The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-03 00:00:00

THE ADELPB: THEATRE.

This theatre, last night, was the scene of a very
interesting collection of performances, given for the
double purpose of celebrating the last performance
that will take place within. its walls, and for the
benefit of Mr. Webster. - All the living celebri-
ties of the theatre came to do honour to the occa-
si-n :—Mr. T. P. Cooke to dance his unequalled,
hornpipe as William, in " Black-eyed Susan ;'
Mr. Buckstone to personate his original part of
Guatbrain ; Miss Woolgar (Mrs. Alfred Mellon),
in her original part of Mephistophiles ; Mr. and
Mrs. Keeley appeared in the favourite farce
of "That Blessed Baby ;" Mr. Wright re-appeared
as Mr. Osnaburg, in " Welcome Little Stranger;'
and Mr. Alfred Mellon returned once more to lead
his old band in the orchestra. The performances
were so various that we can only thus briefly
allude to them ; and the grand feature of the even:
ing was an address spoken by Mr. Webster, with
ellent effect aud with great feeling. It is so con-
cise and interesting au account of this theatre, and
the varied fortunes it has been subject to, that we
cannot do better than give it in its entirety. The
speaker was cordially recognised, as he deserves to
be, as one of the ablest, most characteristic, and
indefatigable of our genuine English actors :

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,—In venturing a last address
to you upon these time-honoured and theatrically-hallowed
boards, it is with a mixed feeling of pride and sorrow—the
remembrance of the unique triumphs that have been
achieved here and of many of the admirable exponents of
the dramatic art associated with this establishment. Their
name is legion, and the celebrated remains of your favour
here, who have honoured me by their efforts on this pecu-
liar and anxious occasion, I think you will admit, show
that the old leaven may be backed against all England.
Here those inimitable artists—Power, Mr. and Mrs. Yates,
the elder Mathews, Terry, Wrench, John Reeve, O. Smith,
Mrs. Nisbett, Mrs. Honey, Mrs. Fitzwilliam, Mrs. Way-
lett, and many others known to fame, who, all but one.
have now passed from among us, have been wont to excite
your sympathies or sent you laughing to your beds ; and if
they live in your memories, the actor's only record, it will
be the golden frame to the pictures in life they so exqui-
sitely drew for the present regular occupants of the popu-
lar arena. On their own merits modest men are dumb—
Plandite et valets, (Terence, hem *
The dramas, farces, and burlesques produced here have
been characterised by such singular success, that not only
do provincial managers win confident audiences to their
temples of histrionic display by the announcement of an
Adelphi drama or screaming farce, but in almost every
provincial town of importance there is an Adelphi theatre,
the highest compliment perhaps that can be paid to the
popularity of your appipeciation. The authors, too, of this
little set" have more largely benefited, I believe, by their
successes here, than in any other establishment ; but they
can speak for themselves, and may their shadows never be
lase. To enlarge upon the coincidental history of this
theatre world trespass too much upon your time and pa-
-1 tience • but strange things are brought about by the
whirligig of time. On this very spot stood the roadside
farm of the celebrated actress Nell Gwynne, in whose
kindly heart Chetsea Hospital, that refuge for the poor
worn out soldier, had its origin. Under my feet is the
well of pure spring water that still bears her name, that
she loved to drink when halting here, on her way to
the village of Charing, to eat fish and curds with the
1 Merry Monarch ; and here, after a lapse of nearly 200
I years, a theatre has grown up, ranking high in repute-
' tion, and honoured by the frequent presence of royalty.
How it became a theatre is equally singular—it was eon'
sequent upon " True Blue," in the year 1802, through a
dye of that name having been invented by a Mr. Scott, or
" True Blue " Scott, as he was familiarly called, which
gave such a peculiarly delicious tint to the peculiarly de-
licious habiliments of the fair sex, that a rapid fortune
i was the consequence—an established fact, when feminine
influence is brought to bear on anything material or im-
material. " True Blue," being of an imaginative turn.
cast the fortunes of his dye on a heap of ruins that
stood, or rather fell, here, and raised out of them 9.
Temple of variety, wherein he enacted a variety of enter-
tainments that could e le the law and the monopoly of the
legitimate drama. Hite Miss Scott held sway with story
and song ; and the piano descended through a trap, to make
room for Frikell acts of legerdemain. Here Charles Dib-
din, the bard and life of the wooden walls of old England,
gave his attractive illustrations of men and manners, until
" True Blue " Scott finding acting under a mask as profit-
able as his dye, threw it off for the bare-faced article, and
erected a theatre here called the Sans Pareil. Success at-
tended this second move. It then passed into the hands of
Messrs. Rodwell and Jones, of " Tom and Jerry " fame,
who realised by that exttavaganza almost fabulous mint
Aften then, it became the property of Messrs. Terry and
Yates, who kept up its notoriety by many species of at'
tractions, from Mademoiselle Djeck and the Bayaderes, ue
to those undying dramas of " Victorine," "The Wrens
Ashore," "The Pilot," and many others too numerous t°
mention. When Terry ceased to be, the elder Mathews
joined Mr. Yates, whose unflagging energy and judgment
never ceased to gratify the public. In the course of tune
this freehold pet of the public ultimately fell into the PO'
session of a person of whom you have probably heard, oil
Benjamin Webster, who, I trustby "Green Bushes," "Jane,'
Pride," " Flowers of the Foreet, "The Willow Copse,
" The Poor Strollers," &c., has endeavoured to follow i!
the steps of his predecessors. Having spoke of the past, ri
will briefly allude to the future, as I do not profess n
look into the seeds of time. Eversince I became possessed °'
this property, I have felt the necessity of a better theatre,
combining modern comfort with increased powers of 00.00.
,
A. theatre honoured by the marked patronage of her ull;
gracious Majesty, and that real patron of the drama, the
Prince Consort, ought, with the finest site in the metT°:s.
polis, if not in the world, to be second to none, VW"
propor means and appliances, and these I shall strive to
employ to general satisfaction. With regard to the Eng-
lish drama itself, it is in your power, ladies and gentle-
men' to give it a new life; for it is still strong annwg
us, both with regard to authors and actors, an''
as it exists, no foreign nation has ever equalled it 1s
power, construction, poetry, and purity. I then hope that
the British public will not allow us to be so/ fa'd out of our
birthright, though our stages have been lately devoted t°
four Italian operas in one night. I have yet faith in the
strength of the Saxon language being triumphant in a di,:
matic sense, as the Saxon mind and body are dominant iD
art, science, war, and peace. We live to please, anal "m
.
confident you will please to let us live. To every one
ployed about me, to the Press generally, to the kind heaP'
who have clung to the old craft and its commander, on tol'
last night of the Adelphi, both before and behind the Orli
tain, I heartily offer my sincerest thanks. It speaks We.
for us all, and is particularly flattering to me. Until tb
end of September next, when I hope to welcome you 11,1 h
new and approved theatre, 1 respectfully wish you boa
and happiness.
After the audience had retired the company g
sembled on the stage, and presented Mr. WOO
with a gold watch and chain, of splendid worlonerli
• ship. The watch, which was offered in the nanle°
• the corps dramatique by Mr. Paul Bedford, b__,,,
n
the following inscription :—" This remembrance c'
the Adelphi and its fortunes for 14 years was pre,
sented to Mr. Benjamin Webster after the last 134 t
formance on Wednesday night, June 2, 1858. The
funds for its purchase were raised by a general sub"
scription in every department of the theatre, 01:1,
and• all rejoicing in the opportunity of reeordiolk
their respect for the man, admiration of the actor,
and confidence in the manager.
Mr. Webster, who was received with the WI
cordial applause, acknowledged the compliment
graceful and impressive terms ; and so closes the
history of the old Adelphi.