The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-19 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.
This theatre opened last evening for the season,
under the management of Madame Vestris. The
interior of the house has been completely tran3forineol,
under the direction of Mr. Bradwell, and instead 0'
the dingy and uncomfortable place that our readers
have heretofore remembered it, the Lyceum is now,
far and away, the most exquisitely beautiful theatre
in London. The Builder, of last week, gives the
following official account of the alterations whie`;
have been made in the interior of this most elsgani
theatre :—" The central chandelier is taken away'
and in the place it occupied is painted the figure °f
Genius, surrounded by a border of fruit. Around
this are flying Cupids, connected by wreaths, which
,
they bear, and enclosed by a second circular border
(this time of flowers) within gilt bands. The lower
and principal portion of the ceiling, all around'
occupied by figures of the Muses, the
Seasons, and mythological groups, enclosed
by a third border of flowers within bands'
The members of the cornice, from which sprint
the coved ceiling (circular in plan), are very full'
gilt, and below is a frieze of rich Italian foliage,
with mask-centres, and birds in high relief, taking
the appearance of white china, as do all the apPlie
ornaments throughout the house, each gilt, on a rose'
coloured ground. The columns which support thee
gallery remain as they were, and are gilt, but th
gallery front is entirely changed ; the imitative 10t1;
lustrade, before-mentioned, has disappeared, and In
its stead are panels, showing clusters of fruit s.n.
flowers, painted on a white ground. On the cornice
from which the front rises are nine groups of sittingt
boys, entwined with foliage, holding branches fnd
lights, and producing a play of outline novel 3.1'4
effective. The frieze here also is filled with Tied
foliage, as above, but on a blue ground, and alters
in character by the introduction of birds in high
relief, which, apparently, hold up in their bills,
by strings of eggs, the drapery of the boxes beneath'
The first tier of boxes shows an entirely alb, 0
ferent treatment. On the face of each of
columns at this level, encrusting them, as it wef,l
is a well-arranged group of three boys, associm;
with foliage, and terminating in a bracket fr°,
which hangs a chandelier. The canopy of what W"'
the balcony is removed, and on the front of the
boxes, midway between each column, are groups f
boys in relief, representing music, war, bundl
surrounded by ornamental frames, and made (like
the light-bearing boys and freizes above, as hal
mentioned) to represent white china sparingly
In intervening spaces are oval medallions containill
birds and squirrels, with twinings of holly, oak, an
laurel. These are surrounded by borders of flowers'
and birds are introduced between them, to hold uP
the drapery of the dress circle in the same vi's):,
above. The front of the dress circle is new and
made to swell out for the feet, as at they Itt4
p"h
Opera House. The decoration here consists of 3 I'll
scroll of china flowers, heightened with gold 011 of
rose-coloured ground, The draperies are all t„
India crimson damask with gold fringe, and present'
in addition to the device of looping them uP
the birds, a departure from the usual arrangenl:
in respect of the private boxes. Fearing a,
heaviness that might result from the superahonof
ante of the crimson drapery in this particular part se
the house, Mr. Bradwell, by whom the whole of a1t..%
decorations have been arranged and carried out,
An-
omitted it in the smaller sub-divisions, and low:,
duced Swiss white curtains to each box as a sePar,„j
tion. The proscenium is exceedingly elegant
effective. The royal arms, also in white china,
liantly heightened with gold; on a rose-coloin
ground, which (with a blue border, to connect it do
tone with the front of the slips and gallery), are raile,
to occupy the whole of the upper part of the pros
In
nium, by an extension of very elaborate foliage. to
the angles, reaching from the front of the slips t°
cornice of the ceiling, are rays of gold mould%
with drops of painted flowers between them. re
soffit around the opening to the stage and the Oche
beneath, have china ornaments on a blue ground.
of
proscenium boxes on the dress tier have groups ts,
boys in relief. The whole of the applied ornswend,..
friezes, groups, and panels, are of carton pierretnis
signed bAiMessrs. Jackson, of Rathbone-place. cis
material, from the degree of relief and undercut v01.,,s
can be obtained in it, and its greater sharpness, sees
much superior to papier mache."
The coup diced, on entering the theatre is beau,tie;
ful exceedingly. The substitution of the snlsl`„o,
chandeliers, suspended round the fronts of the h°l`o, •
for the great central chandelier, is a great inipr°°_.,
ment. It adds to the lightness of the house in every roil
spect. The contrast between the white muslin curt
of the boxes and the crimson drapery is very beau,
.a
ful. Each box is an elegant boudoir, The neW re
gulations, too, are admirable. There is ao half grits
to any part of the house. The purchase of ticked
for the dress circle at the box -office will ensure the
places for the whole evening, without the usual eOO.
tion of an extra shilling. Those taken in the ss'•
way for the upper circle will ensure the places :a°
the end of the first act. No money will be allow
a
to be received by the box-keepers on any pretell".
whatever.
The doing away with half price is a great stela
towards " purifying" the audience, and will be fctie
more effectual than the ostentatious " barring °,4
adopted by Macready at Drury-lane. The thanks of
the public are due to Madame Vestris for defends.,
them from the extortionate practices of box-keepe;
and this reform, we trust, will be adopted in every
theatre in the kingdom.
fine
The company is perhaps the strongest vaude,oo
company ever collected together; besides MIS+
Vestris and Mr. Charles Matthews, it includes •''es,
Stirling, Mrs. Fitzwillilm, Miss Lee, Mrs. C. 5°1,1y,
Mr. Harley, Mr. Buckatone, Mr. Leigh Acur.:-.oli
Mr. Meadows, Mr. Robert Roxby, Mr. 'rho- d
Matthews, Mr. Selby, Mr. Granby, •
divers provincial aspirants for metropolitan 'IS
Mr. R. Roxby is the stage manager, Mr. R. llugtbe
the leader of the band, Mr. Edward Fitzwillitunter
musical director, Mr. Oscar Byrn the ballet-0w saj
and Mr. W. Beverley the scene painter. The no.
act drop, painted by this last gentleman, is super
A new piece, entitled The Pride of the Marheit en
adaptation by the indefatigable Planche from me,
French, was chosen as the opening piece. Allea
Vestris was of course the heroine, and her real) the
was perhaps the greatest ever witnessed within
ere
walls of a theatre. Hats and handkerchiefs Wor
waved from all parts of the house, and_ the nnt,oct
siastic shouts of welcome with which she was gre`.`oe
lasted for several minutes. The scene of the.„.ligir,
is laid in Paris during the reign of Louis -x•ibe
Marton (Madame Vestris) the pride of the ?Prow
des Innocens, is a bouquetiere who has attracted 00
attention of the libertine Marquis de Volange• one
is engaged to an honest baker in the market,
Isidore Farine (most quaintly represented by Bu °j
stone), whose jealousy of the Pride of the Mark°t is
excessively amusing. The Marquis, disguising hst
servants as officers of justice, orders them to qes,,
Marton, and carry her to his chateau at Versa
The indignation of the market women at this out
knows no bounds. They assembled together, under
01,
command of the mother of the market, Javotte ( ~
tally acted by Mrs. C. Jones), and proceed to 'roe
a formal complaint to the King of the conduct ,°`,. to
Marquis. The King orders the Marquis ei,„tneive.
marry Marton or to go to the idses
He promises to marry Marton, who re "me
to release him from his promise unless he Otter,
consent to the immediate marriage of his 8:
the.
Mademoiselle de Volange (Miss H. Gilbert) With
Chevalier de Bellerive (Mr. Parselle) who had rod
cued Marton from the castle of the Marquis/ °ltc.
whose suit had been rejected by the Marquis °n
count of his poverty. The Marquis consents, . n.ci
Marton releasing him tfrom his promise, bee° the
Madame Farine. The piece is put upon foe
stage with all the refinement and elegance 18,
which the management of Madame Vestris has clop
been celebrated. She was called for at the conclus„l •
and led on by Mr. Robert Roxby. The second Ptt-
also a new one, is entitled The Light Drarw;,;
This, however, is a misnomer : it should have
called the " Heavies," for even the buoyant Y°lllbi
;t0
lity of Charles Matthews was crushed beneath to' ,
weight. He looked exceedingly well, and was
O
ceived as an old favourite should be received. .0(1
farce of Brother Ben, with Harley as Snuflisto_,l4 -tbe.
Charles Matthews as Ben Bowles, conclude% af
evening's entertainment at the reasonable hour
eleven eleven o'clock. The national anthem was sung at the
conclusion of the first piece. The house was croi:rvta.o
in every part. Long before the rising of the Curt
it was impossible to procure standing room.

STANDARD THEATRE. of
Johnson and Lee, the enterprising proprietotla,bt
this natty but favourite place of amusement, 1:1°11' of
out last night what they called their own versiooo.6
the inimitable Cruikshank's Bottle; or the Pl'°l; et
of a Drunkard; and we are bound to confess, 60,
witnessing its first production, that it is a Inceiht ei% t
cellent version, and one likely to bring grist to I'm 6,
mill. The different characters were excellentii
tained by Howard, Bird, Reynold, T. Lee, (1
Eliza Clayton, Miss Martin, and Mrs. Lovedayt and
the piece was announced for repetition and( Iv
plaudits from a house crowded to the ceiling. , the
Bottle was followed by The Jacket of Blue, and the
entertainments of the evening concluded wit', the
Scenes of the Circle, introducing the whole 0' of
French company, together with the performance
the Numidian Arabs.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT IN A HAT MAPTITIAC".O.
—As Thomas Martin and James Sullivan, who ore
acid
larking in a hat manufactory near Southwark-bridgeLl°,oo
larking with each other close to a vat of boiling=titt
used in the factory, on Saturday, Sullivan gave "„ocrt'
a shove, which pitched him into the vat. The ro of
fellow was taken out of the boiling liquid without 1°,,-ous
time, and conveyed to the hospital, where he lies Om
the slightest hope of recovery.