The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-14 00:00:00

ADELPHI THEATRE

An adaptation of the far famed Paillasse, which
' for three months past has drawn all Paris to the
Gaite., and in which Frederic Leinaitre has made a
hit equal to his Robert Macaire, his Ruy Gomez, or
his lion Cmsar, was produced here last evening,
under the title of Belphegor, the Mountebank. The
drama has been translated and adapted by Mr. Ben-
jamin Webster, who himself sustained the part of
Belphegor (the Paillasse of the original), and we
certainly have no actor on the English stage who
could have at all approached him in it. To act
Belphegor, an actor must be at the same time a tra
gedian, a genteel comedian, and a farceur, and we
have no actor on the stage who combines those three
requisites but Mr. Webster. The scene is laid in
France in the year 1814, the year of the return
of the Emigres. We find at the fair at
Angouleme 11,1phegor (Mr. Webster) and his
" little family," consisting of his wife Madeleine
(Madame Celeste), his son Henri (Miss Ellen Chap-
lin), his daughter Louise (Miss Stoker), an interest-
ing but sickly child, and consequently the pet; and '
his apprentice Ajax, alias Mr. Merryman (Wright).
TheM Gun teban k performs his tricks to the great amuse-
ment of the crowd, amongst whom is a certain Che-
valier de Rolac (Mr. 0. Smith), who declares that in
Madeleine, he recognizes a girl committed to his care
during the revolution by the Duke de Montbazon
(Mr. H. Hughes), and that the Duke having re-
turned, wishes to reclaim her as his daughter, but on
condition that she quits her mountebank husband, frcm
whom he engages to procure for her a divorce, and to
whom he offers a considerable sum, which is as
indignantly rejected by Belphegor, as are his offers
of rank by Madeleine, who declares that she will
never leave her husband. We are then introduced to
the lodgings of Belphegor, and behold the buffoon,
en famille. Nothing can be more happy then the
mountebank and his family, the most devoted
affection subsists between all its members ; there
is but one drawbrack to their felicity, and that is the
delicate state of the health of Louise ; of this misfor-
tune Rolac takes advantage, he introduces a physician
to see the child, who declares to Madeleine that
nothing but the waters of the Pyrenees, the climate
of Italy, and the enjoyment of every luxury
and comfort can restore tbe child to health ;
these are offered her on condition that she quits her
husband, and her maternal feelings overcoming every
other she consents. The agony of the poor Mounte-
bank on learning her departure is intense, and was
very finely depicted by Mr. Webster, who
was admirably supported in this trying scene
by Miss E. Chaplin. A series of scenes
follow of the most heartrending description ;
the poor Mountebank and his son wander all over
France in search of his wife; at length he arrives at
a fete given by a nobleman, where he is engaged to
amuse the company assembled at a Bal Masque,
who shout with laughter at his misery,
which they consider acting ; he tries to be
gay and amusing as mountebanks should be, and he
and bis sons endeavour to play tricks, but at last the
word "mother" is mentioned, and the boy, overcome by
his feelings, sinks senseless into the arms of his
distressed father. This is the great scene
of the play, and was magnificently acted
by Webster and Miss Chaplin. He at length
discovers his wife, but, by the machinations of Rolac,
is arrested as a condemned murderer. The Duke has
procured his pardon, but will produce it only on con-
dition that Madeliene publicly disown him, and this
she is compelled to do. The pardon is then produced,
when De Rolac claims it, declaring that be is the real
murderer, and that Belphegor is the son of the
Duke, and not Madeleine his daughter. The
burden of the piece falls upon Mr. Webster,
Madame Celeste, and Miss Ellen Chaplin, and
admirably did they sustain it, but the piece includes
in its cast all the principal members of the Adelphi
corps. We. had Wright, the Merryman, masque-
rading after the most amusing fashion, as the son of
the Baron de Montroulade (Paul Bedford) Miss Wool-
gar, an opera dancer, turned fine lady, Mr. Hughes,
Mr. Boyce, Miss Emma Harding (who made a
great deal of a very small part), Mrs. Laws, Mr.
Cullenford, Mr. Worrell, and all the strength of the
company. The piece was admirably put on the stage,
and was announced by Webster for representation
every evening amidst shouts of applause. The house
was crammed to suffocation.