The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-25 00:00:00

S -• N
APRIL 25, 1848.

LYCEU.
"Theseus and Ariadne" is the title of the Easter
burlesque at this theatre, and seeing that Mr.
Planche is the author, and that Madame Vestris
acts Theseus, and Miss Kathleen fitzvvilliam
Ariadne, and that Charles Mathews acts Daedalus
(who, like Time in " Henry V.," is the chorus), an,i
that Mr. Sloman is the machinist, and that Beverley
is the scene-painter, it is almost needless to add that
the success was complete, and that " the Constellation
of the Crown of Ariadne," with which
the piece concludes, was a perfect " blaze
of triumph." Madame Vestris looked and acted
and sung archly, charmingly, and delightfully as
ever; her Greek costume is most becoming, and we
rl
ea d b
gal
wonder not at the weaknesses of Ariadne and Phaedra,
when we consider the fascinations of Theseus. Miss
Kathleen Fitzwilliam was admirable as Ariadne, she
sung the songs, including almost all the popular airs of
the day, with which the part is replete, with exqui-
site taste, and was deservedly rewarded with re-
peated encores. She has improved greatly both as
an actress and a singer; and is at present one of
the best, if not the very best of ballad singers on the
stage. There is a naiveté about the acting
and singing of this young lady, which is perfectly
fascinating.vppsorhheitPhaedra,
etdyh,
roaaas:neddmv
e made
ardx
yepSprrhheee
seregsfruiewvcifi•
esatrisst ektaadf
features,oe lrw appearance
Jane Coleman, a young lady who, in the character of
here last
ebvye
nMi
nigss.
stagefih ge profusion,ruret business.
asweetin ess .
What little she had to do last night was well done.
Miss Jane Coleman is an acquisition to the
Lyceum company. Miss Marshall, as Cupid,
looked the very mischievous god himself, and
Charles Mathews as Daedalus, of the piece but
not in it, acted with that agreeable nonchalance which
no one can assume but himself, and sang, or recited,
himself could ever do the like), divers comic medley
a rather Mathew iced (for none but his father and
ima-
ginable. Hall was
aglorious Bacchus, and Mr. H.
rivalled Wieland in the grotesque-
ness Marshall, as Pan,
songs in the most rapid and laughable manner
The scenery surpassed anything
of his antics.
into the port of Crete, and
of the ocean changing
the
Athenian galley, was a
showing the arrival of
and "the Vines" in the
worthy of Turner;
picture
have disgraced the pencil of
last act would not.
nci al performers were
hitherto done even at this house. The opening scene
Nicholas Poussin. The principal
in every part.
triumphant. The house was crowded
admirably supported
good
successos
ouohfi :le I :
all called before the curtain, andp the success was

PRINCESS'S.
Mr. Maddox provided liberal fare for the Easter
holiday folks who honoured his establishment with
their presence last night. There were two novelties
—" The Nightingale," an operetta, in which the
charming Anna Thillon made her re entree, and
"Esmeralda," a grand ballet, introducing several
new artists—besides a couple of pieces already sanc-
tioned by public approval. Le Brun's " Rossignol"
(" The Nightingale") has been a stock piece in every
town of France and Belgium where an opera can be
mounted for the last thirty years. The libretto is a
pastoral, treating of the loves of Lubin and Phillis,
two peasants, stamped with the attributes of candour
asd simplicity that appertain especially to the age of
the Galateas and Estellas, celebrated by Cervantes and
Florian. Phillis (Madame Anne Thillon) is fond of
singing, and Lubin (Mr. Barker) plays upon the flute
with a facility that is the more to be admired considering
the times in which he is supposed to live. Lubin woos
Phillis by means of his musical talent, serenading
her night and morning at her window, and echoing
her songs with the tones of his instrument, which are
so mellifluous that the neighbours, with bucolic art-
lessness, mistake them for the voice of the nightin-
gale. This courtship is carried on so effectually,
that in spite of the rival suit of a powerful " baillie '
(Mr. Weiss), who is favoured by Mathurin (Mr.
Bodda), the subservient progenitor of Phillis, the
lovers bring matters about according to their wishes,
and are ultimately united, to the great joy of them-
selves and everybody else, even the baillie. The
music is remarkable for nothing beyond a certain
flow of unaffected tune, which rarely fails to captivate
the many. The opportunities for display of florid
vocalization are successfully used, and these were ad-
mirably exemplified by Madame Anna Thillon, who,
besides her clever and expressive singing, acted with
fascinating sprightliness, and looked the prettiest Phillis
that was ever wooed by faithful shepherd. She was
received with the greatest enthusiasm by the audience,
and was, indeed, the main support of the piece, which,
through her exertions, achieved complete success.
Mr. Weiss, who appeared for the first time this
season, made the best of the small part of the Baillie,
and , sang the music allotted to him with musician-
like correctness. Messrs. Barker. and Bodda took
great pains with their respective parts. At the fall
of the curtain Madame Thillon was recalled, and ap-
peared with Mr. Weiss and Mr. Barker. The well-
known musical piece of " The Sultana" (with Ma-
dame Thillon as the Roxalana), and a farce, called
"Mammon and Gammon," followed " The Nightin-
gale." In the latter, through the non-appearance of
one of the performers, Mr. Harris had to read the
part (rather a long one) from a book, and accom-
plished his task with singular facility; the farce was
altogether well acted by Miss Villars, one of the
most intelligent and entertaining of soubrettes,
Mrs. 11. Hughes, Mrs. Selby, Messrs. James
Vining (who is as young, vivacious, and bustling
as ever), S. Cowell, Wynn, &c., and was
received with shouts of laughter throughout.
The performances terminated with the ballet of " Es-
meralda," which under the superintendence of Mr.
Fi exmore has been most skilfully adapted to the di-
mensions and resources of this little theatre. Who
that has not seen "Esmeralda " at her Majesty's
Theatre, that has not admired the graceful Carlotta
Grisi, and laughed at the admirable Perrot, has yet
to behold
and delight in the pearl of ballets, the most
ethereal of ballerinas, and the most humorous of
male choregraphs.„Esmer h
We have nothing now to say of
the story of
terials in Victor u aid 11,7" which finds its ma-
" Notre Dame de Paurgis" magnificent romance
late that the manner s enough to re-
. which it has been placed
upon the stage of the in
Princess's Theatre is highly
creditable to theestablishment.
and The dances are care-
fully arrangedexecuted with infinite spirit by a
uumerous and efficient corps de ballet, the scenery,
by Messrs. Brunning and Grey, is characteristic and
beautiful, especiall;the, first and last scenes—" A
of
distant view Paris ' and " Notre Dame by
moonlight;" the s action is well kept up, and
the mise en scene altogether in the best taste.
Poor Signor Pugn i was the only sufferer, his music
being so fearfully ill-usedi by the orchestra as to be
scarcely recognisable.dile. Auriol, a daughter of
the celebrated French clown from the Cirque Olim-
pique, was the Esmeralda
da of the evening; she is a
good pantomimist and danees with great vigour and
facility. Mr. Flexmore was humorous and amusing
as Gringoire, but
his
performanceT hefamous
was
wanting in refinemen
however, was admirably danced by both, and received
with shouts of applause, and the pas de deux in the
second tableau, where Esmeralda te.,ches Gringoire
to dance, was encored. Quasimodo was sustained
with great melodramatic emphasis by M. Le Clerq,
and M. Deulin made the monk, Claude Frollo, more
mysterious and shadowy than usual. Among the in-
termediate dances which attracted most attention and
applause were a pas de deux by Mdlles. Louise and
Adele (from Drury-lane Theatre) and a pas de trois
by Madame Le Clerq and Mdlles. Le Clerq and Ma-
thilde, in the course of which several steps were
loudly encored. The subordinate parts of Aloise,
Phcebus, and Clopin were carefully filled by Miss
Cuthbert and MM. Zavystowski and Paulo. The
ballet was most favourably received from beginning
to end, and Mdlle. Auriol was forced to re-appear at
the fall of the curtain. The house was very full.

MARYLEBONE.
The exquisite judgment which Mrs. Warner dis-
played last night in the entertainments she provided
for Easter Monday has never been exceeded since this
truly elegant little theatre has been under her
management. Instead of resorting to any meritri-
cious or holiday style attractions, she relied upon the
good taste of her friends and the judicious portion of
the public for support, and proffered them in return
what, now-a• days, unfortunately, is to be rarely
enjoyed—a genuine representation of one of Shak-
spere's plays. To this end she engaged Macready—
a name that has not undeservedly become endeared
to the lovers of the "legitimate" drama—though why
legitimate, by the-by, we never could rightly under-
stand. Be that as it may, Macready appeared, and
performed his part : but before we speak of him let us
notice one peculiar feature of the evening. Boxes,
pit, and gallery, were crowded, the latter to the very
ceiling ; it was Easter Monday. ; and yet not a
whisper was heard from any part of the house during
the whole of the performance. This is literally
true. To what is this to be ascribed ? Partly, no
doubt, to the understood spirit in which this theatre
is conducted,—that of an endeavour to create a taste
for the drama; but partly also, we hope, despite of
the perversions that men of sinister minds would give
to the feelings and tastes of the people, to the im-
proved habits of those who are more particularly ac-
customed to avail themselves of these seasons of
relaxation to resort to such places. It would be a
work of supererogation to speak of Mr. Macready's

performance of Hamlet. His excellencies are already
well known, and his faults—for he is not without
them—are as well understood; but what avails it to
note either the one or the other? He delights, he
impresses, he absorbs—and that is acting. Tears
rau down many a fair cheek while he portrayed
the harrowed feelings of a sop, grieved more for the
sin of a mother than for the unnatural murder of a
much-loved father. We. enter not into the metaphy-
sics of the character. Its anlaysis has been done by
better hands, and so often repeated that it would be a
kind of plagiarism to dwell upon it. Mr. Macready
reads the part, in our judgment, most correctly :—we
never lose sight of the assumed madnesss of Hamlet ;
that assumption, however, though always subservient
to his ultimate intent, is never obtrusive or self-be-
traying. He subdues it "to the bent of his humour."
In his soliloquies Mr. Macready has acquired a style
that, while it challenges our judgment, nevertheless
gratifies our wishes. We are pleased,—and yet
criticism would say there was a liberty in it which
strict propriety would condemn. He sometimes de-
scends into a colloquial tone that jars sadly with the
passion that the previous passages, delivered with the
intensest energy, have excited. It is as if he were
exhausted, and lapsed into a momentary state of in-
sensibility. But time tells with all of us, and
Macready is not quite so young as he was when he
first delighted London audiences. Mrs. Warner per-
formed Gertrude ; the character has nothing agree-
oabwfl le
tmaster, probabilityhoingeayh,
agree-
able about it. The chamber scene is the only oppor-
tunity afforded her for any display, and there that
churchyard, with
lady sustained the higla reputation she has justly ac-
alrwaiaay.s the Nr
ac-
quired. Miss Huddart, as Ophelia, acquitted her-
t self very creditably, but she sang the snatches of
which,
i songs in rather too ambitious a spirit. Shakspere,
oe vdst
ghost.
.dres
exceedingly
eitei intendern dp.
lo.h Ivnoe
girr
alyrl
si
girlOtf
eowpnnhet
eilellvll.
ei
did Ophelia
Ttrs ohiahenibfesgeb,
scenery,
bewildered
exceptd‘
d• oi cnagli sti toaf—s
herher
st
priests
opportunity to introduce a countrymocsht
eoacsai:notot
this omitihseasytirneg
was
se wordt in praise
yffective. Ophelia's funeral' afforded the artist an
ahvi
edi
ree
viewed,
ead,lan
withd
evening
thet eh
be-
reaved, girlwhenan
1 ti no
in its performance, tragedy
the lady who
ing reflected great credit,
which was somewhat long
s bearing the body of the poor
effect. After the aveproduced a most impressive
both on the audience and on
Out," closed the entertainments;aal?sing farce, called " Turn
conclude our brief notice and we cannot
whole proceeding of the ev
ministered
to their amusement. without
unt solemnt
saying,h the
cbea
reueekrrnotgehmhor
aenptuyl aentnthodedef,

"aPp:inearwahniccehasltihr
madey of
h°'l 3 Yr
Mt
seconduPs
oG herouts-
a new Easter Extravaganza, entitled "A Miss
Borneo," was produced here. last night. The funn(?)o
of this " Historical, Indian, Naval, and Military
tavAufstßerrotohkee la
Ballet Burlesque," as the bill calls it, consists in the
adventures of Sinbad the Sailor, the mission to
Borneo forming his second voyage. lle is accom-
panied by a certain Grand Vizier, but what the pur-
pose of their expedition is we should be loth to state
with any pretensions to accuracy. Some tolerable
dancing relieved the general tedium of the piece,
which would still have passed off tamely, but
for four nigger songs, well sung by American
Palmer. These snatches were highly relished by the
audience, who encored thrice, receiving a new song
at each turn. In the early portions of the piece
some good hits were made at passing events, espe-
cially where a facsimile of an ex• Chancellor was
brought before the Caliph of Bagdad, praying to be
invested with the privileges of a new country, re-
taining those of his native land. We should deal
unfairly were we not to state that Mr. Davidge, as
the Grand Vizier, behaved uncommonly well towards
an ungracious part, and also did his duty by the man-
agement—learning the words of his role, a virtue not
prevalent last evening. With considerable cutting—
most unsparing cutting—this burlesque may be ren-
dered somewhat more interesting.