The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-18 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S,

This elegant and comfortable theatre may now claim
to be an institution among playgoers at Easter and
other holiday occasions. The performances opened last
night with a capital holiday piece—" Faces in the
Fire," which is spiritedly acted by Mr. Charles Mathews,
Mr. F. Robinson, Mr. Arthur Stirling, Mrs. Charles
Mathews, Miss Herbert, and other members of the
excellent corps dramatique. Afterwards came the Easter
novelty, a burlesque of the popular school, from the
prolific pen or Mr. F. C. Burnand, than whom no play-
wright and humorist disports himself more cleverly'
amongst those choice and treasured passages of fiction, tra-
dition, and history which the student would be the last to
view in a comic light. Going back to a remote classic
time, he now presents us with a well-written and lively
burlesque entitled " Ulysses ; or, the Iron-clad Warrior
and the Little Tug of War." With regard to the persona-
tion of the different characters, the most noticeable
feature was that in the part of Ulysses, Mr. F. Robson, the
son of the talented comedian whose premature loss was so
severely felt in theatrical circles, made liis first debut before
a London audience. The first appearance of a young actor
before such a critical assembly is generally a hazardous
task, and Itist night was no exception to the rule, for,
though the reputation of the father was certain to secure
every indulgence, the mind could not help drawing a com-
parison between the merits of the one and the other. 110
was well received, and his performance made a decidedly
favourable impression upon the audience by whom, at the
conclusion, he was called before the. curtain and cordially
greeted. The performances terminated with the " Three
Furies," an amusing comedietto. by Mr. G. Roberts, which
was not over until a rather late hour.

NEW ROYALTY THEATRE.
Mr. F. C. Burnand's new extravaganza of "Piritbous,
the Son of Ixion," which is the Easter novelty at this pros-
perous establishment, is intended as a sequel to the famous
burlesque of "Ixion, or the Man at the Wheel"---a play
which kept rolling for something like 300 consecutive
nights, and which won for the managers in its triumphant
course abundance of golden opinions and, what is better
still, of golden coin. The new piece, if not exactly the sou
of the old, at all events "stands in that relation. to it" (to
use the lucid and subtle distinction of one of our great laW
functionaries); and it does no discredit to the illustrious
lineage. It is a bright, merry production, full of fun and
gaiety. Though scarcely equal to its predecessor " Ixion,"
in elegance of fancy and vigour and variety of humour,
" Pirithous" undoubtedly possesses much merit, and, cle-
verly acted and brilliantly embellished as it is, it will pro-
bably prove a genuine success.

•S TRAND.
The holiday piece at this theatre bears the well-timed
title of "One Tree Hill," and is from the pen o Mr. K•
Craven, whose proficiency in the art of constructing domes-
t'c dramas has been conclusively proved by " The Post
Boy," " Milky White," and other pieces of a kindred class,
which have long and deservedly enjoyed the favour of the
public. His new play is, for truthfulness of character, in-
genious development of incident, and strength and variety
of dramatic interest, the best he has yet produced, and it
fully merited the enthusiastic acclamations with which it
was unanimously received. The part of Jack Salt is played
with admirable ability by Mr. Craven himself, who does
full justice to the homely humour, the genial temper, and
the genuine, though bluff and somewhat rugged, integrity
of the character. His make-up for the part is perfect. 11°
looks no sham sailor, but the veritable old tar whom ever/
Londoner has seen times• and again upon the top of
One Tree Hill, hobbling along in search of some good-
natured strangers whom ho may accommodate with the
loan of the queer little telescope which he has made him-
self, or regale with a stock of stories less authentic than
romantic. Dick White, the old mulatto sailor, fanatically
devoted to rum, for whom Jack has an almost idolatrous
admiration, and whom he fondly styles a " boy," albeit he
is on the wrong side of 60, is played in excellent style by
Mr. James Stoyle, whose impersonation of the part is a
highly-finished portrait, boldly and vigorously drawn and
richly coloured. Foxer, a flashily-dressed "black-leg,"
whose villany is all the more pernicious that it is smooth
and subtle, is performed with singular address by Mr. D.
James, and Mr. Belford turns to comic account the eccen-
tricities of Tom Bubble, a silly "swell," who is very wis°
in his conceit, yet has scarcely wit enough to remember his
own name. His fond, devoted wife is impersonated with
much grace of manner and tenderness of sentiment by Miss
Milly Palmer ; and the " gushing" young heiress, full of
romance and high-flown sentiment, yet sound at heart and
loyal where she truly loves, finds an attractive representa-
tive in Miss Ada Swanborough.

Mr. Fenton's view of One Tree Hill is capitally painted
and most ingeniously arranged. It evoked a hearty buret
of applause and a vociferous shout for the artist.
All the principal performers were summoned to the
footlights two or three times in the course of the evening.
There was no call for their wives or children. " 0014
viendra avec le temps"—as the French say.