The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-19 00:00:00

ADELPHI THEATRE.

A new drama from the pens of Mr. Robert Brough
and of Mr. Bridgman, a new aspirant for dramatic
fame, was produced here last evening with the most
complete success. It is entitled Jessie Gray, and
Madame Celeste, of course, acts the part of the
heroine; she is supposed to he the niece of a beneve-
lent apotheraey, Dr. Gray (Mr. 0. Smith), who is in
practice in Loudon, and whose assistant Jokes (Mr. G.
Honey) is the " funny man" of .the piece, being over-
head and ears in difficulties, in love (with a marchande
de modes cleverly acted by Miss Kathleen Fitzwilliam),
and in terror, lest he should be arrested for hav-
ing, as he thinks, poisoned a footman by mistake. and
being, moreover, haunted by that perpetual bugbear
of all unfledged medicos, " going up to pass." Jessie
Gray is loved by Philip Ratline (Mr. Boyce), the
nephew of Sir Richard Harville (Mr. H. Hughes), a
cold-blooded haughty man, who determines to prevent
what he considers a mesalliance by exciting the jea-
lousy of his nephew. To effect this he works upon
the fears of Jukes, and forces him to give Jessie an
opiate, and when she is asleep to introduce
himself and the housekeeper into her bedroom, so that
their shadows are seen at the:window by Philip, whom
he has taken care to have in waiting in the street.
In agony Philip declares that he will now marry in
accordance with his uncle's wishes, and he sees Jessie
to take leave of her. The scene between Jessie and
Philip is admirably wrought up, and was acted with
intense feeling by Madame Celeste. Her expression
of agony when she hears herself falsely accused was
harrowing. Still, however, there is some feeling
of love for Jessie yet lurking in the heart
of Philip ; and the Baronet, to make all secure,
determines to have her seized and conveyed away to
sea in his yacht. For this purpose he engages Pro-
fessor Chester (Mr. P. Bedford), a gentleman who,
having some years before gone to New South Wales
at the public expense, has returned to England at his
own, and is getting his living as the Hercules of a
poses plastiques exhibition. The professor is secreted
in Gray's house, and there he overhears a conversa-
tion between Jessie and the Doctor (Gray), from which
it appears that Jessie is not the doctor's niece,
but an orphan whom he had found deserted
at an hotel in Paris, and had adopted. The
Professor likewise discovers that Gray's housekeeper,
who is assisting in the plot for the abduction of
Jessie, is no other than his own wife, from whom, for
various reasons, he is anxious to keep the fact of his
existence a secret. The scene now changes to the
house of the Baronet, where the denouement takes
place. There is a large and fashionable party there,
and the salons are crowded with dancers; the Doctor
calls, and is shown into a parlour; he demands
a private interview with the Baronet, 'and after
some difficulty obtains one; he reproaches him with
his conduct to Jessie, and his remonstrances are
received by Sir Richard with sneers and contempt.
Soon, however, the attention of the Baronet is
awakened, the Doctor speaks of years gone by, of a
secret marriage, of a wife deserted, and of a child lost
—the proud man now beseeches the apothecary to
say all he knows, that wife was his, that child was
his, and that child is Jessie Gray. He is overwhelmed
with anguish and remorse, when Jessie herself enters,
accompanied by the Professor. The Professor had
discovered the secret of Jessie's parentage, had saved
her, and had sent his own wife to sea in her stead.
Of course matters are now satisfactorily arranged,
and Jessie is united to Philip, while Jukes, having
" passed," is married to his pretty marchande de modes.
W e know not to which of the authors the credit is
due of the construction of the plot of this drama ; if
to Mr. Brisigmae, he has exhibited an artistical know-
ledge of play building infinitely superior to that of
many an old and favourite playwright. It is one of
the best constructed dramas ever put on the stage; the
incidents arise naturally out of each other,
and all tend to the development of the plot ;
while the comic characters, which usually,
are mere hors d'ceuvre, are in Jessie Gray so con-
nected with the drama as to form necessary parts of
the ensemble, and to be actively engaged in bringing
about the denouement. The pieces was well acted,
Madame Celeste was adtnirahly fitted in the character
of Jessie Gray, and acted it in that intensely im-
passioned manner which is so peculiar to her, and in
which none other can approach her. Mr. H.
Hughes, in his line the best melo-dramatic actor
on the stage, acted the contemptuous, haughty, calcu-
lating villain with a cool assumption of superiority
that told immensely ; he seemed an incarnation of
intellect without feeling ; but when the heart was
touched in the last scene, his acting was full of
agonizing passion. No one understands the art of
contrast better than this gentleman, or employs it
more Atistically or more effectively. 0. Smith,
albeit unused to the melting, mood, acted the part of
the virtuous Apothecary with becoming unction, and
used his white pocket-handkerchief with due de-
carom ; and Paul Bedford, as Hercules, was very
funny. The great hit of the night, however, was the
Jukes of Mr. G. Honey, he acted it with a dry
quaint humour that took Cher audience by storm ; he
kept them in a roar of laughter the whole time he
stage, and at‘the conclusion of the drama
h
WAS OP
was on the
ou
sed with the first call. Henceforth he
takes his station among the best of the humorous
actors of the day. The piece is admirably put on the
stage, and is a decided hit. The theatre was crowded