The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-18 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

Mr. Alfred Wigan's first appearance last night in the
capacity of a "manager" may almost be said to be a
complete triumph, for the two new pieces which formed
the bill of fare were both admirable productions, the
acting was of the first class, and the audience delighted
and uproarious in its praise. As an actor Mr. Wigan
has won golden opinions of the public. He is one of
those artistes who is always sure to please, because,
shunning all meretricious aids and clap-traps, which are
too frequently restorted to on the stage, he is content to
owe his success to the quiet, yet easy and graceful, dis-
play of that genuine humour and pathos which few in his
profession possess in so great a degree, and we were
therefore not astonished to find his characteristic good
sense and judgment as an individual member of a drama-
tic corps' exhibited in the higher and more responsible
position of a lessee and manager, or to see by the
crowds which flocked to the Olympic yesterday evening
that much was expected of him by his admirers in that
new sphere of his operations. It has now become the
custom to inaugurate the commencement of a new reign
at the metropolitan theatres by some light whimsical
trifle, disclosing a little of the reality of stage life behind
the scenes, and introducing the company and its head to
friendly acquaintance with their patrons, and it was in this
way Mr. Wigan and his small, but talented, army made
their debut at the Olympic, M. Planche's never-failing pen
having supplied the materials pwherewith each was
enabled separately to make his or her bow in the most
appropriate and telling manner. The title of the opening
extravaganza is the Camp at the Olympic : it is smartly
written, and abounds in puns and pleasantries, which
have the peculiar charm of novelty ; and when we say
the spirit of all was thrown into it, it will be unnecessary
to add that nothing could be desired in point of acting.
Mr. and Mrs. Wigan present themselves in propria per-
sonce on the stage, whose only decoration consists of old,
dirty scenes, unpainted canvass, and two broken chairs,
and allow us to overhear a private conversation, in which
the one expressly declares that having got the theatre,
they are "regularly in for it," and the other (the lady
of course) takes courage, as she knows "one friend" who
will take a stall. This does not augment the hopes of
the tyro manager, but appropriately remarking that
"one friend makes many"—a sentiment which is cordially
echoed by the pit, boxes, and gallery—he determines not
to despair, but he is puzzled how to hit upon a kind of
entertainment which shall please the taste of the
day. In this juncture, Miss P. Horton, whose en-
gagement here cannot fail to prove peculiarly
gratifying, starts up through a trap-door, in a
brilliant fancy costume, and proposes a general review
of the forces of the British drama, in order to discover
the most useful branches of the service. This produces
a series of lively dramatic sketches. Tragedy, Comedy,
Opera, Burlesque, Pantomime, Ballet, and Spectacle,
appear by their representatives, who put forward their
claims and debate their conflicting pretensions. Mrs.
Chatterley personified the stately pomp of the Siddonian
tragedy ; Mrs. Stirling the grace and dignity of comedy ;
and the other parts were very adequately represented.
The upshot is, that the manager resolves not to exclude
any branch of the drama, but to avail himself, to the
best of his taste and judgment, of what may be good in
them all. After this there was produced an entirely