The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE.

Last night, " her Majesty s servants" performed for
the first- time a new five-act play, entitled Gold. Drury-
lane, it appears, is now professedly handed over to the
domestio drama, and if Mr. Smith finds this innovation
to be a better mode of filling his benches than clinging
to the " legitimate," we cannot quarrel with his choice,
though we think it would be better to plunge boldly into
the gulf than advance by slow and timid steps, such as
that of last night. Gold is essentially in character and
construction one of those dramas which we have been in
the habit of associating with the Surrey and Victoria
stage, but without the broad, unmitigated features which
give those productions so much zest and flavour. The
incidents and the dialogue have been slightly toned down_
for the taste of a cispontine audience, and the appella-
tion of " five-act" which has been applied to it, gives it
a farther claim to be considered legitimate.
It is intended, so far as we can judge, to develope the
dramatic theory of Australian emigration, but the plot
itself, without the modern and contemporary features
which are introduced into it, is as old, we may
almost say, as the first melodrama. George Sandford,
a young Berkshire farmer, ruined by the repeal of the
corn laws and wheat at 40s. a quarter, resolves to mend
his fortunes-by emigrating to Australia. He is madly in
love with Susan Merton, his cousin, who, however, pro-
mises fidelity until his return, which is not to take place
until he has amassed one thousand pounds, and he sails,
leaving her in charge of his brother William. In the
third act we rejoin him in Australia, in company with
one Robinson, who was introduced to us in England
avowedly as a thief, and bodily carried off before our
eyes by two officers of justice, but who in Australia
-- wonderful effects of convict discipline —we find
transformed not only into an honest man, but to a leader
and lawgiver. Shortly after their arrival the discovery
of gold in Australia takes place, and, as might be ex-
pected, George Sandford at once makes his fortune by
the discovery of an immense " nugget," with the pro-
duce of which both at once embark for England, where
they arrive just in the nick of time. Early in the first
act we had been introduced to a Mr. Meadows, a
" respectable" corn-factor, who, by various mutterings
and "aside" speeches, makes us aware that he isjGeorge's
rival for the hand of Susan, and who, immediately the
coast is cleared by the departure of the favoured one,
commences operations both by open siege and secret un-
dermining. Mr. Meadows is the villain of the piece—in
top-boots and a buttoned-up coat, and therefore we are not
surprised to find him intercepting letters and practising
other stratagems, which, however, on the principle that
all is fair in love, are but venial after all. How
nearly he succeeds may be inferred from the fact, that
he and Susan are on their way to church to get married
when George arrives, an unexpected event, which, to all
appearances, would have utterly destroyed the well-laid
plans of the corn-factor. Not at all, however ; that
gentleman was a greater villain than we took him for.
When George and Robinson proceed to display their ready
cash, the product of the nugget and sundry private washings
of Robinson's, they discover to their horror that they
have been robbed, and instead of being the possessors of
some 10,0001. are pennyless and ruined. Of course, this
at once makes matters as bad-as before, and Meadows is
again triumphant, until a .Deus ex mackind appears in
the shape of a magistrate, who, with some slight help
from the electric telegraph, makes it apparent that
Meadows is the thief ; and the result is that Susan is at
last assigned to her rightful suitor, and all ends happily.
It is but fair to say that the actors made the best of this
well-worn story. Mr. G. Davenport played the young far
mer with much ability, and Miss Vining was an admirable
representative of the not very clearly or strongly-drawn
Susan. Mr. H. Wallack, as Robinson, had much to do,
and achieved, perhaps, the most decided success of any.
Mr. E. Stirling played Isaac Levi—the most incompre-
hensible character in the piece—a benevolent Jew, who
walks about as a sort of fairy, setting everything right '
when it goes wrong, paying people's debts to save them
from going to prison—turning up suddenly in Australia,
apparently for the purpose of delivering scientific lee-
tures for the benefit of the diggers ; and, lastly, appear•
ing again in England to assist in the conviction of Mea-
dows. Mr. Levi is a very scientific man indeed--
throughout the piece he is continually delivering lectures
on ethnology, mineralogy, geology, and winding up with -
a somewhat facetious dissertation on the moral and scien-
tific advantages of the electric wires as applied to the
" snaring" of criminals. Indeed science is pretty plena'
fully scattered through the dialogue. Mr. Robinson
seems to be perfectly up to the marks of genuine gold,
—quartz, mica, iron pyrites, and granite formations are
as " familiar in his mouth as household words."
Though it fell somewhat flat last night on the ears of
the audience, we think that, as a melodrama, Gold will
have a pretty fair success. The scenery and other ac-
cessories are all good—a scene in the fourth act
which is stated in the bills to be an attempt to realise a
scene at the digging, on the banks of the river Mac-
quarrie was well managed, and will of itself be a great
attraction, as everything was done to make it natural
and effective. Indeed, this part of the piece was in every
way the strongest and most successful. Despite se,,
slight manifestations of disapprobation, the play was
announced for further repetition.