The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-12 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE .

An adaptetion of the comic opera .Le Chrperan
Blanc was pr duffel here laet evening, under the
tide, of :he 1,.-"kite hoods, and, although it is from the
of Mr. P a -che, we.: magnificently put en the
e,ge, and had the edvontege of the inimitable acting
etairlfs Mathews, in a character analogous to
the Simon Knippinclipper of Liston in Thirteen to the
Dozen, yet it achieved only a partial success, al-
:hetneh, if judiciously curtailed, we think it
might yet become a favourite. The scene is
laic iu l3ruges in the troublons days of the Van Arte-
veldes, and the Hood, from which it takes its
name, is the emblem of those " White-hoods" who,
according to Froissart, completely revolutionized
Flanders. Thus runs the plot :—Louis de Maele,
Count of Flanders (Mr. George J. Vining), who, at
the moment the piece opens, is threatened with an
insurrection of the citizens of Ghent, conceives a
passion for Merely:eke (Miss Faeny Baker), the
(laughter of Jan Venbloos (deacon of the druggists
of Ghent), and lays a plot for decoying her to
h;s palace, where he expects to attain the
fruition of his wishes. In the mean-
time, Gilbert de Grossenhayne (Mr. 11. Horn-
castle) his pretended friend, who also has a design
upon Marguerite, is in league with the White-hoods,
or insurrectionist party, and at the same moment me-
ditates the destruction of the Count in his palace, and
the capture of the fair one. This last scheme is frus-
trated by Peter Pestlework (Mr. Charles Mathews),
an apprentice to the druggist, who has assumed the
badge of the white-hood without knowing its signi-
ficance, and who, at the moment the Count's life is
threatened by the insurrectionists, .1.8 instrumental in
sac Mg him. In acknowledgement of this good service,
the Count renounces his own suit, and bestows the hand
of Marguerite upon PeterPestlework,her acceptedlover.
The piece was admirably acted. Mr. Basil Baker,
who made his first appearance here last night, is an
excellent representative of testy :old men ; and :his
daughter, Miss Fanny Baker, is full of animation and
vivacity, and makes an admirable soubrette. A novel
scenic effect, and beautiful as it is novel, was intro-
duced in the first scene. The scene is the interior
of the druggist's shop in the early morning; the shut,
ters are shut, and the shop is in darkness ; but as
they are removed the light streams in, and
the whole shop becomes illuminated. This beautiful
effect was loudly applauded. A grand fairy spectacle
called the Romance of the Rose, was also produced
last evening, and was most triumphantly successful;
the plot is very slight. A misanthropic Count (Mr.
Clifford) is encouraged in his peculiarity by a malig-
nant spirit, named the King of the Thorns (Miss Julia
St. George), who attends him as the Chevalier Le
Sombre. The evil influence is counteracted by the
Queen of the Roses (Miss Kenwortby), who corrects
the Count whenever he vents his ill humour on his
servant Hans (Mr. Suter), and by showing him a
series of tableaux convinces him that the world is
beautiful after all. These tableaux, for the sake of
which the piece is evidently produced, consist of ele-
gant groups, arranged with great regard to pictu-
resque effect, and heightened by the beauty of the
young ladies composing them. Each of them is an
allegorical representation of one of the four Rosicru-
cian elements, and the principle of a revolving hori-
zontal circle, familiar to the studio of the sculptor and
the audience of poses plastiques, is applied, so that the
group may be visible on every side. The groupings,
which are designed by Mr. Beverly, are the most
beautiful and graceful that can be imagined, and were
applauded enthusiastically. Miss Julia St. George
was deservedly encored in a very pretty song, compose d
expressly for her by Mr. Tully ; and a like
compliment was paid to Herr Pigall, a German bass
singer, who made his first appearance here, and in
the character of a goatherd sang a song, in which he
sustains a shake on a high falsetto note in a most re-
markable manner. Miss Rosina Wright and the
ladies of the corps de ballet appeared in an exquisitely
graceful pas, entitled the Revel of the Flowers. The
dancing of Miss Rosina Wright was the very perfec-
tion of elegance and grace. The piece was applauded '
throughout, and at the conclusion the cheers were
enthusiastic. The house was very well attended.

NEW STRAND THEATRE.
Last night the favourite interlude of the Rival
Pages was revived at this house for the purpose of
introducing to the London public a young lady in the
character of Victor. This part was one of those in
which the late Mrs. Honey was celebrated. The
debutante, a Miss Caroline Pearse, who we understand
is a great favourite in the page line in the provinces,
and especially in the islands of Guernsey and Jersey,
where she has lately teen performing with much suc-
cess, possesses the recommendation of a handsome
countenance and good figure, with a pair of legs that
may almost rival the celebrity of Madame Vestris
herself. She played the part with much spirit and
naiveté, and bullied and blustered her rival as com-
pletely as any impudent boy of sixteen need do. She
was well received and loudly applauded by the
audience, and will no doubt become a favourite in
town as well as the country.