The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-15 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

To Parents and Guardians.—At Jubilee House,
Clapham, Yount? Gentlemen are, 6.c. 6-c., is the title
of a one-act comic drama, produced here last evening.
The principal of Jubilee House is Mr. Swish (Mr.
Meadows), a genteel edition of Mr. Whackford
Squeers. His resident "Parisian" usher, Mons.
Tourbillon (Mr. A. Wigan), is the hero of the piece.
He is a French refugee a noble ; his wife has
perished during the revolution, and he has taken
refuge in England. With the feelings of a gentle-
man he finds that he is placed in a menial capacity;
the slave, the scolded slave of the purse-proud vulgar
master—the butt of the boys. The master, 'in the
most rude manner possible, gives him his dismissal; but,
hearing immediately afterwards that he has had his
estates restored to him, the master becomes as servile
as he has heretofore been tyrannical, apologises for
his former brutality, requests him to remain,
and endeavours to bring about a match be-
tween the Frenchman and Miss Mary Swish
(Miss Howard), his daughter. In the mean-
time Master Robert Nettles (Mrs. Keeley),
the captain of the school, who bullies everybody in
general, and Master 'William Waddilove (Mr.
Keeley), the fat lollipop-eater in particular, has seen
an advertisement in the Times from M. le Comte de
Tourbillon, and writes to his uncle to answer it; but
hearing that old Swish has destined Mary, whom he
(Nettles) has taken under his special protection, for
the wife of Tourbillon, he enters the field against him
with all the malignity of a rival. Practical jokes are
played off on the unfortunate Frenchman, and at
length a French itinerant musician is engaged to pass
herself off as his wife. They meet—it is his daughter.
The recognition takes place, and at the same time
Nettles receives a letter in answer to the inquiries
which he had caused to be instituted, and which
announces to Tourbillon his restoration to his title 3
and estates. These are admirable materials for a short,
one-act drama, but unfortunately the present piece—
albeit, it is in but one act—takes an hour and three-
quarters in playing. There are divers farcical scenes
(mere common-places of farce, be it observed) intro-
duced, but they do not advance the plot one jot; they
are introduced inartistically, and the piece would be
all the better for their omission. Nothing but the
admirable acting of Mr. Keeley, as the fat, stupid
fag, and of Mrs. Keeley, as the mischievous, but high-
spirited and high-principled pickle, could have saved
them; and if the piece is to run, they must be greatly
curtailed. Mr. A. Wigan, as the French usher, was
most touching. Since Mathews' Monsieur Mallet,
we have had nothing at all equal to it, and we
say this with the full recollection of Morris Barnett's
Monsieur Jacques, to which it is much superior.
Mr. A. Wigan does not growl harshly and rub his
chest vehemently, as though he were labouring under
some cutaneous disease, assuming that by so doing he
is pathetic ; on the contrary, with him all is quiet, all
is true to nature, all is artistical in the best sense of the
word as distinguished from melodramatic clap-trap.
Beautiful were his solo scenes, in which he recalls
the past and contrasts it with the present. Beautiful
—exquisitely beautiful—was the scene in which, in
contemplating the portrait of his wife, he recalls hap-
pier hours, and finds in the contemplation of the past
solace for the present ills he is compelled to endure;
and most beautiful, most touching, is the scene in
which he recognises his daughter. We have long
known Mr. A. Wigan as, in his line, one of the first
comic actors of the day, but, until last evening, we
were not aware that he possessed the same command
over the tears as over the smiles of his audience.
We hope the Lyceum management will revive the
drama of Mons. Mallet, and cast Mr. A. Wigan for
poor Mathews's part. It will draw crowded houses.
The Magic Horn, which increases in attraction every
night it is performed, followed by the farce of "To
Persons about to Marry," concluded the performances,
and sent a numerous audience laughing to their homes.