The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-15 00:00:00

(From, the Times.)

The last trick played by the " Wizard of the North"
is by no means his worst. All the bottles, boxes, ex-
tinguishers, &c., that constituted the apparatus of his
" Magic and Mystery" have clean passed away, and he
has suddenly raised in their place a whole company to
support the musical drama. " Rob Roy," transforming into
the " bold outlaw" no less a person than himself.
When Mr. Anderson announced in that large typo of
which he makes such artistic use that he was about to
play " Rob Roy" we firmly believe that many persons ex-
pected something exceedingly odd ; so completely had
he become associated in every mind with the idea of le-
gerdemain that it was difficult to disunite him from the
conjuror's art, and conceive him going steadily through
a bit of histrionic business. Moreover, Rob Roy is
scarcely a part to be stage-struck about, like Othello or
Hamlet. It is a good melodramatic character, the per-
sonation of which hardly secures a sufficient feed of hay
leaves to gratify a morbid appetite for fame. Why
should the "Wizard of the North" undertake Rob Roy ?
The answer to this question is so excessively simple
that few, probably, have hit upon it. Mr. Anderson
has elected to play "Reb Roy," because—strange reason!
—he can play it very well. We do not mean to say that
he brings out every detail of which the part is susceptible,
but his general rendering has a hearty, bold bluffness
about it that is exceedingly well maintained throughout,
and most adequately conveys the notion of one of those
doughty heroes with whom strength of body was of more
importance than intellectual superiority. On more than
one occasio❑ the outlaw has to menace others of the
dramatis persowe in good set terms, and the conviction
that these menaces could easily be carried into execu-
tiou was not to be avoided. From the beginning to the
end of the piece we were impressed with the belief that
Rob Roy could have thrashed the rest of the characters
all round without the slightest fatigue of the muscles,
and this was done without any forced manner. We
had before us a good, steady, sober, business-like piece
of acting.
As for the acting of the masses, which are numeri-
cally very strong, it is better than we recollect to have
seen in any previous representation of the piece. The
picturesque grief attending the " Och hone a rie !" and
the tumultuous exultation that last night thrilled through
the multitude when the lost chief unexpectedly returned,
and every rocky platform was alive with joyous move-
ment, were capitally managed.
The crowded audience seemed delighted at this revival
of this once popular piece, roaring at the jokes of the
Bailie, sympathising with the outlaw, and shouting ap-
probation, long and continuous, oa the descent of the
curtain.

(From, the Morning Chronicle.)
Professor Anderson appeared last night in a new cha-
racter. Instead of the wizard, we had the Highland
chieftain, the magician turned actor, and with no slight
amount of success. Perhaps, however, we ought hardly
to say that this was a new character ; for although the
professor is known to metropolitan sight-seers only as
the Wizard of the North, we believe that he has already
appeared in " Rob Roy" both in Scotland and in Ame-
rica. Last evening this agreeable musical drama of the
late Sir H. Bishop was produced at Covent Garden with
the most decided success—success which was not unde-
served. Great pains had obviously been bestowed upon its
presentation, which was singularly satisfactory. The
musical arrangements were under the direction of Mr.
Loder, who had under his command a very competent band
•f executants. The scenery was excellent. Several of the
views of Highland glens and valleys might rank amongst
the best pieces of art of their kind. And to conclude these
remarks upon the general :production of the piece, we
may add, that the grouping of the large bodies of chorus,
highlanders, soldiers, and supernumeraries of one sort or
another, was managed in the most picturesque and pic-
torial manner by Mr. A. Harris. The general effect,
therefore, was unequivocally good; and, upon the whole,
the merits of the individual performers of the individual
performers of the principal parts were not entitled to
less favourable consideration. Mr. Anderson himself
played the " bold outlaw " with a great deal of the melo-
dramatic breadth and the rugged strength which be-
came the character. Although this is nut his peculiar
line, he treads the stage like an accustomed actor, and,
whatever faults his performance may have, want of ease
and stage confidence are not amongst the number. The
performance went off exceedingly well, as it had evi-
dently been prepared for with exceeding care, and a
lavish employment of the artistic elements of success ;
and, so far as we can see, we doubt whether "Rob Roy"
will assist the Wizard in getting rid of the superabund-
ant cash for which he told as he took Covent-garden
Theatre as an outlet. The professor was called for at
the close of the first and third acts, and was most warmly
received. 1

( From the Morning Advertiser.)
Last night this theatra, so long devoted t 3 Italian
music, re-echoed once more to the words of Englsh
opera, " Rob Roy " having, been produced by the
temporary lessee, in order to show the town that a
Wizard's talents are universal. In indulging this pas-
sion for the histrionic art, the Professor has shown hie
usual business tact, for be has produced the lyric
melodrama with all the attractions of a spectacle.
The etsief interest to the habitues of the theatre was
derived from watching the performance of the Professor.
He has size, or what, if we wish to be complimentary,
we may term a commanding figure, and his face is not
incapable of stage expression. With these qualities he
is sure, in so manly a part as Rob Roy, to produce a
certai❑ amount of effect. The audience were gratified
to the top of their bent last night, and their admiration
was expressed in a proportionate degree. The house
was well filled, and the pit and galleries were crammed.
The usual calls were made, and, as usual, responded to.
The performance doubtless will carry the Professor pro-
fitably to the end of his brief season.

(From the Daily News.)
" Professor Anderson " has come before the public in
a new capacity, in this country at least. Not content
with being an uhrivallid ooisj aro? and a *bin thegri!

cal manager, he now appears as an actor on his own
stage. He is not new to the boards, hoqever ;f .r the
character of Rob Roy, which he acted last n'ght, has (as
he states) been " performed by him in Scotland, and in
all the theatres in America." He looked the stalwart
outlaw exceedingly well, and showed himself to be a
melodramatic performer of considerable power. As a
spectacle the piece was got up with great care and con•
siderable splendour. The scene of the Highland glen,
where the soldiers are surprised and defeated by the
klacgregors—with the incidents of the fight and the
triumph of the victors—was exceedingly striking. The
performance was highly successful.

(Prom the Morning Post. )
Last erening the great Wizard came out as an actor
for the first time in London, and met with great succes.,
inasmuch as he was warmly applauded throughout his
performance, and called for twice in the course of it.
The part he enacted was Rcib Roy, in the famous play
of that name. There was a large amount of dash and
aplomb in his impersonation, and we can praise the dis-
tinctness of his articulation, his manly bearing and pie-
turesque make-up, his unflagging spirit, and clever man-
agement of stage business. Many of Mr. Anderson's
readings were sensible ; much of his acting sober and
legitimate; and there was a certain dash, combined with
a romantic spirit and picturesqueness about the whole
assumption, which would have rendered a much less in-
tellectual performance highly effective.

( Prom the Morning Herald.
Professor Anderson, it would appear, has ambition as
an actor as well as a wizard ; and his reputation in
Scotland, as the representative of Rob Roy, in Pocock's
once-celebrated piece of the same name, is stated to be
considerable. He made his first London attempt in an
histrionic capacity last night, and played the famous
hero of Scott's novel in the presence of an immense
audience. His acting, as might have been anticipated,
was flavoured with no inconsiderable amount of vigour,
while his aspect was sufficiently stalwart and imposing.
The professor is evidently not a novice in the arts of
melodramatic elocution, and he well knows how to give
popular force to his sentences. The whole performance
was meritorious, and the spectators relished it exceed-
ingly.