The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-25 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL HA YMARKET.

Last night this theatre was opened for the season by
Mr. Buckstone, aCter an interregnum of about two
months.

Since the closing of the house in July last, many and
extensive alterations have been made, calculated equally
to secure comfort to the habitues as well as to increase
the capabilities of the theatre for the production of scenic
effects of a higher order than have hitherto been practi-
cable. The whole of the area in front of the curtain has
been entirely refurnished, the pit and stalls covered with
patent American leather, while the lobbies and ap-
proaches have, in order to prevent noise during ingress
and egress, been laid with patent Kamptulicon, so exten-
sively employed for that purpose in the new Palace at
Westminster. In order to effect a more pc fect
separation of the stalls from the pit, a metal gilt casting
has been fixed at the back of the latter ; and, to insure
an uninterrupted view of the stage, the floor of the or-
chestra has been lowered considerably, both of which
may be considered manifest improvements. The deco-
rations of the ceiling, dress circle, and proscenium are
wholly new, and present a totally different character
from those to which we have been accustomed. The
new proscenium pilasters are stencil painted, with
ornamentation on a gold ground. Round the
dress circle, and in front of the proscenium
boxes, are plastic enrichments, introduced into
which will be found elegantly executed, bas-relief medal-
lion portraits, coloured in imitation of cameos, of the
principal British dramatists, viz. :—Shakspere, Ben
Jonson, Beaumont, Fletcher, Massinger, Dryden,
Otway, Congreve, Wycherley, C. Cibber, Rowe, Van-
burgh, Gay, Goldsmith, Foote, C. Dibden, Sheridan,
Colman the younger, O'Keefe, Bulwer Lytton, and S.
Knowles. The ceiling has been entirely remodelled, its
original flat appearance being lost in the architectural
form now given it by the introduction of gilt mouldings,
enrichments, and pendants. Immediately over the
proscenium we have, on a ground of solid gold, an ele-
gant Raffaellesque scroll of boys and animals, while
in the cove immediately above is a group repre-
senting Thalia, Melpomene, and Erato, supported
on each side by smaller groups of boys with
flowers. In the spandrils are raised enriched panels
with bold painted scroll ornaments ; the panels them-
selves having painted vignettes of boys holding portraits
of Shakspere, Raffaelle, Michael Angelo, and Inigo
Jones, illustrating dramatic poetry, painting, sculpture,
and architecture. On the arches over the side boxes are
bands of enriched mouldings, solid gilt, and the spa
underneath are filled with flowing cinque-cento ornaments,
and intaglios of female figures, representing Night and
Morning. The unsightly beams immediately over the
boxes have been transformed into moulded intabla-
tures, with enriched frieze and shields, solid gilt
and lined out in colour. The whole of the dra-
peries are of a new material, now for the first time
introduced into theatrical upholstery. Behind tl:e
curtain the improvements are not less important
than those effected in front, one of the most advanta-
geous being the inclination of the stage itself several
inches below its original level. Frequenters must have
noticed the bareness produced in the upper porion of
the stage by the unsightly projection of what is techni-
cally termed the " flies." This has been entirely re-
moved by the construction of new fly-floors at a higher
lsvel than the old ones, and which at the same
time do not obtrude into the space presented
to the eye of the spectator when the curtain
is raised. This and the conf;truction of a new stage
and machinery are among the most important of the hn-
provements effected, as the H ayinarket is now placed in
a position to compete in the production of pieces of a
scenic pretension, which its limited capabilities have
hitherto prevented its manager from attempting. ;_ce
green-room, refreshment saloons, the whole of the dress-
ing-rooms, wardrobe, &c., have equally shared in the
work of restoration. The whole of the gas apparatus
likewise throughout tb e house has been refitted ;
new foot lights, w ith increased power, have
been laid down, and the appearance of the chan-
deliers materially its proved by the substitution of
ground-glass shades and improved burners for the
old-fashioned imitatio n candles. An innovation has been
made by the substitc.tion of a light blue for the usual
green curtains, as tssnding better to harmonise with the
polychromatic decoration of the interior generally.
new drop scene has been designed and painted by Mr.
W. Callcott, a gentleman who has already gained some
celebrity as a scenic artist- —the polychromatic decorations

have been executed by M. IPantanius—and the groups
of figures by M. Bendixen, while the medallions have
been modelled by M. Garland. The whole of these
works have been carried out in the short space of nine
weeks, from the designs and under the direction of Mr.
G. Somers Clarke, architect, in a manner equally credit-
able to his good taste and architectural skill.

There was no actual novelty in the entertainments
last evening, they consisting of Mr. Torn Parry's revived
comedy, A Cure for Love, The Beggar's Opera, and the
well-known after-piece, Founded on Facts ; but there is
a promise of a farce by Mr. Morton, and a new and ori-
ginal comedy by Mr. Stirling Coyne. We find, also,
that to-night Mr. George Vandenhoff, who, some years
ago, appeared at Covent-Garden, and has since been per.
forming in America, is to play Hamlet ; and that Miss
Cushman will shortly commence an engagement here.
In the Cure for Love, Mr. Buckstone took his original
part of Mr. Richard Sadgrove, a jilted swain, who, after
long nourishing his hapless passion, resolves to drown
his sorrows in the Serpentine, and when iu the act of
leaping forward, precipitates himself into the arms of
Mr. Trimmer, who, at the moment, is about to commit
a similar act, not through unrequited love, but because
he has a termagant of a wife, who turns out to be no other
than the lady whom the disconsolate Sadgrove had longed
to marry. This discovery proves, of course, an, effectual
cure for his love. The piece is rather trifling, but it affords
plenty of scope for the drollery of Buckstone, who kept
the audience in one continued roar while it lasted. Mr.
Edwin Villiers, from the Glasgow theatre, made a suc-
cessful debut in the humble part of Markworth. His
appearance is prepossessing ; he has a good voice, and
walks the stage easily and gracefully, and, being young,
may hereafter take a much higher position in the pro-
fession.

The principal attraction of the Beggar's Opera was the
debut of Miss Emily Ormonde in Polly, and Miss
Featherstone in Captain Macheath. Miss E. Ormonde
possesses a soprano voice of fair compass, but
requiring cultivation. Her Polly was, however,
a very respectable performance. Miss Featherstone
achieved a signal success as Captain Macheath. She
was so admirably dressed, looked so handsome, and
acted with so much gaiety and spirit, entirely unmixed
with coarseness, that her performance was exceedingly
agreeable, even independently of its local merits, which
were of the highest order. She has a full, deep contralto
voice, not unlike Alboni's. Her reception was most
enthusiastic. Of the old favourites it is unnecessary to
speak. Their merits are already too well known. Mr.
Tilbury was Peachum, Mrs. Fitzwilliam, Lucy, Mrs.
Caulfield, Mrs. Peachum, and Mr. Rogers, Lockit.
There was a very crowded house.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT (THIS DAY).

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)

A middle•agsd woman, named Ellen Hayley, who was
tried and convicted of felony at the last Sessions, was
this morning brought up for judgment. It will be re-
collected that she stole five Bank of England notes,
valued at 160', each, from her mister, the prosecutor,
who was 90 years of age, and who had unfortunately
placed implicit confidence in her integrity. She was
about to decamp to America, but was captured on board
ship, and ultimately convicted of the robbery.
The Recorder sentenced her to be transported beyond
the seas for the term of 14 years.