The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-26 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

This theatre re-opened on Saturday evening
under the management of Mr. A. Harris During
the short time the theatre has been closed it has
undergone a thorough renovation, and a great num-
ber of additional comforts have been added to the
audience portion of the house. The effect of the
interior, with its crowded audience, was very bril-
liant ; and, as far as patronage is concerned, the
success of the new management, in a " corn-

mercial point of view," seems certain. Judg
ing from what we know of Mr. Harris, as
stage manager of the Royal Italian Opera, all
his productions will be placed before the public
with the greatest completeness, and, such being so,
he has our best wishes for his success in his new
capacity of lessee. The performances commenced
with a drama, in four acts, by Mr. Oxenford, en-
titled " Ivy Hall ;" and we certainly expected that
from so practised a hand we shouli have had, at
least, something original, but we were disappointed;
the new drama being merely an adaptation of
a French piece which attracted attention in
Paris, entitled, "Le Roman d'un Jeune Homme
Pauvre." The plot of " Ivy Hall" is briely as
follows :—Sir Gilbert Castleton, being ruined, ac•
cepts the situation of steward, leaving his title, of
course, in abeyance till better times, in the service
of Mrs. Hawkesworth, at Ivy Hall. This lady and
her daughter, Amoret, feel greatly interested in
their new retainer, whose accomplishments and
courtly manners become apparent malgro lui. The
younger lady, who, we should state, is engaged to
Sir Bugle Bradley, a country gentleman, is even
secretly attached to the handsome steward, but
knowing herself to be wealthy, she is jealously
suspicious of the motives of all who approach her,
and when she by chance discovers the real rank
and name of the poor gentleman, she at once sets
him down as an intriguing fortune-hunter. Sir
Gilbert adores her, though he treats her with de-
ference and distant respect. It is his fate to be
misunderstood, for the morbid suspicion of the fair
Amoret accounts the very conduct arising from his
noble nature as mere cunning. Captain Hawkes-
worth, the imbecile grandfather of Amoret, has
amassed his wealth by the plunder of a branch of
the family of Sir Gilbert, who becomes acquainted
with the circumstances just at the most opportune
moment when he holds the position of the
Ha.wkesworths in his hands. Although he has
been scorned and contemned, he resolves to
burn the all-important document, and leave his
lady love in blissful ignorance that he is the lawful
owner of all the Hawskworth property, and she,
in fact, nearly a beggar. By accident he is
prevented carrying out his design ; all is discovered,
and, of course, the piece concludes with the mar-
riage of Amoret and Gilbert. The performance of
Amoret by Mrs. Charles Young was exceedingly
beautiful, and elicited great applause. Mr. Har-
court Bland, a new aspirant for metropolitan fame,
sustained the part of Sir Gilbert, but it seemed a
part entirely out of his line, and therefore :t would
be unfair to take his acting on Saturday evening
as a specimen of his quality. Gilbert is constantly
throughout the play, called " my young friend,"
while Mr. Bland to us appears to be somewhat
advanced in years, and it is to be regretted a more
juvenile member of the company was not selected
for the part. Iu elderly characters Mr. Bland
may be very good, but, as we have said before, in
roles similar to that of Sir Gilbert Castleton, he is
quite out of his element. Mr. Widdicombe has a
good part in the play, but he did not seem quite at
home in it. Mr. Frank Mathews and Mr. Meadows
have both been fitted to a nicety, consequently they
acted with their accustomed ability and success.
At the fall of the curtain there were loud sounds of
disapprobation, but the applause predominated, and
consequently the play, we suppose, must be said to
be successful. If fortune frowned on the first piece
she smiled most bountifully on the next, a burlesque
by Planche, entitled " Love and Fortune," the
principal part in which was sustained by Miss
Louisa Keeley. This young lady is a fresh, charm-
ing actress, and as long as she is on the stage the
fame that attaches to the name of Keeley will never
diminish. At the fall of the curtain the applause
was enthusiastic, and " Love and Fortune" for
many a week will draw crowded audiences to the
Princess's.
n-