The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-22 00:00:00

THE GAIETY 7REA7RE.

Last night the promise of Mr. John Hollingsn'
was redeemed, and the new Gaiety Theatre, °n°
of the handsomest theatres in the metropolis, wag
thrown open to the public. The extraordinary r 3;
pidity with which the building has been converted
into a theatre hardly prepared the brilliant Audi'
ence that assembled for such a magnificent interior
and loud was the applause the splendour of thos
scene called forth. We have but so lately givell;
full and detailed description of the new theatr''
that on the present occasion we have onlY:t°
deal with the performances. The company tu3a
Mr. Hollingshed has secured for operetta 3°
burlesque is good and sufficient, but, excepting 3
few well-known names, the dramatic corps is we :1:;
The curtain rose precisely at seven o'clock, the Jar"
piece being a one act operetta, in the Watteau style,
called " Two Harlequins." The music is prett'
and it was well sung by Miss C. Losbey, Dir.
Lyall, and chorus. The main incidents turn 111)°-
the discovery of a plot of Harlequin, after a scP3-0
tion of six years, to return in disguise to Coluinbirli
and test her fidelity; the lady being forewarned °.
the fact welcomes her former lover in a very strang°
manner, and in revenge for his slight of her honour°,
imposes herself upon him in disguise as the genni°
Harlequin, and excites his jealous and other P3°.
sions. However, in the end a mutual reconcilio.tio.Od
follows, but not until poor Harlequin has Pal
n
dearly for his frolic. The Piece de 'resistance," "P-
-the Cards," is an adaptation of a French d
not new to the metropolis, as it was perform e"
some years ago, if we recollect rightly, ued3r
the title of "Jocrisse the Conjuror," hely;
ever, on the present occasion the adaptati°,
has been so well done that it had all the charm °f
novelty. The plot turns upon the constant fe°,
that takes possession of Sir Gilbert Ethelveal''
that his daughter, who is, in fact, only so by ada;
tion, will be claimed by her father. The nearic-a
male relative of the baronet, a spendthrift an
et
gambler named Guy Chilstone, discovers the sect
and persuades a French conjuror named ChaTeld
lard, to personate the father of the suPPlo
daughter of the baronet, and he consenting, 913,1,0
the demand for the girl at the moment, Arnold, "d
son of a French nobleman, has solicited her 133$11ir
in marriage. Florence leaves the house of 1,0,3
Gilbert with the conjuror, and we next find t'iot
in comparatively poor lodgings ; a part of the P 0
of Guy being to appear to rescue Florence fret,
poverty. Florence thinks all have forgotten 11,et
but it is not so, as her lover sends her a small °3,sicil
which belonged to her real mother, on opening w'her
it is discovered that the conjuror is indeed
father, and that he is in fact a gentleman. Cl °903
lard is in extacies at the discovery of his child, IA
through his instrumentality the villain is unnlas art
and Florence marries her lover Arnold. Veld
of Chavillard was of course sustained by Mr. A', Di 4
Wigan ; and in one word we may truthfully s3J
rod°
acting was perfection. Miss Madge Robertson —o`o,
a sweet and loveable Florence, Miss Farren the 1150
beau ideal of a boy as Sprightly, and Mr. I\l° ore
a very excellent father. We must Bee 11100,
of M. Stuart, who appeared as Aril
before we pronounce an opinion on his merits 3° too
actor ; but with respect to Mr. Teesdale, he ° of
but a poor Guy Chilstone. The burleeillieo.
" Robert the Devil" was a very splendid Pr° pro.
tion, and altogether the entertainment may 198 heto
nounced a great success. The leading perfor id
received the honour of a call, and the lessee atict
manager, Mr. Hcllingshed, also had to appear fed
acknowledge the applause of his patrons. 00° en'
excellent arrangement in the new theatre is tilemor
tire abolition of fees—the payment at the e9+
covering all demands for hats, coats, program avd
booking, &c. &c. Another very agreeable cod
tasteful arrangement was that Mr. Rimrael Volpe
in the different lobbies some of his elegant Peraree-
fountains,which entirely overpowered the disagiog;
able odour arising from the newness of the buil .011
and he also introduces a new programme, beautilaie9
perfumed, but mounted as a fan, a boon the 5 o
will unanimously think him for. The succe° col
this novelty will lead, no doubt, to its ge°
adoption in all the metropolitan theatres. tb°
rei t f
We have already said the Gaiety is one °cot'
handsomest theatres in the metropolis, and .rar,t4
ing that opinion, we have no doubt of its ultliace3
success, as the most implicit faith can be I), 003
upon the promises of its energetic and to
'e
manager.
Vic°
The Major-General Commanding at jvr °°
garrison has received a communication from
H. Brown, M.A., rector of St. Mary's, W°°*/ielie'
expressive of his gratitude and that of 3 aeoit'
Committee, of which the rev. gentleman, is
dent, for the liberal subscriptions they have re-14 °'
from the officers of the garrison by the h • °
clie it
Captain Hobart, Aide-de-Camp, for the r
the men recently discharged from the Govert°loooo
establishments at Woolwich. The rev go° of
#
also refers to the readiness which the officer° ariP
garrison have always shown to aid his poor Prticli;
ioners under urgent circumstances, and is P 11111"
larly thankful to them for the assistarc° 000
°111;
they have now rendered to the numerous cli
ployed artisans and labourers in Woolwich 3
neighbourhood.
Her Majesty's screw troopship Megf-er-3'
Commander Jabez Loane, arrived at Spithe.
13
terday morning from Ascension, with nav 1,0 j.
aud returned stores. The invalids were 0-
yesterday afternoon, and the Megrera after of
sailed for 'Woolwich to discharge her earg°
turned stores.