The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

More of the gold fever, thought we on reading the an-
nouncement of a new play at the Olympic, entitled Life
in Australia, from our own Correspondent. Not con-
tent with revolutionising the money market, carrying off
all our old friends, deluging the press, and tainting the
sources of all social conversation, this auri sacra fames
is now invading our theatres, and in a short time the
gold-digging, or emigration, school of drama will become
as popular as the housebreaking or nautical has been ;
pickaxes, dredgers, patent tents, and Colt's revolvers,
will succeed in the property-room to the places of the
once indispensable crowbars, marlinspikes, dark lan•
thorns, tarpaulin hats, and darbies. We must confess,
however, so far as regards the piece of last night, that
our anticipations were to a certain extent disappointed.
For all that Australia or gold-digging had to do with
the evolution of the plot, the scene might as well have
been laid in Crim Tartary or the dominions of Prester
John, wherever those may be. The first act takes place
in Ireland, where Grenville Barry, in a jealous fury,
stabs his brother Redmond, as he supposed mortally, and
flies to Australia to escape justice. The next two acts
are taken up in the gradual development of the fact that
Redmond is not dead after all ; and having followed his
brother to Australia, there is no occasion for the parties
to go back to their native country for the denouement—
as in an emigration drama produced a short time since
at another house—but all are made happy on the spot.
The dialogue with which this somewhat bald story is
eked eut is nothing remarkable ; and if society at the
diggings is as commonplace and vapid as represented to
us last night, why, we shall never think of emigrating
there on any other than strictly commercial grounds.
Mr. Hoskins was " Our own Correspondent," and made
the best of a very up-hill part ; though we must protest,
in passing, against Erasmus Shorthand being taken as a
representative, or even a caricature, of a class of whom
the fourth estate is so justly proud.
The acting of Miss Anderton and Miss 11. Gordon,
who played the parts of Minnie and Moya Blake with a
pleasing grace and freshness of manner, contributed
greatly to the success of the piece, which we are bound
to confess was unequivocal, if we may judge from the
applause which attended it throughout, and which was
very considerable at the fall of the curtain. The scenery
was well painted, and a beautiful view of Melbourne
excited great admiration. It reflects great credit on
Mr. Shilders, the actor-artist of the establishment.

After the drama, the Tyrolese singers (who are en-
gaged here for a few nights) sang some of their charac-
teristic melodies.

HARMONIC UNION.

Handel's oratorio of "The Messiah" was given last
evening, for the first time, by " The Harmonic Union,"
the principal vocalists being Mrs. Sims Reeves, Miss
Ellen Rowland, Mr. H. Phillips, Mr. Lawler, and Mr.
Sims Reeves.

It is no mean praise to the Harmonic Union to state
that a work like the "Messiah," which is constantly
performed by every society--great and small—through•
out the United Kingdom, has not for many years, if ever,
been done so much justice to, in the choral and instru-
mental departments, as it was at their concert of last
night.

Most of the solo vocalists who appeared on this occa-
sion are perfectly well known. It will be sufficient,
therefore, to record that they fully sustained their re-
spective reputations. The only one amongst them
with whose merits the musical public was not previously
acquainted is Miss Ellen Rowland, a young lady pos-
sessing an excellent mezza Boprano voice, and consider-
able musical feeling of the best kind. Although nervous
she contrived to display so much ability as to elicit most
encouraging applause.
The hall was densely crowded.