The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-22 00:00:00

SURREY THEATRE.

The Easter novelty at this theatre was a drams,
written by :Mr. Morris Barnett and Mr. Angus B.
Reach, entitled the Czarina. The scene, as may be
supposed, is laid in Russia ; the time, some ninety
years ago, when the sceptre was in the hands of
Eliz lbeth, a princess who was too much inclined to
pleasure, and whose reign was that of her favourite
for the time being. This post is occupied at the
period in question by Cornaro Pitti (Mr. Shepherd),
an adventurer said to be originally an Italian, but
who seems to have flitted from place to place, and to
be justly described as "of no country," and the
character is one that gives occasion to expressions
which people so disposed may be apt to apply to
somebody or other not yet consigned to his "line
and a half in history." The piece begins with in-
troducing us to one Ivan, an armourer (Mr. Cres-
„wick), who has brought up with tender care a found-
ling, Meta, and, now that she has grown to woman-
hood, has learned to love her, and is betrothed to
her. But, unhappily, the royal ;`favourite has
set his desire on her ; she is snared by his
courtly demeanour, and he is enabled to boast
of the success of his intrigue. The Czarina
discovers it, and is furious, and in her thirst for
vengeance resorts to the expedient of an arrangement
with Ivan, that he shall accuse Cornaro of suborning
him to take her life. The charge is false and is made
merely for revenge ; but the effect is that Cornaro and
Ivan are both condemned to die. Some very stirring
incidents then succeed; the Czarina relents, and de-
sires to save her favourite; Meta is reconciled to Ivan,
whom she declares she always loved, and desires to
wed ; and etch prisoner has thus a friend anxious for
his escape. That one of them has got clear of the
prison walls is clear, but it is left in doubt which is
he that is thus saved. The people clamour for Cor-
naro's death, but his royal mistress hopes to have
saved him, and directs that he shall be led to execution
veiled, expecting thus to pacify the people and yet
procure the execution of Ivan in his stead. There is a
very sombre scene, in which some one is led off to execu-
tion, Meta and the Czarina each trusting that she has
rescued from that dismal fate the life she values. The fact
turns out to be that Cornaro is the man beheaded, and
Ivan has escaped, to live the husband of Meta. The
piece struck us as very well written, and there is no
want of interest permitted ; but, if we have inter-
preted the performance aright, which we ought not to
be sure of, after one holiday night's representation,
we are disposed to think that a little change in the
incidents might make the play produce a much
more agreeable impression upon the minds of the
audience. The character of Meta, rather a difficult
one, was committed to Miss Fielding, of the
Princess's Theatre, Glasgow, who made her first ap-
pearance at the Surrey last night; the part was well
sustained. There was an easier one, a Jew spy, ex-
cellently rendered by Mr. T. Mead. The farce of
Hooker and Snooker followed, and we left a crowded
house, a little before midnight, waiting for the cur-
tain to draw up for the pantomime, which was to be
performed for the 69th time. We suppose with such
runs as this we must not grudge the
„theatre its old
claim to be called " the lucky Surrey.