The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-28 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE 7HEAIRE.

Mr. Chatterton on Saturday commenced his season
in the most triumphant manner—an overflowing
audience assembled to witness his opening novelty,
a new spectacular melodrama, entitled " The King
of Scots," which we have the greatest plea-
sure in recording as an undoubted and corn'
plete success. The drama, from the pen Of
Mr. Andrew Halliday, is founded on Sir Walter
Scott's celebrated novel, " The Fortunes of Nigel,"
and although various alterations have of necessity
had to be made, yet enough of the original tale
has been preservel to constitute one of the
best spectacular dramas produced for a very
loAg time. One of the great attractions of

the drama was the circumstauce that Mr. Phelps
was announced to support two distinct characters,
viz., King James and the miser Trapbois, and
calling to mind his wonderful impersonations of Sir
Pertinax AlacSycophant and Justice Shallow, a
curiosity was excited of more than ordinary interest.
Without entering at length into the matter we may
at once say that two greater impersonations Mr.
Phelps has never yet presented to the public; se
King James he was perfect in accent, dress, gait,
and expatiate with that monarch's well-known
mixture of raw pedantry and nimble shrewdness,
on all and sundry topics current in his Court. As
Trapbois he had a weak, whispering, tottering air,
the miser feverishly and vigorous at the least
hint of gain, and sacrificing everything to
the one great and absorbing thought of
scraping together an increase to his wealth. _
Mr. Halliday opens the drama with old Fleet-street,
and the shop or booth of David Ramsay, the watch-
maker, with his two 'prentices, and the well-known
" What d'ye lack ?" Pretty Mistress Margaret 10
at once brought on ; Richie Moniplies makes mirth
for the mocking 'prentices ; Lord Dalgarno and a,
Court gallant pass over ; a street fight and " clubs
called, and a general rising of the apprentices fol-
lows, forming a very effective tableau. Richie
then relates to his master the rejection of his peti-
tion by the king, and George Heriot appears and
befriends Nigel. Margaret falls in love with the
hero of the story, and Jin Yin, driven t°
despair, becomes a ruffier and a roysterer. The
scene then changes to Whitehall, and here
occurs the chief incident in the first get.
Nigel's drawing his sword within the precincts of
the palace and the attack on Dalgarno within the
palace itself. Then we have the escape of Nigel
to Alsatia, and the interior of the Duke Hildebrod
Whitefriars rendezvous is presented with powerful
effect. After a lively song of the period hI
Mr. Irving, and a wild uproarious dance,
the scene changes to the gloomy house
of old Trapbois, the miser and usurer.
Here the mortgage deed is redeemed by Dalgarrol
the miser is murdered, and then we pass to IJoh-
don-bridge, where Nigel meets his enemy. A duel
ensues, and Dalgarro is thrown into the river.
Passing over some of the minor incidents we arrive
at Greenwich Park, and here takes place the inter-
view of Nigel with the King, which so excited 10.
comic terrors, the King's interview with Margaret
Ramsay, and the shrew discovery of which the
Scottish Solomon was so proud. The last scene
takes place in the Tower of London. King Janie,
in ambush, overhears the interviews of Nigel with
Margaret, with Heriot, and with Sir Mango Male"
grow ther. He comes from his hiding place, threatens
.
Nigel with the " punishment of the maiden)" the
terrible rack mentioned in the novel), points
out Margaret as the maiden in question,
having rendered justice to all the curtain
descends. The parts of George Heriot,
Richie Moniplies, Dalgarno and Jan Yin ware excel-
lently supported by Messrs. Addison, Price, Cam-
naing, Sinclair, and Irving, and Miss Heath made
a most bewitching Margaret Ramsey. The scenery
is superb, and the mounting of the pieces altogether
a .work of the highest excellence. We heartily
congratulate Mr. Chatterton on the great success
of the piece, which will carry him triumphantly o°'
ward until Christmas at least.