The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-27 00:00:00

OLYMPIC.

The Christmas festivity provided for the patrons of the
Olympic in the shape of a burlesque by Mr. Robert Brough
upon the story of " Alfred the Great," will probably prove
one of the greatest successes achieved even by the author,
who, since the retirement of Mr. Planche, is fully entitled
to the crown of extravaganza. Well connected, interesting,
bristling with sparkling wit and puns admirable in their
very badness, filled with capital parodies and telling alllu-
sions, Mr. Brough's now production has the advantage of
being put on the stage in a liberal style and acted with
great spirit by all engaged in it. The main point of the
story will be familiar to every child-student of the History,
of England, but for a slight underflow Mr. Brough eon.
fosses himself indebted to Mr. Sheridan Knowles. Here
at the opening we find the Danes, under Guthrum (Mr.
G. Cooke), in possession of England ; while Elswith (Miss
Nelson), Alfred's betrothed, is attached to Guthrunfs
family in a menial capacity. Our first interview with Alfred
is at the neatherd's cottage, or, rather, at a baker's shop,
where he is serving his time, and where ho is visited hy
Merlin, vcrho, in a short parody on the witch scene in u Mao-
beth," calls up for him three figures, who assure him that
if ho avoids red tape, enrols the volunteers, and keeps up
the Channel fleet, England can never be conquered. Then
follows the episode of the burnt bread and the anger of the
old woman, who upbraidingly exclaims,
" The stove's all black I see here's a pretty state I"
to which be replies, ruminating,
_ _

" The stove's all black ! and I'm Alf-Red the Great 1"
Alfred then goes in disguise to the Danish revel, and sings
before Guthrum, does th,!,. Blondin business on a tight rope
across a cataract, and finally escapes, to return with his army
and to rout the invaders. The piece wants, perhaps, a little
compression in one or two scenes, but it will play closer in
a night or two, and the extra time now required for prepara-
tion will not then be needed.
Mr. Robson playa Alfred with all his usual fire and spirit,
and sings his parodice with briskness, quaintness, and effect.
Mr. George Cooke is broadly funny as the drunken, swinish
' Dane ; end Mr. H. 'Wigan snakes the best of a very small part. The ladies, however, bear away the palm. Miss
Cottrell, Miss Nelson, and Miss Hughes, are all very well
suited with characters, and all act and sing charmingly. c
Miss Herbert, who we are glad to see has retArned to her
allegiance at this theatre, looked strainly hands'Orp': but
has very little to do. no villain of the pie rn Is played by
Mrs, 11111(19_1 WM \rff ehlTvr rsailrase of moodmwdic
The burlesque was thprouglikky successful, and deservedly

so ; the public have so long been served with fustain that
the real article seemed to come again with tenfold vigour,
and each joke earned its distinct round of applause. The
curtain fell on a very pretty allegorical representation of
England's glories amidst thunders of applause, and Mr.
Brough (who, we regret to say, looked extremely ill) bowed
his way across the stage in compliance with a loud and
general call.

~t T~~~

_
is played by Miss Saunders, whose stature is somewhat low
whereas his Emma is Mrs. Selby, a lady who, like Rosebud
is "more than common tall." Of course, the fine sentiment
which he is perpetually spouting is occasionally relieved by
such pathetic reflections as would naturally occur to any
husband of fine feelings when ho saw that his said Emma
was a hemmer of his linen—which remark, strange to say,
was not called a &nista. The daring of Mr. Tal-
fourd, in the way of verbal quips, is in fact something
almost without precedent. The plot run its course in the
way everybody knows, save that Albert's life is saved far
less by his sire's skill than by the enormous size of the fruit
which Liberty, disguised as an apple .woman, produces for
the ordeal. Certainly, if it evesr grew on a tree, that tree
must have been in a state of perpetual admiration at the
flon sus porno which for the nonce it was privileged to bear.
The peasant army by which the castle of Gesler (Mr.
Clarke) is stormed consists of women, under the command
of Mrs. Selby and Miss Oliver—it being very sagely re-
marked that women are sometimes unrivalled as " wor-
nors." Finally, when Gesler proposes to cede his castle,
Freedom appears once more, and, after lecturing in an
edifying way all monarchs in general, and the Emperor of
Austria in particular, as to the treatment of their subjects,
assures the fallen tyrant that he shall not leave his castle,
but that his castle shall leave him. She aecordingly turns
it into an amazing apple orchard, and then takes her flight,
as we are let to conclude, to the place from whence oho
came—that is to say, to the shores of this happy realm'
The heroine of the piece is Miss Mario Wilton, whose
part (Albert)'; entitles her to wear the most ravishing our
of knickerbockers ever seen. If she had nothing to do but
to walk about in this charming vestment, she would will
.
the hearts of all beholders, but she has a somewhat consi-
derable role, which she plays with great animation. Miss
oliver doth also enact with great spirit the character as°
signed her; and to these ladies, with Mr. Rogers (sita
sustains the part of Gesler's factotum Sarnom with gre4
unction), is entrusted the main business of the burlesql•
Tho scenery is painted by Messrs. Calcott and Broadfoot;
and parts of it are very meritorious. There is also a very
pretty incidental ballet, in which Miss Rosins Wright in-
troduces her new pas called " La Belle Savoyarde.
Altogether the piece achieved an unequivocal success.