercq was
most picturesque and telling, and rendered this moon-
lit scene the decided gem of the piece. The applause
which had continually threatened to invade its still-
ness descended, as the curtain dropped, in vehement
rounds, and, although the accomplished artist did not
re-appear in compliance with the repeated acclama-
tions, her triumph was not the less gratifying and
complete.
In the second act, we find that De Fortbras has fol-
lowed in pursuit of Claire (who has safely returned),
and, maddened at the abstrecticn of the documents,
orders St. Prie, whom he had previously seized as an
abetter of the Count's escape, to instant execution.
Anse'm, a monk, is permited to shrive him, and takes
the opportunity of whispering that De Rochemont is
disguised among the brethren, and even while he is
speaking escapes with them across the quicksands to
the rocks beyond their verge. All depends upon his
reaching Paris with the documents that acquit him.
The friendly monk—a member of the Church mili-
tant—takes St. Prie to his own cell, provides him
with a trusty weapon, and tells him in plain terms to
defend his bead with his hand. He returns shortly,
armed, and accompanied by Claire. De Fortbras
confronts him ; St. Prie calls to Claire to seize the
moment and pass the sands, but the tide has risen,
and she is too late. St. Prie and Do Fortbras go
off fighting desperately. St. Prie's sword is broken,
but he springs into the waves and saves himself. De
Fortbras returns—is rushing to seize Claire, who ap-
pears completely in his power ; when she springs from
the battlements, and is seen by the gleam of moonlight
floating on the tide as the scene closes. All winds up
happily. De Rochemont escapes, St. Prie rescues
Claire, while De Fortbras and some of his followers
are swallowed up in the quicksands. A messenger
arrives, announcing the death of the Cardinal, the
restitution of the Seigneur to his titles and estates,
and the curtain falls on a joyous chorus. A comic
episode is ingeniously interwoven with the serious
interests of the drama, comprising the adventures of
Thibaut Boze (Wright), a cockle-gatherer, beloved
of Ninon Tronchet (Miss Marshall), and popular
with all the damsels of the village—a youth, more
prone to hunt fairies than to follow his trade, who is
sentenced to be hung off-hand, and nearly turned off
for a supposed robbery, of which he is innocent.
There is also Le Sage (Harley), a pompous, self.
sufficient, local magistrate of the Muddlework or Von
Dander school, who venerates the sacred institution
of hanging, and would execute his father
without remorse, if he fell within the line of what
he calls his duty. Where Thibaut is brought to his
impending doom, the rope, thrown over a beam,
was actually placed about the victim's neck, and the
word given to "string up" after a ludicrous leavetak-
ing of his sweetheart and the world in general. This
situation, which at many theatres would have regu-
larly brought down the house, did not appear exactly
adapted to a Princess's assembly. It failed to excite
laughter, and some disapprobation arose, upon which
Wright immediately slipped the offending necklace
from his person. This should have been sufficient,
but a certain few bipeds in the pit, who, peradventure
had sustained a social bereavement through jugular
compression, or who, more probably, had come that
evening in a friendly spirit to the new performer,
essayed to keep up a spiteful sibilation, which was,
however, speedily drowned in a feu de joie of cheers,
sprinkled with salvos of "Bravo, Wright," so that
they took very little by their motion.
As Claire de Rochemont, " the Fairy of the Sands,'
Miss Carlotta Le Clercq crowned herself with laurels.
She looked and acted beautifully in a part peculiarly
suited to her pantomimic energy and grace, and the
expressive elegance of her style of acting. The other
femenine character, Ninon Tronchet, was right cle-
verly filled by Miss Marshall, who acted admirably
up to Mr. Wright. That king of low comedians, who
experienced a literally stunning reception, played with
resistless humour, not merely convulsing the house
repeatedly, but almost upsetting the necessary
gravity of his collaborateurs, while, at the same
time there was nothing too broad. His success,
though the part is not a first-rate one, was de-
cided, and, if the Adelphi bewails his departure, the
management and frequenters of the Oxford-street
Theatre have gained in him an invaluable acquisition
to their stores. In this sphere he can transcend his
former reputation. Mr. Harley's first appearance
this season was the signal for an equally deafening
welcome, and this old established favourite by his
artistic aspect and execution took the house by storm.
Mr. Ryder looked nobly grim as the Commandant
Raoul de Fortbras, and played with his invariable
soundness. Mr. Graham as the old Count, and Mr.
Everett as the Chevalier du Prie were all that could
be desired ; the dress of the latter was extremely
tasteful. All the costumes are, as is always the case
at this theatre, rich and appropriate; and the scenery
far above the ordinary. A more perfect scenic illu-
sion than the sunrise over the expanse of sands, it is
impossible to conceive, and the distant conflagration,
the sinking and the rescue in the quicksands, and the
views of the castellated Mount reflect the highest
credit on the painters and arrangers. The ballet in
the opening proves the value of Mr. Oscar Byrne as
ballet-master, and Mr. Stepel has produced some
very pretty if not quite original music, especially the
by
loud
cercyaraoruosseerfsorm
juthre hall of the chateau.
air of the opening chorus, and one sung subsequently
Immediately on the termination of the last act a
stigmatising
amid a whirlwind of cheers,rg nhot't twheholescsanieforwardstrenuous
s
similar cerenioutut°l
the recent abortive efforts of the guar-
the honours of ttelvas
diens of the Ca , and made many obeisances. A
given to the heroineroefca
Imposed upon Mr. Harley, and
ere also most deservedly
Ra, the rama, Miss Le Clercq, who
was led on by Me.
sally. The author had
orse for a
rtheeYn• and cheered enthusiasti-
of his box to receive the genterparl
el si
tetnl little
felicitations.
ch uimr curtailment
mf inen
tfrontTanude
ed
duration, assured that its suc-
piece will not be the w
condensation, and then
cess will be of no trivial
produced and performed. tion, admirably as it is
The entertainments terminated with the
the Spitalfield s Weaver, in which Mr. Wright,arce of
well• known role, provoked continuous ~
o in his
u a of
laughter. The house was completely fined is t
every
part at an early hour.

SAW YE JOHNNY COMIN'!—The laughter and
plause which followed this tune, which the band played 4"
after drinking the health of Lord John Russell at thel e
dinner, attracted the Noble Lord's attention, and led hir:L
inquire into the cause of Lord Kinnaird. His Lordship gay;
him the words of the popular air, and the ex-Minister was
not slow in making the application to an expected return to
Downing-street. His Lordship was said to have been highly
amused with the appositeness of the musical figure, and con-
sidered it quite a harmonious call back to office.—Perth
Courier.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.—The directors of
tbis company have intimated that they are considering the
propriety of undertaking various projects that have been
proposed for extensions or branches, so as to supply such
accommodation to the Eastern Counties district as the wants
of the public appear to call for.
THE SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE IRON TRADS.—By a
misprint in our trade article, dated " Birmingham," on
Monday last, the last advance of iron was stated to be 30s.
per ton instead of 20e.