The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-02 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

The Haymarket opened last night, after a very short
recess, during which. however, the house has been
thoroughly cleaned and redecorated. The company
(the best comedy company in England) have all been
re-engaged, and, in addition to the old favourites, we
are to haue Mr. Lester, the son of James Wallack, the
Wallack, who has been case-hardening in the provinces,
and who, if provincial report speaks true, will not dis-
grace the name of Wallack ; and, therefore, we can see
no reason why he should not at once assume it. Miss
Reynolds, an American actress, and Mr. Rogers, who
last night made a most successful debia, in the cha-
racter of Humphrey Dobbins, in Colman's admirable
comedy of the Poor Gentleman. There was a quiet
power, an honest bluntness, approaching to a saucy
roughness, about Mr. Rogers's delineation of Humphrey
Dobbins which showed that he had "stuff" about him.
It was in every way worthy of the Haymarket company,
and we congratulate Mr. Webster on having secured in
Mr. Rogers a sterling actor. Farren's Sir Robert
Bramble is so well known that it is needless to dilate
upon it. Webster's 011apod was exceedingly quaint
and amusing ; and Buckstone, as Stephen Harrowby,
" made fun," which told well upon the audience.
Stuart's Worthington was full of power and pathos, and
Miss Fortescue made more of Emily than we have ever
yet seen made of the part. In characters of this class
no one on the stage can approach her. Mrs. Glover, as
Miss Lucretia M‘Tab was superb ; but Tilbury, as Cor-
poral Foss, was scorcely equal to the part. He laboured
hard, but he laboured in vain. He was harsh, hard, and
angular. After the National Anthem had been sung by
the whole company, a new farce, entitled The Fortune
Hunter, was produced. It is from the pen of Mr. Boyle
Bernard, and the scene is laid at Margate. The hero is
Captain Mountgarret, a fortune-hunting Irishman.
Other captains are of her Majesty's service, or in
her Majesty's service, but Captain Mountgarret
is A. H. M.S., at her Majesty's service, and also
at the service of any other lady •who can afford
to find him in dinners, clothes, andfpocket-money. Other
fortune hunters are content with two strings to their
bow, but the gallant captain has three—a widow, with
four houses, an old maid, with divers canal shares, and
an ancient gentlewoman in a dropsy , whose perigrina-
tions on the sands he assiduously follows. He is in doubt
which to choose, therefore employs an appraiser to sur-
vey the property of each and help him out of his dilemma.
Mr. Griffin (Tilbury), a London wholesale dealer,
arrives, accompanied by his daughter and his sister.
The daughter has 30,000/. in her own right, and
the Captain leaves his other innanwratas to secure Miss
Griffin and 30,0001.; but, unfortunately, he makes love
to the wrong Miss Griffin, and finds himself at last on
the point of eloping with the elder Miss Griffin (Mrs.
W. Clifford), an elderly maiden lady, without a sous,
when he is discovered by the brother, and after receiving
a good shaking from the disappointed elderly damsel,
decamps, with old Griffin's " I knew it was a
swindle" ringing in his ears. Buckstone, as a
cockney out for a week, who pays a fly driver
five shillings for upsetting a party in the mud,
just to keep up the fun, was quaint and
amusing; and Clark, who is a clerk in London, and comes
to Margate to occupy a back bed-room for seven nights,
to be a swell on the beach, pier, and jetty, for seven
days, made, according to his wont, a great deal of a very
little part. The piece was given out for repetition by
Hudson, amidst the unanimous applause of a house
crowded to the ceiling.