The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-18 00:00:00

SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE.

It cannot be denied that Mr. Phelps has rendered great
service to the legitimate drama and its professors, and the
barrier he now seems determined to remove is one that has
existed for many years, during which time it has worked
most detrimentally to rising talent. Immediately an actor
by fortune becomes the manager of a theatre, from that
moment he, without considering whether he possesses the
requisite talent and ability for the task, foolishly imagines
that as a matter of course he must play the whole of the
leading parts, whatever talent he has secured to enable
him to carry out his speculation to a profitable issue. In
the majority of cases within our recollection this rule has
acted most detrimentally, because the public are debarred
the pleasure of novelty, and as a natural come-
queue° failure, commercially speaking, follows. Mr.
Phelps, however, seems determined to break down
this custom which has so long prevailed. But a short
time ago we were called upon to notice Ilia abdication of
one of his favourite parts to Mr. Marston, and last evening
Mr Hermann Vezin appeared in another of his characters,
viz., Posthumus Leondus in " Cymbeline," The task for
Mr. Vezin, it must be admitted, was no easy one, especially
after the impression Mr. Phelps had created by his forcible
acting ; but we are bound to say his young successor ac-
quitted himself in a manner that proved his talent and
ability had not bean over• estimated. His conception of
the part was admirable. The different phases of the
character of the brave Briton were brought out
with a truthfulness and pathos that told immensely
with the audience. We have not space to dwell at length
on the many beauties of the part, but the manner in which
he declaimed the lines towards the close of the third act was
elocution of the highest order—in fact, the fervent thoughts
of the great poet were rendered with the taste of a man of
genius and a scholar. Mr. Marston's Jachimo was a careful
piece of acting, as was Barrett's Belarius, Lewis Ball's Clo-
ten, and Mr. Rayner's Cymbeline. Mrs. Chas. Young sus.
toned the part of Imogen, and a more exquisitely beauti-
ful peaformance has seldom been witnessed.

MR. JOHN BROUGHAM'S IPL'IV PLAY.

(From the New York Times.)

WALLACK'S THEATRE.-Mr. John Brougham, the uni-
versal favourite of the public, is now in London, playing,
we understand, in a successful engagement at the Hay-
market Theatre. We will send him, across the water, a
few hearty words of congratulation. His new comedy,
called "Playing with Fire," produced last night at Wal-
lack's, was not merely a success, but a triumph so unequi-
vocal as to deserve to be marked with a " white stone,"
according to the recommendation of Plautus, in the history
of the drama. We are aware that this is high praise, but it
is merited. Do not the roars of laughter echd in our ears
yet. Was ever audience dismissed, at the fall of the cur•
Min, more thoroughly satisfied with their night's enjoy-
ment ?

To describe the plot would be almost to write the play.
It cannot be wisely attempted, and we prefer to let the
patrons of Wallack's, who in this instance will be nearly
all the theatre-going population of the city, evolve it and
resolve it for themselves. It may be sufficient to say that
supposed matrimonial difficulties, which have no real exist-
ence, entangling a pair of husbands and a pair of wives, lie
at the base of its construction ; and that the " Playing
with Fire" typifies the dangerous mode of resort whereby
they endeavour to test each other's fidelity and sincerity of
affection. But beyond this, and yet artfully interwoven
with it, are a series of the most amusing stratagems, equi-
vogues and contretemps that have been witnessed in a new
comedy for many years past. A crowded house testified
their approbation of these effects and situations with such
manifestations of delight as are seldom heard within the
walls of a theatre.

Al, LOUIS BLANC ON NAPLES.