The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-24 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
The Princess's Theatre opened for the season on
Saturday with The Merry Wives of Windsor and
Mr. Tom
Guardians.
amusingrdians.TayTlohr'erseis
oee e fnarri ca el ,
changeT o P aieretnht
es
paenrcl.
sonnel of the Princess's company from last season, and
as at the commencement of last season, so at the com-
mencement of the present, Messrs. Kean and Keeley
have entered into a short engagement with Mr. Bart-
ley, who on Saturday night appeared as Sir John
Falstaff, and acted the part as jollily, as
.unctiously,
and as artistically as ever he did. It is a model piece
of acting is the Sir John Falstaff of Mr. Bartley,
almost the last remaining specimen left of the good
old school•acting of the days when there was a school
of acting. It should be not only seen, but studied
attentively; studied by every actor who is ambitious
of becoming a conscientious Interpreter of the Shak-
sperian comic drama. Mr. Charles Kean appeared as
Mr. Ford ; end-to-our thinking not only is be the best
Mr. Ford at present on the stage, but his Mr. Ford
is, if not the best, certainly one of the best of his im-
personations. It is delightful for its unconventionality,
whilst at the same time it is worthy of all praise for
its high finish. The nervous fidgettiness with which he
listened to Falstaff's schemes, as shown by his gesticu-
lations, more particularly by his drumming with his
fingers on the table (so characteristic of a nervous
man), proved that he hid studied attentively in the
school of nature ; and his look of blank despair when,
as he listened to the adventures of the buck-
basket, the truth flashed on him, and over-
whelmed him, was a fine bit of genuine comedy.
Never Las Mr. Charles Kean shown himself a snore
accomplished artist than on Saturday evening. Keeley
made a comfortable and amusing Sir Hugh Evans,
and Addison a bluff and rubicund host; Harley's
was a traditional Slender, but Mr. A. Wigan rescued
Dr. Caius from the conventional and traditional ab-
surdities by which he has hitherto been disfigured,
tu Woingea no
fh a
and represented him as Shakspere intended he should
be represented—as a French gentleman. The Caius
of
re M r.
of
tshealloldthemeesffteecrst,offraombeauwthifiuclhpiacli
the filth and varnish
which had disfigured it
has been carefully removed, andwhich
fresh as the day it left the easel. Mrs.
Charles Kean played the parto of Mrs.
ofda somewhat
the
Ford
aa pr
apwce alt.
with
hrs
infinite taste ; she raised the tone
ofMrs. Ford
womr aAni raising the
irritable,
throughout,bu but
refinedsnd
lady-like
character to the level of high comedy,
.uss
as the kind-hearted, laughter-loving, jo Yors. KeMeley,
M
rs.
Page, was quite in her element, while
Keeley made a very interesting Ann page. Mary Mary
Winstanley acted the part of Dame Quickly in 11.
careful and artist-like manner. The piece has been
carefully put on the stage, and the costume adopted
is that of the time of Henry IV., instead of that of
the age of Elizabeth, which has been the costume
adopted of late years. At first sight this may
appear a judicious alteration, but we must recollect
that in Shakspere's time propriety of costume
was not thought of, that throughout the comedy of the
3ferto the time of Henry IV. as the period in rY
Wives (f Windsor there is nothing which
which the action of the play takes place, and that by
points
adopting the costume of Elizabeth we avoid falling
into an absurd anachronism. " They are my East
and my West Indies," says Falstaff, speaking of the
Merry Wives of Windsor, " and I will trade to them
both." Now, however natural it might be for a
knight of the time of Queen Elizabeth to talk of
trading to the West Indies, it is very certain that no
such allusion could have been made by
a knight of
the time of Henry IV., and for thii reason,
if for no other, we prefer the Elizabethan
costume for the !eferry Wives of Windsor.
At the conclusion of the play the National Anthem
was performed by the orchestra, but not sung by the
company, an omission at which we were somewhat
surprised. It was of course enthusiastically cheered.
The house was crowded to the ceiling.

ASTLEY'S AMPHITHEATRE,
Through the length and breadth of the land how
few there are who have not heard of Astley's. We
have been induced to make the above remark in con-
sequence of Mr. Batty producing on his boards the
new dramatic spectacle of 'Azad, which, as a drama,
is the best and most instructive piece ever produced.
Nor could it be otherwise when founded on that most
beautiful of all parables " The Prodigal Son."
There, perhaps, never was a time when a visit to
Astley's would e so amply repaid as at present. A
more instructive and pointed moral than that conveyed
in Azael it is impossible to conceive ; from the unex-
ceptionable moral of the story and its historic
character, the splendour of the costumes, appoint-
ments, processions, tableaux, &c., it is peculiarly
adapted to the instruction and gratification of the
young, and therefore we expect that at the approach-
ing Christmas Astley's will be the theatre par ex-
cellence cf the family party. The spectacle of Azael,
as produced at Astley's, has obtained the assistance
of those accessory effects which the vast and peculiar
resources of this establishment only cculd supply ;
troops of horses, camels, zebras, sheep, goats,
ostriches, and other animals, give a vivid reality to
the desert life depicted. The piece undoubtedly must
and will have an enviable run, for it is, throughout,
well acted and gorgeously mounted. In addition to
the above, are presented nightly several new and most
attractive scenes in the circle by eminent native and
foreign artistes, who have recently been added to the
programme of the establishment.

THEATRE ROYAL, GLASGOW.
The attraction at this house during the week has
been centred in the person of that famous comedian
Mr. Wright, who has for many years kept the London
Adelphi in a roar. This gentleman has appeared in
a succession of crack parts; and his quiet, natural
style of acting, has been greatly appreciated by the
lovers of comic art. In such characters as John
Grumley in Domestic Economy—an amusing farce
founded on a familiar homely tale—Mr. Wright is
particularly happy. Honest John feels displeasure
at the manner in which his household affairs are ma-
naged, and insists that he could do all the " hussey-
skep" better in a tithe of the time usually taken. Mrs.
G. is but teo glad to allow John a trial of his skill and
powers, and she for the time undertakes the manage-
ment of his out-of-door duties. But John has mis-
calculated his strength; everything goes against him,
and he is fain, crest-fallen, to resume his ordinary
and appointed occupations. This is the whole plot, if
it deserve that term ; but the delineation of charac-
ter: is excellent, sustaining an agreeable interest.
Paul Pry, Harvest Home, The Wreck Ashore, and
other pieces, have, in the course of this engagement,
been presented ; and last evening, for the benefit oi
Mr. Wright, the comedy of Sweethearts and Wives,
The Spits fields Weaver, and My Precious Betsy,
were performed before a well-filled house. In all
these pieces Mr. Wright was intensely amusing.
Glasgow Citizen.
[We are happy to hear that our old friend Wright
has entirely recovered from his illness, and is an-
nounced to appear 'at the Adelphi on the Ist of De-
cember.—En. Sun.]

LAMENTABLE OCCURRENCE.
GLASGOW, FRIDAL—About two o'clock this morning
an alarm was given that fire had broken out in a house
in South Albion-street. When the brigade proceeded
to the spot smoke was found to be issuing from every
chink of one of the rooms in the tenement, occupied -by
a lady and her child. It was at first hoped that the oe.
cupanta might be absent, but this unhappily was not the
case, for on the firemen breaking open the door and
creeping into the apartment, at great personal risk, they
found the child (a little girl about three years of age)
lying on the floor and still breathing; but the poor
thing died in the course of her removal to the police.
office. The search was instantly renewed and the
mother was also found, lying on the floor in a state
of insensibility, and though instantly removed she
died before medical aid arrived. The bed, whicli
stood in the corner of the room, and some
of the furniture, was on fire, but the flames were
easily subdued, before they obtained a hold on any other
part of the tenement. There is something mysterious
regarding the identity of this unfortunate woman and
her child. All that is known of her is that her name
was Campbell, that she belonged to the highlands,and
that she was occasionally visited by
garb of a gentleman, who is understood ato person
be
the father
of the child, though not the husband of the woman.
Since the catastrophe no one has app eared to identify in the
h -3, found in the repo-
The house was
wellor claim
furnished,the b o daineds oaf
Hi money
that she may have
sitories of the woman.
It
:hula while in this state the
been addicted to liquor, and
bed, and that the volumes
flen on the ,
candle may.have fa
n stupified mother and daughter.
of smoke arming stilt s9oflitaryepair.
Campbell was found she w ore the clothes in which
Miss Canal)
.
d been seen in during the
she had This view is strengthened by the fact that when Mrs. or

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