The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-13 00:00:00

ADELPHI THEATRE.

A new drama, by Mr. Tom Parry, entitled the
Nop Pickers, was produced here last evening, and,
combining, as it does, the whole strength of the
Adelphi corps, every member of which is admirably
" fitted," we need not not add that it achieved a re-
gular Adelphi success. It will, we opine, become
more popular than even the Harvest Home of the
same author. The scene is laid in the hop grounds
in Kent, and the hop-picking scene, with which the
first act concludes, is one of the most beautiful scenes
that has ever been exhibited even at this theatre.
The plot is as follows : Herbert Raynham (Mr. Boyce),
the son and heir of General Raynham (Mr. Lambert),
is in love with an orphan girl, Hester Layton (Miss
Woolgar), residing with Letty Little (capitally acted
by Mrs. Frank Mathews), a robust old maid, but who
fancies herself to be in a most delicate state of health.
He has, however, for his rival Maurice Graveling (Mr.
H. Hughes), a hop farmer, who is the guardian of
Hester. Brian Cullum (Mr. 0. Smith), a returned
transport, arrives upon the scene at this stage, and
recognises in Graveling a former fellow-prisoner, and
in Raynham the son of a man who had tyrannised
over him when a soldier. Graveling had in early life
been convicted of embezzlement, and having
suffered the punishment allotted to him, had
become reformed, and was living as an honest man
until discovered by Cullum, who extorts money from
him by threatening him with exposure. lie also
aggravates his jealousy of young Raynham, and
taking advantage of a personal altercation between
them, he stabs young Raynham in the back with a
knife belonging to Vivian (Madame Celeste), the
brother of Letty Little, who had only recently re-
turned from abroad. Vivian has gone to the assist-
ance of the wounded man, and is discovered near his
supposed victim, and the weapon is recognised
by all as having belonged to him. Vivian is accused
of the murder—he escapes and seeks refuge in a barn,
where he overhears Maurice and Brian conversing of
the murder, and thus discovers the real criminal.
Brian is left asleep by Maurice, who fires the
barn as he quits it in order to destroy Brian, the only
witness of his guilt. Brian and Vivian, however,
effect their escape, the real culprits are handed over to
justice, and young Raynham, who has recovered
from his wounds, receives the hand of Hester. There
is an underplot, in which Wright is the principal cha-
racter, and in which he is more droll, if that be pos-
sible, than ever. General Raynham has a daughter,
Florence (Miss Taylor), an heiress with two fortunes,
and Mr. Restless Wriggle (Wright) determines to fas-
cinate her. Her servant, Crotchet, having heard of the
vanity of Wriggle, writes a note to him, and
Wriggle, imagining it is from the mistress, forthwith
considers himself as the husband of the heiress with
two fortunes. In order to obtain admission to Rayn-
ham Castle he disguises himself as a housemaid,
understanding that such a functionary is wanted in
the establishment, and he is installed in office and set
to cleaning grates. Our readers can imagine the fun
of this scene, the very actors themselves are con-
vulsed with laughter, and it was evidently with the
greatest difficulty that Miss Ellen Chaplin (who
acted Crotchet) could maintain sufficient gravity to
faint, which it is her duty to do in this scene. The
look of blank astonishment of Wright when he
discovers that Crotchet is the writer of the
letter, and not Florence, was worthy of Liston.
Paul Bedford as Thomas Tray, or, as he calls himself,
T. Tray, peripatetic vender of tea and teetotaller,
but who occasionally gets drunk, was capital. His
finger-post scene, in which in a drunken fit he
mistakes the finger-post for the door of his
domicile, was a magnificent bit of drollery, and
his scenes with Joey Groats (Munyard), a lover
of ale, are first-rate ; they go through the whole
temperance controversy after a most amusing fashion.
Thomas Tray, however, at length is made happy,
when Letty Little consents to become Mrs. T. Tray.
The piece was admirably acted. H. Hughes, as
Graveling, was full of power, and 0. Smith revelled in
the character of Brian. His making up was superior
to anything that even he has yet done, it was perfect.
:Madame Celeste as Vivian was most pathetic and
true to nature, and Miss Woolgar was most interest-
ing as Ilester. The piece ins admirably put on the
stage, and the music by Mr. Alfred Mellon was pretty
and appropriate. The success was complete, and the
piece was announced for repetition by Madame
Celeste amidst the enthusiastic applause of one of the
most crowded houses that has ever been witnessed
even at the Adelphi.

FRENCH PLAYS.
ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.

A pleasing one act opel4,byAubei, entitled
Acteon, was produced here last evening with com-
plete and deserved success. The scene is laid at the
country seat of the Prince Aldobrandini, in ItalY•
Aldobrandini (Buguet) is married to Lucrezia
(Madlle. Charton), and has removed her to his
country residence, to separate her from a certain
Leonie (M. Couderc), whose frequent visits at the
Aldobrandini Palace have excited the jealousy of its
noble master, those visits being, as he imagines,
intended for Lucrezia. During her sojourn in the
country Lucrezia amuses herself witDianah anainting, d
and,
among other subjects, she paintsher
Nymphs, but she wants a model for Actzeon. The
jealous Prince sees an ill-meaning in this, and, truth
to say, one would imagine that his suspicions were
not altogether unfounded, for Leoni visits the
country seat in various disguises. His voice
is heard singing without, and the Prince is
furious, but it is only a poor blind man
singing. Leonie has assumed this disguise in
order to gain admittance to Lucrezia. In this scene
Couderc sings a romance, which is of exceeding
beauty, the melody is exquisitely flowing. This is
succeeded by a trio, admirably given by Mademoiselle
Charton, Couderc, and Buguet, which is a perfect
gem. At length the blind man discovers himself, and
the Prince is outrageous against his wife, when
Leonie at once quiets him by asking the hand of his
sister in marriage, to whom, and not to Lucrezia,
these visits were paid. The picture is still without
its Acta3on. The music of this trifle is sparkling and
agreeable, completely Auberish in short. Portions of
it, however, are of a serious character, and of
u high order. As an example we may men-
tion the grand awn for Mademoiselle Charton,