The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-08 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

The new and original three-act drama, by Mr.
T. W. Robinson, the author of " Society," pro-
duced at this theatre on Wednesday, met with the
most enthusiastic success—not from its intrinsic
merit as a literary production, but from the un-
rivalled excellence with which it has been placed
upon the stage by Mr. G. Vining. " The Streets
of London," the " Huguenot Captain," and "Bar-
naby Rudge," were all admirably mounted, bat the
new drama, " Shadow Tree Shaft," entirely eclipses
the three united, and all the applause it elicited was
but a just tribute paid to Mr. Vining's exertions,
aided by his splendid scene-painter, Mr. F. Lloyds.
Of the drama itself we could have wished it had
been more deserving of the great care and expense
that have been bestowed upon its production ; but
had it been placed in hands less experienced than
Mr. Vining's its career would have been as short as
its run now bids fair to be long and successful. The
change in the fortunes of the piece entirely belong
to the talented manager, and we sincerely hope our
anticipations of a brilliant career for "Shadow Tree
Shaft" may be fulfilled, and that his treasury may
afford him a golden balm for his toil and trouble.
The plot of the new drama is briefly as follows :
Sir Walter Kenyon is a baronet whose devotion to
the cause of the Chevalier has caused his proscrip-
tion. Pursued by the soldiers he flies to his ances-
tral home, where, of course, the scent is hot. He
takes refuge in the cottage of Thorniwork, his
steward, whose daughter Kate is loved by Michael
Woodyatt, and by Richard Darkyn, the villain of
the piece. Just previously Kate has had an inter-
view with Michael, to whom she has promised that
at the feast she will name the day for her wedding.
The stew and is in despair at the danger of his master,
whose wife is also in the cottage. To him enters
one Sampson, a pugilist, who has a booth at the fair,
wherein, with his pupil, the Suffolk Slogger, he
shows to the crowd the noble art of self-defence.
Sampson proposes that the baronet shall temporarily
assume the role of the Slogger, who has been dis-
abled. Believing in the disguise, Sir Walter accepts
the offer. The scene changes to the brow of Ken-
yon-hill, where the fair is being held. Whilst spar-
ring with Sampson the baronet is recognised by
Darkyn, who, inspired by the hope of a reward,
which some soldiers have come to the fair to offer,
determines to denounce him. Sir Walter, informed
of this intention, flies for refuge to the coal mine,
where he and Woodyatt change clothes, and where
he is again recognised by Darkyn. The sol-
diers trace Sir Walter to the mine, and Michael, in
the clothes of the baronet, is forced to ascend. As
the cage goes up the shaft Darkyn determines to
accompany Michael, and there suspended between
heaven and earth he stabs his rival. At the top of
the shaft, Lady Kenyon recognises, as she thinks,
the body of her husband, but Kate discovers the
corpse to be that of her lover. In the third act the
villain Darkyn has run to earth, having got his
reward, and being left without a friend, and here
Kate strays while the minute bell is tolling for the
funeral of her lover. She denounces Darkyn, and
as he pursues her through the wood he is confronted
by Michael, who has been only wounded after all.
The soldiers having found that Michael's funeral
was only a mock ceremony, and that the baronet
was still at liberty, have contrived to secure them
both. They are brought face to face, and it is need -
less to explain how they are identified. But as the
baronet is in charge of the soldiers, a neighbour-
ing justice of the peace arrives with his pardon,
and all ends happily. The first two acts gave a great
deal of promise, but in the third it was all pushed
aside by the introduction of a bit of broad farce,
which weakened the drama almost to a fatal ex-
tent. That this objectionable part of the play will
be eliminated we doubt not, especially as the
effect mid be a compression of the action into a
smaller compass, and thereby a material improve-
ment in the drama. Of the acting we can speak
in terms of the highest praise. Mr. Verner and
Mr. Forrester, as Sir Walter Kenyon and Michael
Woodyate, produced a decided impression on the
audience by their extraordinary resemblance to each
other—a resemblance, in our opinion, more striking
than that of the Brothers Webb. Mr. Vining has
a peculiar part to represent —viz., a pardoned (fa'
cobite gentleman getting his living by teaching the
manly art of self-defeuce. He hit the character
off in capital style, and proditced the utmost hilarity
by his Greek and Latin quotations. Mr. Villiers
made a capital Richard Darkyn, and Mr. Shore a
most gentlemanly Captain Mildmay. Miss Montague
as Lady Kenyon, and Miss K. Rodgers as Kate,
both deserve unmeasured commendation for
the natural and truthful embodiment of the parts
they had to sustain. Of the scenery of the drama
we can honestly and conscientiously say that nothing
like it, both for truth and beauty, has ever been
produced at any theatre. The Brow of Kenyon
Hill is a delicious bit of moonlight effect. The Mine
is another wonderfully true illustration. The Fir
Coppice is an extraordinary scene ; the trees and
the ground for miles around appear covered with
snow, and by a very clever contrivance a chillinl'
wintry atmosphere is given to the 'picture. Tilo
l
audience were in such ecstacies that the painter /V3s
summoned for the fifth time to bow his acknow:
lodgments of the applause his work had produced
At the close of the play the whole of the prin-
cipal characters were called for, and when
Vining made his appearance he did so hand in hand
with his clever and talented scene painter.

TILE FRENCII JOCKEY CUUB.—The income of she
French Jockey Club, which in 1847 amounted to 362,256 Li
had increased in 1866 to 932,593 f., including subventiono
from the Emperor's private purse, the Government, city of
Paris, the railway companies, subscriptions of the men?bes'
Ste. ; in addition to the above, the receipts for admission to
the racecourse of Paris and Chantilly duringthe year pro"
duced 474,226 f.