The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-10 00:00:00

LYCEUM.

Mr. Planche has produced for the Easter offering
at the Lyceum one of the best burlesques he has ever
written. It is entitled The Seven Champions of
Christendom, and as each champion represents a
" separate nationality" (to use a Lamartinism)
various opportunities are afforded of making telling
hits, opportunities which none know better how to
turn to witty account than Mr. Plancbe. Among
the most successful of these hits were those of St.
James of Spain, and St. Patrick of Ireland. St.
James expressing a doubt whether it is not almost
better to be in Spanish bonds than a bondholder, and
St. Patrick exclaiming—
" St. Patrick, I, from Ireland, I suppose;
What to do with it Heaven only knows."
The Seven Champions are thus represented :—St.
George of England, Miss Kathleen Fitzwilliam ; St.
Denis of Prance, Miss Louisa Howard; St. David of
Wales, Miss Marshall; St. Anthony of Italy, Mrs.
C. Horn ; St. James of Spain, Miss De Burgh ; St.
Andrew of Scotland, Miss J. Coleman ; St. Patrick
of Ireland, Miss Gale. St. George has an attendant
in the person of Charley Wag, Esq. (Mr. Chas. Ma-
thews), who rattles through the part in most voluble
style, and sings.a couple of songs full of out-of the-
way jingling rhymes and quaint conceits in his own
peculiar rattling rapid fashion. The other knights
have also their respective attendants, represented by
Messrs. Harley, John Reeve, H. Hall, and Selby.
The latter gentleman represents the attendant on St.
Denis, a certain M. Aille de Pigeon, who, having
been bamboozled by M. Cabet to travel in search of
Icaria, has been plundered not only of his money but
of his clothes, while his plunderers not only rob him
but accuse him of being himself the thief, because

"All property is theft.
No man is right till he has nothing left!"

His making up of the part was admirable. He was
the very beau ideal of one of those Socialists who in
easquette and blouse fought behind the barricades of
Paris in June, 1848. The scenery, by W. Beverley,
is not only magnificent and gorgeous, but each
scene is a perfect work of art. Mr. Beverly
seems destined to revive the days of Stanfield
and David Roberts. The last scene of the first
act, representing an enchanted lake, is one of the
most exquisite things ever seen. It is equal to any-
thing that Turner has ever painted. The perspec-
tive of this truly beautiful scene is marvellous. The
last scene of the burlesque, in which the long line of
tents, ornamented with the blazonry of the cham-
pions, is seen stretching long into the:distance, is also
wondrous, considered merely as a work of art, while
as a piece of gorgeous magnificerce, this last scene
has never been surpassed. The piece was completely
successful, and the author and principal artistes were
called for at its close. The music of the burlesque
does great credit to the taste of Mr. Tully. The
medley overture was encored. The house was
crowded to excess.

THE PRINCESS'S.
Every Thespian hierophant in the metropolis put
Worth his most attractive bill of fare for Easter Mon-

day, to lure those lieges whom the philanthropic
Crisp had not enrolled for the admiring gaze of the
Parisians, or the fascinations of the Crown and
Anchor, drawn to the suburban joys of Greenwich
Fair. Second to none, the enterprising manager of
this elegant theatre was last night rewarded by the
enthusiastic approbation of a well-filled house. The
entertainments commenced with Donizetti's celebrated
Lucia di Lammermoor. Mademoiselle Nau, as
Lucy Ashton, warbled her nightingale notes with
dulcet brilliancy, and was well supported by Weiss
and Allen, the latter of whom sang very sweetly as
Edgar. But the main attraction of the evening—
especially to the juvenile portion of the audience,
who mustered in considerable numbers—was the
grand extravaganza, entitled Noureddin and the Fair
Persian. It is now so many years since,—to
our shame be it spoken,—we have turned
over the pages of the " Arabian Nights,"
that we are unable to decide upon the degree of re-
semblance to the original story maintained in the
present adaptation by Mr. Edwards. When Lane's
edition of the wondrous tales appeared we resolved
on renewing acquaintance with the favourite studies
of our childhood, but were speedily scared by the re-
pulsive spelling of the proper names, which presented
old friends in a garb too outlandish to be endured ;
for we have ever loved to walk in the beaten paths of
orthography, nor could the sands of the Sacramento
tempt us to wade through a column of the Fonetio
Nuz. Be that as it may, a better production in this
peculiar department of the drama has not been given
to the stage, and we prognosticate for it a long and
successful run. The rising curtain discovers the
fairies and their Queen (Madame Le Clercq) disport-
ing by the margin of a moonlit lake. A sprite is
summoned in the form of an ape (M. Plimmeri), and
commissioned to watch over the fair Persian, who is
about to be sold in the slave market of Balsora. The
next scene introduces us to the mart, the presiding
spirit of which is the slave merchant, Hagi Hassan,
(Mr. Wynn). Khacan, the Vizier, (Mr. H. Horn-
castle), a hoary-bearded old sinner, enters for the
purpose of making a purchase for the King. He
has considerable chaffing with Hassan, and is much
tormented by the Ape, who by this time has insi-
nuated himself into he good graces of the latter,
as being the master of Nekayah, the Fair Persian.
Hassan, in apology for his tricks, says,
" Although sometimes affairs asay not look bright,
As long as we've an ape here, (a Napier) all is right."
This hit was loudly applauded. Nekayah (Miss
Kenworthy) is produced by the merchant, and at
once purchased by the Vizier. Being brought to his
house, she is seen by his ward Noureddin, (Miss
Emma Stanley), and they straightway, fall in. love
with one another, and resolve to run off. , To facilitate
their escape, the friendly and sagacious Ape is
placed by them in the litter which is to convey the
fair slave to the presence of the King, and borne re-
verentially to the royal presence, whilst the lovers
are already off and away by a locomotive. We now
behold the Monarch of Balsora (Mr. Money) re-
posing in state, but on the apparition of the
hideous inmate of the palanquin he becomes
furiously irate, and sallies forth with all his
court to the annihilation of the audacious Noureddin,
and the recovery of 11'.s' purchase. Ile has, however,
to content himself with burning down the traitor's
Just as the flames were about to burst forth
choirndflaogfratthioen,audireonacreedflyionugt.
scene, some noodles in the pit, sniffing the
in this
nHappily, the absurd mistake was almosthisimme
r.ao.tagin
re-assured the affrighted audience
Bal-
sorian Majesty
g whichmsiemnitc a t
re.aencement of the second act.
before the comm
y perceived, and a few words from
dTi ahtee
hungry, in a thicket near Bagdad. The fairy Arbo-
rella and transports, them to a
appears to their relief,
fugitive lovers are next seen, wearied and