The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-15 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
The " little theatre in the Haymarket" opened for
the winter season last evening, and on entering it we
were struck with astonishment at the numerous alte-
rations and improvements which have been effected in
the_ fitting up and decorations of the interior, in the
twelve days which have elapsed since the Adelphi
company quitted. Great 'exertions must have been
used to accomplish all the improvements that have
been made. The entrance-hall, the lobbies, and the
staircases have been coloured, and the floors through-
cut painted to imitate alternate squares of white and
black marble. The interior of the boxes renovated,
and covered with paper of a rich crimson colour.
the furniture is of the same striped pattern as last
season, but the hand-rests and cushions are of gera
nium-tinted crimson striped merino. The gilded
scrolls and the glass chandeliers have been entirely
renovated. Numerous alterations have been made
with a view to increased comfort in the seats of the
boxes and stalls, the latter of which have been widt.ned
and rendered more commodious; and the private
boxes have been entirely re-decorated and newly
furnished. The great feature is, however, the new
royal box. It appears that the former royal box
was very inconvenient, being situated on the level
of the second tier, which could only be reached
by ascending about sixteen steps, and when there
only afforded a painful bird's-eye view of the
performers' heads. Her Majesty therefore expressed
a desire to have certain alterations made fur her com-
fort. These were objected to by the proprietor of the
theatre, and her Majesty signified her intention of no
longer renting a box at the Haymarket Theatre, and
did actually relinquish it. Mr. B. Webster (the
lessee) then came forward, and on being honoured by,
the expression of her Majesty's wishes, offered to de-
vote for that purpose the two best boxes of the theatre,
and to construct an ante-room according to a plan
which he submitted f, r approval. The offer was ap-
preciated and accepted, and the result has been the
construction of the most convenient and perhaps the
most elegant royal box, ante-room, and approaches
ever executed. The royal entrance is now, as before,
by the principal door in Suffolk street. The passage
is quite level, all the stairs being entirely done away
with, the walls on either side are draped with crimson
damask, the floor covered with crimson cloth, and the
light proceeds from two cut-glass chandeliers. At the
extremity is a door entirely composed of looking-glass
reflecting an interminable perspective of the entrance.
This affords admission to an ante-room, 24 feet by
11 feet, but which appears to be much larger, owing
to the ingenious device of all the corners being
curved and the ceiling being coved, so that the eye is
carried onward without any angle to arrest it. Five
large mirrors are let into the walls in such situations
as to reflect the decorations, without fatiguing the
sight, by being always in view. The decorations con-
sist cf light Pompeian pilasters, forming panels all
around, supporting and enlaced by wreaths of flowers
and foliage, which trail over the mirrors, and wander
in the most picturesque manner up into the ceiling,
which is pale blue, clouded, and in which birds of
brilliant plumage are depicted. Each panel contains
a view of some scene familiar to her Majesty, and
chiefly copied from well-known sketches proceeding
from the royal pencil. We noticed particularly Wind-
sor Castle, Osborne House and waterfall, Balmo-
ral, and the Duchess of Kent's residence near
Balmoral, the kennel also at Balmoral, and the
church at the same place; the residence of his Royal
Highness Prince Albert when in Germany, and other
scenes equally interesting. The mantelpiece of white
marble, and Jobaon's new stove, are in excellent taste;
and the green velvet and gold furniture, with the
crimson carpet, and the simple but elegant bronze end
glass gas branches, render this the most elegant room
we have ever seen. At the end a door conducts
directly into the royal box, which is of tuch a form,
and so situated, that her Majesty may arrive and re-
main in perfect incognito, still seeing the whole of the
stage, and sitting so that her face will be exactly level
Kith those of the performers. All the other occu-
pants of the box will also see the w bole of the stege.
The ceilir g is !Anted en suite with the ante-room, an
oval wreath of flowers occupying the centre, and the
walls are hung throughout with ermine (on the occa-
sions of royal visits). The decorations have been
executed by Mr. Sang and his assistants, under the
direction of Mr. C. Manby, to whom, as usual, was
confided the execution of Mr. Webster's wishes
in affording every accommodation and com-
fort to her Majesty in visiting the theatre
where the English drama has been best nur-
tured and been prevented from entirely perishing.
The performances last night commenced with Morris
Barnett's admirable comedy of The Serious Family,
in which Mr. Hudson, who, we mere happy to ob-
serve, seemed to have completely recovered from the
Effects of his late accident, appeared for the first time,
in the character of Captain Murphy Maguire, which
he sustained with an effervescing buoyancy of hu •
mour, and an uninterrupted flow of high spirits, that
never for an instant flagged. Mrs. Stanley, as Lady
Sowerby Cresmley was most amusingly dignified.
These were the only changes of consequence from the
cast of last season. The house was crowded to ex-
cess, and the comedy went off gloriously. All the
artistes were called on at the fall of the curtain. The
National Anthem was then sung; the farce of
the Rough Diamond followed, and the comedy cf
Who's your Friend P concluded the evening's enter-
tainment.

AI)ELPHI THEATRE.
Last night this pleasant little temple of Thespis
was crowded to the very ceiling by a real Adelphi
audience, for the purpose of welcoming back Madame
Celeste on her re-appearance after the vacation. The
Green Bushes was the piece selected for the occasion,
and proved as great a triumph as on its firbt produc-
tion. Madame Celeite's Miami was, of course, the
feature of the piece, but we must also find a word of
praise for Miss WToolgar, whose Nelly O'Neil gave
us no cause to regret the absence of the original im-
personator. Madame Celeste was most warmly re-
ceived, and was unanimously called fur at the end of
the play.

OLYMPIC THEATRE.
A new comedy, entitled My Wife's Daughter (an
adaptation of La Femme de Quarante Ans) oy Mr.
Stirling Coyne, was produced here last evening.
Great credit is due to Mr. Stirling Coyne for the
manner in which he has ingeniously adapted the in-
cidents of the French play to English manners and
customs—it acts like an original English comedy.
The scene is laid in a villa in the Regedt's•park, and
the heroine, La femme de quarante ans, is acted by
Mrs. Stirling, whose young husband is admi
rably personated by Mr. Henry Farren. She
has a grown-up daughter, and is in a constant state
of alarm last her husband should become aware of
the existence of this daughter. The young lady is
in love and has run away from school ; arriving at her
mother's house she meets her father-in-law, who con-
ceals her in the library, and the mysterious young
lady concealed in the library sets the whole neigh-
bourhood in commotion. The wife is herself jealous,
the servant, admirably acted by Compton, presumes
upon what he considers the possession of a family se-
cret, and is insufferably and vulgarly familiar to the
young lady, and to crown the whole a " young old man"
Mr. Ivylesfe (Farren), who at 70 years of age not
only marries a young wife, but becomes a member of
a cricket club, is worked up into a fit of jealousy by
La femme de quarante ans, who, female lago as she is,
per.uades this jaunty but venerable Othello that it is
his own better half who is concealed in the library.
Of course the appearance of the young lady explains
everything, and of course, also, she is united to her
lover. The acting of Mrs. Stirling, was perfect ;no
one can pourtray the misery of a person in a
constant state of fret, and fidget, and fear
so admirably as Mrs. Stirling, and sbe last night
surpassed herself. Farren's Ivylede was one of
those impersonations in which he stands alone ; it is
a thoroughly genial piece of genuine comic acting.
Compton as the valet was capital, and Mr. 11. Far-
ren as the husband was most effective. The success
was triumphant. All the artistes were called on, and
then there were loud calls for the author, who
bowed his thanks from a box. The theatre was
crowded.