The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-27 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

The new Olympic Theatreeivas opened for dramatic
entertainments, for the first time, last night, and was
well filled with as good-natured, merry, and well-
behaved a Christmas-holiday audience, as one could
desire to witness. As if, with the improvements in
the new erection, were required a revision of the
code of laws which generally regulate the conduct of
a theatrical audience, and are sometimes unmercifully
exercised, there were none of those rows, fights, and
catcallings, which invariably characterize the pro-
ceedings of a boxing night. Indeed the gods and
pittites put up with the delays consequent upon a first
representation with a degree of patience and for-
bearance seldom Before witnessed. On entering
the edifice, which, Phoenix-like, has sprung
up from the ashes of the old Olympic,
we could not but compare the rapid and beau-
tiful transformation which had been made to a change
of scene effected by the Harlequin's wand in a pan-
tomimic representation ; where before was a cramped-
up unsightly erection, which in the course of a long
career had been cut about and altered so as to possess
little of its original form, there is now, perhaps, one
of the most elegant, best arranged little theatres in
London, in all the bloom and freshness which can
belong to a newly-finished building. A detailed and
accurate description of the whole edifice having
already been given in this paper, it is sufficient to say
that every possible arrangement has been made to
conduce to the comfort and convenience of the spec-
tators; and that the gallery, boxes, and pit hive been
planned so that an excellent view of the stage may be
obtained from every part of the house. The company,
which is one of remarkable strength, is collected
from nearly every other metropolitan establishment, and
contains, among others, Mr. C. Davenport, Mr.
Compton, Mr. Frank Matthews, Mr. Meadows, Mr.
J. Reeve, Mr. A. Wigan, and Mr. Holl ; Mrs.
Mowatt, Mite Fenny Vining, Mrs. Seymour, Miss
L. Marshall, and Miss L. Coleman. The curtain rose
amidst loud cheers shortly aften seven o'clock, when
the whole of the performers appeared upon the stage,
and sang " God save the Queen," in a style which
elicited the loudest applause. Mrs. Mowatt shortly
afterwards came forward, and delivered with great
taste the following address, which was written for
the occasion by Mr. Albert Smith, and was through-
out received with hearty bursts of cheering.
now some nine enoell.s since—nay, start not,
friends,
To no stage narrative my tale extends—
'Tis now sows nine months since—the date to &x,

LON DON,

March twenty-seven; tune, evening, hall-past six;
The neighbourhood, so papers made allusion,
Was thrown into a state of great confusion;
Thigh shot the flames, fiercely the fire-plugs pley'd,
Loud swore the band or Braidwood's bold brigade;
The engines laboured with unceasing noise,
Policemen scuffled, and huzzaed the boys—
Seeing what once would lave been more enjoyed,
A French ship's west by English fire destroyed;
Whilst, grand effect, the first time far an age,
Beal water flooded the Olympic stage;
Of, from the engine-hose, in streams projected,
Produced an overflow quite unexpected;
And long before the following morning broke,
The lessee's hopes had ended all in smoke.
But English cnterprize now laughs at time;
E'en did the Geni of the Eastern clime
For one night more Aladdin's palace raise,
It would not much surprise us now-a-days!
So our new theatre—all checks despite—
Opens, as promised, upon boxirg•night !
And our new host has sent me on the stage
Your hands and approbation to engage—
Himself not much accustomed to appear,
To say how glad he is to see you hero.

You might have thought allusion to assist,
The Pbeeniy:, as a type, could not he missi'd;
But those who've studied from the Regent's Park,

Or Surrey Gardens, to the Child's Null's Ark,
Know, to believe in it, is most absurd

(1. do not moan the office, but the bird),
lu this most practical, material age,

The Pheenix shows not even on the stage;

And all that ashes, no.:Y-a-days produce

Is soda for the washerwoman's use.
Afore trite the simile, still rather old,

:at, as the chemists tell tu, doubtful gold,
Through fire sent, is purified at last;
So let us hope, that through our furnace pass'd,
Tho Drama's spirit, chastened and refined,
Comes over pure, leaving all dregs behind.
Now, one word for myself, in this my speech,
_ .

Or, rather, for my nation, I beseech; -
To you who welcomed with a friendly hand
The two pool. players from a distant land—
__

Who gsvO America fresh cause to prove
Old England's liberality and love;
Believe us ever grateful for the weed,
Nor visit on a nation one wrong deed.
We prize your artists; let me then declare,
How proud and glad we are to see them there!
[Bell rings.]
Oh goodness, there's the bell! I must away,
Although I still bad very much to say.

Anon `'our verdict we shall come to seek;
So, for ourselves, lct our endeavours speak."
Shakspere's excellent comedy of the Two Gentlemen
of Verona, which followed, was played very effici-
ently, the principal parts being taken by
Messrs. Davenport, Conway, Compton, Scharf,
Miss Vining, and Mrs. Seymour. Compton's Launce
was an inimitable piece of acting, and elicited loud
bursts of laughter, and it is but justice to say of the
dog Crab that he perfectly understood his master,
and knew that he was playing to an audience. As a
matter of course, however, the great event of the
evening was the new, original, grand, comic Christ-
mas pantomime, entitled, Laugh and Grow Fat; or
Harlequin Nutcracker, which is the production of Mr.
elson Lee, and we presume founded on the fairy
talc well known in nurseries, in which
we learn that the hand of a beautiful
Princess was offered in marriage to any facetious
individual who could move the risible faculties of a
certain dull, melancholy and taciturn Prince

" Whoe'er the Price can move to laughter,
Shill wed the Princess and be King hereafter."
The great representative of merriment is "Jovial
Christmas" (Mr. Morrison), whose faithful assistant,
Nutcracker, is engaged in the task of carrying good
cheer into the Court of King Nonsense (Mr. Stanton),
the father of Prince Melancholy. A number of per-
sonified comestibles and kitchen utensils, represented
with a great deal of grotesque humour, form the
retinue of " Christmas." Nutcracker is a capital
caricature of the eccentricities of Sir Charles Napier ;
he parades and inspects the formidable battalion with
great strictness; and lays considerable stress upon the
small carpet bag outfit required by an officer on a
campaign. His enemy is Humbug (Mr. Morris), an
evil potentate, whose palace, supported by two gigantic
blowers of soap-bubbles, cleverly sets forth the various
" humbugs" of recent times. That evil may not pre-
ponderate to the detriment of dramatic justice there is
a troop of Naiades, who dwell in a pearly palace, and
pay allegiance to Queen Sincerity (Miss M.
Oliver). In this palace a new contrivance is
employed by which day is converted into
night with very beautiful effect. After divers
perils the Christmas party reaches the Palace of King
Nonsense, which is another instance of scenic in-
genuity, the absurd character of the monarch being
illustrated by the strangely composed figures which
form the columns of the building: The attempts to
move the melancholy heir apparent to laughter prove
abortive until an unpatronised artist, with the charac-
teristic name of "Humble Merit," brings a portrait
of Grimaldi, when the down-drawn corners of the
Prince's mouth are drawn upwards, and his emaciated
form swells into a comfortable obesity. On the
transformation of the personages into the character of
the harlequinade, Humble Merit becomes Harlequin
(Mr. Corinna), and the Princess, whose hand he has
gained by his skill, becomes Columbine (Miss Mal-
colm), and mighty King Humbug is humiliated to the
condition of Pantaloon (Mr. Morris). The Clown (Mr.
T. Matthews) starts from the picture of Grimaldi, as
the living representative of his illustrious predecessor.
The tricks were all cleverly arranged, but presented
little of a novel or original character. The allusions
to the political and other events of the day were not
numerous, but such as there were told well with the
tudience. A hit at the Russian interference in
Hungary was amongst the best. By magic influence
an unsightly locking bear starts from a package of
bear's grease, a fine turkey from a parcel of Turkey
coffee, and the former menaces the latter; but two
little, miniature beings, in the shape of a
British grenadier and a smart French gendarme ap-
pear with the same rapidity, when the lean slinks
away and the turkey is escorted off the stage by the
two gallant soldiers. Mr. T. Matthews made a most
excellent clown. He sang " Tippitiwichet," " Hot
Codlings," and the other songs assigned
to the character in a way which brought
down the boisterous applause of the gods, and
danced the polka in imitation of the Casino style with
a black girl, to the evident gratification and mirth of
all. One of the most attractive features in the panto-
mime was the extraordinary feats of Signor Alveradi
and his Lilliputian pupil, who may almost be
considered superior to Risley and his son.
In the Terpsichorean department we are glad
to see a very pretty and agile dancer in Miss L.
Coleman, who, in a grand pas de deux with Mr. Mar •
shall, acquitted herself in a way which promises well
for the future. The scenery was very splendidly got
up, and on the whole the pantomime may be consi-
dered entirely successful.

THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27, 1849

ha forthwith transferred from Smithfield to Islington.
The whole concluded at past one o'clock with a grand
finale, representing a fairy palace and a benignant
spirit bestowing on the characters the rewards of vir-
tue and constant love. The dancing and deportment
of Miss Kate Kirby, as Columbine, elicited general
applause. " Youth" was fitly and prettily represented
by Miss Bullen ; and the feats of agility of Mr.
Thorne, a supernumerary clown and afterwards a sprite,
appeared to elicit the wonderment of everybody.