The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-14 00:00:00

SURREY.

New pieces and new engagements were the
novelties brought forth at this theatre for the enter.
tainment of those seeking amusement at this holi-
day season, and we must especially congratulate Mr.
Creswick on having secured the services of so
charming and popular a vocalist as Miss Poole.
Two other ladies, from the provinces, last night
made their first appearance before a London
audience, under his mana,ement, and both with
decided success—Miss A. Mortimer and Miss Eliza
Johnstone. The first of the new pieces, "The Iron
Arm," is a most powerful drama. The story of the
plot is taken from that repertory of all that is hor-
rible and awful—the first French revolution ; and
the leading part is admirably sustained by Mr.
Shepherd. It is needless to say the drama 'was
triumphantly successful. . To this succeeded the
extravaganza of " Midas," in which Miss Poole de-
lighted the audience. The second new piece is on•
in which Mr. Flexmore, as a monkey, creates diffi-
culties and complications for the express purpose of
unravelling them. His agility is too well known
to need further commendation, but we must say
that we never laughed more heartily thin at tho
antics which he last night played. Every part of
the theatre was crowded to excess.

ASTLEY'S.
Once upon a time—tradition now says not how
far distant---,,the legitimate drama could only be
performed at two or three theatres holding the
royal patent, but that time has passed away, and it
has now become difficult to tell in what the legiti-
mate drama consists. Of late we have been edified
with "Richard III." on horseback, in which White
Surrey carried away triumphantly before him the
applause of the audience, and " Macbeth," d cheval,
proving that it was more to the courage of the
horse than of the man that success for a time ac-
companied the proceedings of the " Thane of Caw-
dor." The powers and the talents of the performers
at Astley's, however, cannot be confined within the
• limits of the reproduction of Sbakspere, with
effects such as the author never anticipated, and we
therefore were not disappointed—indeed, we may
say we were almost pl. ased, to find' that the ma-
nager had determined on producing "an entirely
new grand European and African military spec-
tacle, in three acts, entitled The French in
Algiers, or the Battle of Constantine,' written ex-
pressly for the occasion by Mr. C. A. Somerset,
author of Paul Pry on Horseback,' and we know
not what ; with powerful domestic interest and
brilliant scenic and equestrian effects." Where
all was excellent, it would be invidious to dis-
criminate, though perhaps Mr. 'James Holloway,
the transpontine Phelps, and M. Croueste, the
over-the-water Buckstone, should not be allowed
to pass without au especial notice. At the conclu-
sion of the drama, which resulted in the triumph
of the troops of "La Belle France," the author
and the whole of the actors, except the best of all,
the equine, were called before the curtain to re-
ceive 'he congratulations of the audience ; and here
we must be .allowed to apologise for not having
mentioned the variety of underplots, to enumerate
which with any justice would require a work as
extensive as the " Bibliotheca Britannica." To
this extraordinary domestic drama followed the
ever-so be-remembered and never-tc-be;forgotten
scenes in the circle, whew M'S4 Kate Cooke, with
many others of the Cooke family and assistants,
displayed their wonderful mastery over that noble
animal, the horse, the performances of which were
enlivened by the drolleries of M. Croueste, who,
we are informed, is the prince of grotesques, and
Mr. J. Thorne. The whole of the performances
terminated with the risible farce of " The Tailor of
Tamworth," which was as successful as the other
entertainments. The house was crowded with one
of the best humoured of audiences which it has
ever been our good fortune to meet, and the majo-
rity of whom, we are bound to admit, appeared
more conversant with the history of the drama than
.we could ourselves pretend to be. We recommend
all our friends to see the new drama.

CRYSTAL PALACE.
Saint Monday, though even it was an Easter
Monday, drew nothing like the assemblage of visi-
tors together, as might have been expected after
the display of Friday last. The attractions were
the same, but the beauty of the weather was want-
ing. The most devoted votary of pleasure—the
aiti9an who gets his holiday but once or twice a
year—could not be led to believe that it was worth
his while to brave a winter's storm of snow or hail,
and leave his fireside to shiver, even surrounded by
the fairest flowers or the most exquisite statuary.
Nor do we blame him. Yesterday (Easter Monday)
was ess-ntially a stay-at-home-day, and nothing
but a strict sense of duty to our constituents could
have led us to violate the dictates of domestic influ-
ences produced by the continuous storms of hail,
rain, and snow, which distinguished the day. That
myily 12,000 parties (officially 11,830) visited the
Palace is, however, a sufficient proof that there are
that number of individuals in the metropolis who
feel that they have no other opportunity of being
present than one of our few national holidays
affords. We trust that more genial weather will
draw more crowded audiences to the really excel-
lent music provided for their entertainment at the
Crystal Palace during the coming week.

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS,
The Easter holidays always produce a large num-
ber of visits to this deservedly popular exhibition
—for we know no educational establishment around
the metropolis to which the mind of the young can
be more advantageously directed, and where more
knowledge is to practically obtained. If the
attendance was not quite so good as it has been on
former occasions, it can only be attributed to the
unpropitious state of the weather ; but should the
remainder of the week .be fine, there can the no
doubt that the Zoological Gardens will obtain at
least its fair share of patrons.

CREMORN E GARDENS.
As Easter returns, so with it appears Mr. Simp-
son, of whom we hear nothing for months, emerg-
ing like a butterfly from the chrysalis. What be-
comes of Simpson during the winter months has
long been a mystery to us. Whether he migrates
to some distant land only to reappear with sprin
or whether be lies dormant like the hat, we kno