The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-11 00:00:00

DRU.RY-LANE THEATRE.

Mr. E. T. Smith having secured the services of Mr.
and Mrs. Keeley for his short season before Christmas,
is about to employ their laughter•rnoving powers to the
bet advantage in a new burlesque upon Pizarro--in
which Mrs. Keeley will perform Rolla to her husband's
Pizarro. The announcement of this intended perfor-
mance is so whimsical as to be worth notice beyond the
ordinary run of playbills. It is as follows
PIZARRO.
A SPANISH ROLLI-KING
PERUVIAN DRAMS, IN ONE ACT.

The success which usually attends a well-written and
well-acted burlesque can leave no doubt that public taste
approves that description of entertainment. In compliance,
suggestion of
therefore, with an opinion of my own, and a
the author, we have Fought for a fresh chapter in the pages
of bombast, which may combine with the revival of a play
appertaining to a period of great interest and little princi-
ple, much that is undoubtedly novel and amusing.
Heretofore the subjects have been chosen from the crea-
tion of one Mr. Wm. Shakspeare ; in the present instance
I have selected the well-known drama of " Pizarro," for
the purpose of exemplifying many of the performances and
exhibitions of Pero, at the time when the people found
out that the Spaniards were down upon 'em. The discovery
of the Western Hemisphere by Kitty Columbus (perhaps
the most hair-brained exhibition of the great lengths to
which adventurers will sometimes go, in the annals of com-
mercial enterprise) opened a way to a good many places
up to that time unknown, and numerors successors of the
illustrious pioneer penetrated region after region of the
vast continent, eager in the search of what they could get.
Europe received the startling intelligence, " by our own
Correspondent, " that Mexico and Peru teemed with mil-
lions of all sorts, and no ends of gold-fields. While Nature
appeared to revel in various ways, according to the aspect
you took of her, the land abounded with precious gems and
metals to such an extent that the gold was actually trod-
den under foot in the dust. It aas this discovery that
originated the well-known behest, so often made, and so
seldom complied with, of "Come down with the dust."
Indeed it is believed that the streets of the city of Peru
would have been paved with gold, but that the people at
the time of the drama were above the weakness of pave-
ments§ of any kind. In placing upon the stage former spec-
tacles, I have availed myself of anybody's discoveries that
were appropriate, and have laid my hands upon anything
useful I could get. I have adopted precisely the same
course on the present occasion.
By the recent excavations in Assyria all sorts of mum-
mies were discovered, while through the adventurous and
unscrupulous spirit of the Spaniards in the 16th century
oust nations were pillaged and plundered to an extent
which only a railway era bank director, who has unlimited
control of the funds, can have any notion of. We read,
without the slightest surprise, whole nations of people
doing the best they could for themselves, and enjoying
their theatres, and other evening entertainments.
Iu adapting the selected play to the purpose of amusing
illustration, short cuts have been made with certain pas-
sages, and as the whole piece relates to war the dialogue
has been arranged in appropriate lines. In adopting this
course I have ventured to introduce many effects which
are not to be found in the origipal drama—for instance,
the donkey charger of Pizarro, called in the original Jeru-
salemoke, has been most unaccountably left behind the
scenes in the German version. I did think of introducing
the grand Festival of Ramo Samee, the celebrated Indian
knife swallower; but as no dagger swallower could be ob-
tained at so short a notice, and as perhaps the audience
would not swallow the ceremony without, I have I think
judiciously left it alone.
As we possess no information respecting Quito (the place
named by the dramatist), Ido not intend to give any. In
order, however, to represent it accurately, I have directed
the scieatific artist to paint another place.
The music throughout the piece has been arranged,when
in moments of composure, by Mr. J. H. Tully. The various
airs are founded on melodies in the " Trovatore," and
other operas not alluded to in Peruvian antiquities, al-
though they have extensively been lauded in modern cri-
tiques.
By the production of "Pizarro," long known as a urea
bombastic play, I cannot but think that a wide field is
afforded for the introduction of that kind of .wit and fun,