The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-26 00:00:00

HAI'MARK E T.

. ,
The .micpess of , Mr. Palgrave Simpsqn's comedy the
" World and the Stage," so honourably achieved when it
was produced some.weeks ago on the occasion of Miss Amy
Sedgwick's lien*, was thoroughly confirmed last ;night,
when i 1 wee playpa for the second time in the presence of
an [audience crowded after legitimate Easter fashion. A
hearty sveleeme, tpp, was given to the accomplished actress,
whose temporary retirement caused the suspension of; the,
piece. - -
liowever the wprk especially.provided for the recreation
of the b,oliXey-follcs is a burlesque by Frank _Talfourd
(now one of,the chiefs of extravaganza), entitled "Electra,
in a New Electric. Light," The Alld hereic story that em-
ployed the pens of , the three Greek tragedians, of course,
fortes the.bapis of Pie plot, and the scene in which Orestes
and Pylades make their- first.appearance on, the soil of
Mycente, is ,manifestly, after Sopheeles ; but, as matricide,
however justifiable, is rather too serious a matter for comic
treatment, Air. Tqlfourd lies W,01.1114 up the.talevith aeatar.
strophe of his own. Clytemnestra h
as fallen in love with
Pylades,_/Egisthus.with Chrysotheetis, niece (not daughter)
of llis terrible queer} and each, swallows poison prepared by
the other. Np less a personage than Nemesis herself..-ap-
pears as the apologist of this ald alteration. An amatory
episode in which Qiestes and Chrysothemis are, the inter-
esting pairoehe former winning the latter in a wrestling
match is another innovation on the simplicity of the old
story.
Mr. Talteurd sbews himself as ready ;Cpunsier as ever,
and frequent and
.hearty are the laughs excited by the
verbal jokes, .
As a spectacle the new burlesque is likely to prove highly
attractive. .A. classic bustle, with a groteeque ballet in the
great square of >lyceum—a banquet after the antique
fashionovith most splendid appointments, come in as mag-
nificent appendices to a series.of Grecian views, and the last
icene, anfechanical piece of splendour, on the well-known
transformation" .principle' is not only. gergen944.n itself,
butis sufficiently revel in its splendour to please even those
whose eyeslave not recovered_ from the 44zzle wised by a
long courseg Christmas pantomimes. A shout of applause
followed the fall of the curtain.

TUE
; NEW, ADELFILI THATRF.4,.
We are glad to see that the spirited manager of the Nsw
Adelphi has at last become impressed with the fact that it is
possible to sup too full even of horrors, and that enough is
as good as a feast.„"Toujours perdrix! tenjoursiperdral"
is as displeasing to the playgoing public as it was of old to
• the. French
_ecclesiastic ; and we
.offer Mr. Webster our
thanks for having set before his guests a bill of fare in which
the .ordinary.dish of ill-starred hwe murder, and suicide,flanked With 'the eustomary-rntremets pf remorse and de-
spair in the.shape.qf a heavy father and repentant mistress,
are totally _ wantiug. Mr. Webster, in his disregard of
past routine and traditions, has found in the wit; sarcasm,
and_ graphic, power of "Le Sage a more than adequate re-
compense fer his dosertiou of the " Newgate Calendar."
The public Appear to have met the experiment 1A the most
Satisfactory.spirit,, the, house being crammed from top to
bottom, .many pet-4one being disappointed, in their endea-
vours to obtain a teat. Of course the "gods," who were
last night in the seventh heaven, asserted their right of
domination,, and in spite of Epicurus, whose doctrines they
most practicAlly refuted, took the greatest interest in. every
matter, human and.divine, brought before them. "Their
thunderbolts," in, the shape of catcalls, whistles, and
orange .peel,, were
•" not lightly curled;" to borrow a
phrase from. Mr. 'Tennyson, but were heard ever and
anon. resounding_ from the upper • regions, nor was
the approbation displayed by the " miserable mortals" be-
low•less_hearty because more subdued. Who does not know
theglorious tale of " Le Diable Boiteux," at least under its
English title. of "The Devil on Two Sticks. " how an im-
prisoned spirit set 'free from his bonds by a, Spanish student
shows his. gratitude, to his releaser by unroofing the houses
of Madrid, and displaying the different sorrows, joys, in-
trigues, and passions. which make the story of our lives from
year to year,, going on therein ? It was, then, with no
slight pleasure that we were last night dnly reintroduced
to our with old_friend ith a new face, "a polite, refined, and
Parisian demen" (A,lr. Toole), who, in spite of his crutches, '
sings and dances in most infernal fashion, pr what we must
deem as. such. Taking under his protection. Don Cleophas
Zambullo, a jealous lover (Mrs. Mellon), who in the words
of the playbill " is a young Spanish swell, less given to rise
with the la* than.to sit up for one," he conveys him and
us to the-honsetoppof Madrid, a scene as.skillfully painted
-as it is cleverly conceived, and favours us with certain "de-
moniac illusions,"
.ending by casting Don Cleophas into a
deep sleep. , During this long sleep Don 'Oleophas is trou-
bled with a nightmare-in the shape of the Dey of Algiers,
whet by som@ fatality has become the possesor of Leonora
(Miss Mary Keeley) the lady-love of Don Cleophas. The
various expedients, c:f the lovers to free themselves from
captivity, the danger of discovery, the cruelty of the Dey,
and a very firm day too," succeed each other with rapidity,
and prevent, any
.flagging in the interest and action,
although We would, suggest that a little et the pantomime
in this part of the play might be safely curtailed. Finally,
by the 'agency of the friendly spirits , Don Cleophas
awakes, becomes convinced of the groundlessness of his
jealousy; and overcomes the opposition of the "uncle of
extreme heaviness" (Mr. Paul Bedford),
,by rescuing Leo-
nora from a," terrific conflagration," and receives the usual
avuncular benediction in the usual stereotyped fashion.
The-play concludes, with an illuminated representation of
the Cremorne of Madrid, whither, in the ebullition of joy,
the whole party had proceeded.
It must spot be supposed that we would imply a censure
on those-wheae names we have not mentioned. Where all
did so well, it is almost invidious to make distinctions.
Miss Kate Kelly,
,however, as Don Mendoza, rehdered no
slight assistance to her • friend Don Cleophas—and the
Fatima of Miss Arden and the Muley of Mr. C. J. Smith,
were msdels, of stage Orieutalisra. Nor, must the very
gracefutdancing of the ladies of the Dey of Algiers' house-
hold be passed over in silence. If applause is the test of
merit, last night's extravaganza came forth with 'the true
mark and stamp impressed upon it. The success was de-
cisive, and ,we have no doubt the piece, will attract full
houses. .. ..