The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-02 00:00:00

STRAND.

This theatre was densely crowded last night.
The performances commenced with the comedietta
of " Change for a Sovereign," written by Mr.
Horace Wigan, which had been played on several
previous occasions, but which was, nevertheless,
listened to throughout with a much greater degree
of attention than a holiday audience usually be-
stows on anything which has not the stamp of
complete novelty to recommend it. After this
piece came the new burlesque extravaganza en-
titled, " Aladdin ; or, the Wonderful Scamp," by
Mr. H. J. Byron, the author of " The Maid and the
Magpie," " The Very Latest Edition of the Lady
of Lyons," and " Cinderella," which had a consi-
derable run, but which bid fair to be rivalled in
popularity by their immediate successor. Aladdin
is in the old style of Mr. Byron, replete
with puns of the most excruciating character, and
has the merit of having its various parts admirably
adapted to the several actors by whom they are
represented. Unlike other theatres, " the Strand"
affords to burlesque a permanent home. In bur-
lesque it has acquired the high reputation as a place
of public amusement, which since it fell into the
hands of Miss Swanborongh it has undoubted/ft
enjoyed, and the consequence of this adherence to
a particular style of performance is, that the com-
pany have attained in it a degree of proficiency
which is seldom elsewhere observable. Last night
the old staff, with the exception of Miss Oliver, again
appeared before the public with their wonted
success, the only addition to their number being
Miss Fanny Josephs, who recently formed one of
the principal attractions at Sadlers' Wells. The new
play, therefore, it will readily be imagined, had all
the advantages of clever and well-concerted acting
to recommend it. It is founded on the old story in
the " Arabian Nights." Aladdin, "a lively youth,'
who from dire distress climbs at once, having
obtained possession of the wonderful lamp, to riche s
and station, is represented by Miss M. Wilton, with
that piquancy which has won for her so much
fa"vour. Mr. Clarke plays Abanazar, a magician,
and has again occasion to furnish that type of the
itinerant Jew dealer, with which those who have
seen him in " The Maid and the Magpie" must be
familiar. As the widow Twankay—Aladdin's
mother —who "is rather old, and who even in her
youth did not possess any beauty," Mr. J. Rogers
ample scope for those delineations of female
in dress and attitude and general appear-
ance which rank among his best efforts. The events
finds
eccentricity
supposed to take place in Pekin the
paretvhaeipliinecgecboesitnugme is Chinese. The scenery is very
tasteful, and in one or two instances even brilliant.
Songs and dances are, after the fashion of burlesques,
introduced at different intervals during the perform-
ance, and rarely without being encored. A grand
bridal ballet, in which Miss Rosin°. Wright is the
prineipal figure, also takes place during its progress.
Being thus put on the stage, being well acted,
and being in itself full of " quips and cranks,"
and bristling with puns, the piece went off very
successfully, and Mr. Byron received the honour of
a call before the curtain at its close. The farce of

••••••••••11EIMIMMI
" Vandyke Browne," of ancient celebrity, brought
the entertainments of the evening to a close.

SADLERS' WELLS.

Mr. Josephs has taken this theatre for a short
season, which commenced last evening, but without
any special novelty, the chief attraction relied upon
being the clever Lauri family, and this would seem
to have been attraction enough, for the house was
filled in every part. The bill of fare consisted of
the time-honoured "Time Tries All," the never-
fading farce of the " Swiss Cottage," and a most
amusing and ludicrous ballot of action, called the
" Rivals' Rendezvous," in which the Lauri family
were excessively diverting, and caused bursts of
merriment by their grotesque antics. Air. Josephs
appears to have opened his season successfully, and
we observe he is about to produce the drama of
"Ruy Blas, which is calculated to maintain the
success with which he has commenced.