The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-10 00:00:00

ADELPHI THEATRE.

There was no novelty at this theatre last night.
Indeed there was no need of any. The popular
drama of the Green Bushes, and the new comic
opera of Good Night, Signor Pantalon, were attrac-
tive enough. The house was crowded in every part,
and the audience appeared thoroughly to enjoy the
performance.

LYCEUM THEATRE.
The performances last night consisted of Only a
Clod, Court Beautits, and King Charming. The
second of these pieces has been revived, principally,
we imagine, for the sake of the characteristic dresses
in which it abounds. It was one of the most popular
of Mr. Planche's dramas when first played at the
Olympic Theatre, and when since occasionally repro-
duced has always been admired. As a spectacle of
the period of Charles the Second, in which all the
aspects of a Court renowned for its gaiety and
brilliancy are set forth, we remember nothing
more perfect. The costumes of the ladies are as
sumptuuus as they are exact—just as if a group of
Sir Peter Lely's beauties had stepped from their
canvas to animate and illumine the stage. The repu-
tation of Madame Vestris in constructing a complete
dramatic picture was never more eminently justified
than in this bright and costly piece, the resuscitation
of which at this holiday period is an act likely to be
of advantage to the treasury. Scenic excellence, it is
supererogatory to remark, is also the characteristic of
King Charming. This extravaganza, brought out
at Christmas, ran a great number of nights, and its
course was only interrupted by the prescriptive neces-
sity of producing a novelty at Easter. Its restora-
tion to the boards now will be welcomed by all who
admire artistic scenery, splendid habiliments, and
the showiest of showy effects. It returns with all its
lustrous decorations unimpaired. The characters, we
may add, are sustained precisely as before. The
house last night was crowded.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
The notion that the Great Exhibition has emptied
the theatres is a popular fallacy. Your genuine
Cockney knows this full well ; but if there be still
any respectable visitor from the provinces who, pin-
ning his faith on Punch, is still a victim to the de-
lusion, let him give up the great show next Saturday,
and manfully invest his five shillings in a visit to the
Princess's, which will straightway disabuse his
honest mind, and afford him as good an entertainment
as he can get for his money to boot. And yet it was
no array of novelties which last night filled the
theatre, from the critical and discriminating pit to the
vociferating and enthusiastic gallery ; for the per-
formances were Mr. Slous' clever adaptation of
Duress's story of Mademoiselle de Belle Isle, The
Duke's Wager; Mr. Brough's amusing piece de
circonstance, called Apartments, fresh and laugh-
ter-compelling as ever, even on its nineteenth repre-
sentation ; and the extravaganza called The
Alhambra, which was produced for the first time at
Easter. The merits of all these we have already made
known, and it is only necessary to say that they were
given last night with all their wonted excellence.
Indeed the manner in which every piece is put upon
the stage at this theatre is something unprece-
dented in theatrical annals. We used to think that
Madame Vestris at the Olympic had carried the
mise en scene to its farthest point; but here all
her efforts are fairly outdone. What, for instance,
could surpass the scenery and decorations in the first
piece ? No ancient properties, no dovetailing of
scenes originally intended to represent the most hete-
rogeneous parts of the habitable globe, were there,
but everything to the tie of a shoe was chronologi-
cally correct, and one was instinctively wafted back
to the days of Richelieu, and wondered to find him-
self clad in sober broadcloth of the 19th century.
Let no manager, therefore, yield himself up to de-
spair, but spread a goodly table with good cheer, like
that set forth last night in the Princess's Theatre,
and he may rely upon it he will find no lack of guests.