The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-27 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S.

- -
Auber's popular opera of Fra Diavolo was produced
at this theatre last evening, Mr. anti Mrs. Wood sus-
staining their original characters. We remember well
the time when this opera was
.produced at Covent-
garden, and Mrs. Wood's Zerlina is to the full as good
as it wag then, while Wood's personation of Fm Diavolo
is greatly improved. Never has the innocent, naive,
warm-hearted, yet somewhat coquettish Zerlina been so
beautifully or se naturally-represented as by Mrs. Wood,
and never ;has Auber's delightful music been so de—
lightfully sung as by that lady. She made the character
her own when the opera was produced originally, and
albeit-we hitie hind many Zerlinaa since, we hare never
had One who-could approach her either as an actress or
a vocalist: Notwithstanding this opera has been so
hackneyed, yet the' naivete and abandon of her acting,
I and the exquisite management of her powerful and
richly cultivated voice gave 'the 'Opera' last evening
all the charm of novelty. The Celebrated scena
" On yonder rock reclining," was magnificently given
and rapturously encored. Beautifully too did she give
the toilette scene hi the second 'act; never was the Irmo-
cent vanity of an artless simple-minded girl more
witehingly_represented. Wood's Fre DinvOlo was a first-
rate performance. His acting throughout was excellent,
and his fine rich Voice, which is now cultivated to the
highest pitdi, and has, in cOnseptence; acquired that
flexibility; the want of which "*at, iri forther daYs, its
only defect, told admirably. He did full justice to the ex-
quisite music of the part. The barcarole was given with
exquisite taste, and was loudly encored, and the opening
scena of the third act was a master piece, both of singing
and- acting. Wood has as emnpletely identified himself
with thecharacter of Fra Diavolo, as Wallack has iden-
tified himself with that of Alessandro .Massaroni. Miss
Grant made more of the part of Lady Allcash than we
have ever before seen made of it. In her hands, it be-
came a character,.and her beautiful voice told admirably
in the concerted pieces. Paul Bedford was Beppo,
and although not exactly the beau ideal of an
Italian brigand, he was irresistibly laughable. The
Woods were called for at the fall of the curtain,
and received with all the honours. The opera was fol-
lowed by a new comedietta, entitled- Aged Forty, in
which Miss Fortescue made her first appearance at this
theatre, in the chitra,cter of Lady Clifton, the young
widow Of .an old General. Neglected. by her cousin,
Sir Harry Wilder- (Walter Lazy), that most heartless
of beings, a male coquette, who, after. having won her
'lwart, deserted her, she had 'Married old General Clifton,
Who, dying• Shortly -after her marriage, left her a widow,
with a large fortune. Sir.• Harry, who is "aged forty,"
and finds, from -the appearance or, certain grey hairs,
that he is no longer in the bloOrn. of youth, pays her a
visit, with the intention of renewing'his suit,
_and meets
at her house with a certain Mr.-Dapper (Okberry),
whom , he immediately . magnifies into a rival
suitor. Dapper, it is true., loves the lady,
but he has never 'told his love; -*and Wilder-
by his conduct actually forces Dapper. to take upon him-
self the character of_the lady's champion. Wilder seeks
an interview:with his.cousin, and makes her a formal
offer of his hand. She -was to him all his former con-
duct,-dilates on the arigniSh she has suffered from his
former neglect, and tells him that she had become
ac-
quainted with General Clifton, from having nursed his
daughter on her death-bed. That daughter had con-
fided to her certain pipers; which she had read, and
those papers Were his own letters. M hid won that
poor girl's love and desertedher, and she had died of a
broken heart. The manner in which Miss Fortescue
narrated this tale of misery was touphingly pathetic—it
was true tragedy. Walter LaCy's by,play, too, was ex-
ceedingly good;---his shudder -at the nientidit • Of. Miss
Clifton's name was true to nature. Of course' she in-
dignantly rejects, his suit, and Dapper, entering just at the
moment is attacked by Wilder is the Cause of his rejec-
tion, and threatened' with a challenge'. Dapper, thus
fOrced to avow his foie, is accepted by Lady-Clifton ; and
Sir Harry Wilder, "aged forty," is doomed to expiate
his heartlessness by an old age of celibacy. The piece,
Which is well writtenand was admirably acted through-
out, was announced for repetition every evening. The
house was well attended..-." 1

OLYMPIC THEATRE.
Last evening the presentation, for the 25th time, of
Mr. Leman Rede's drama of the Profligate opened the
performance. A farce, which has been played with much
pccess, was then revived for the first time this season;
it is entitled Angels and Lucifers. The anxiously-
expected event of the evening—the revival of a piece
founded on the popular tale of " Robinson -Crime"—
. concluded the evening's entertainments. It was in 1817
that this drama was first produced, at Covent-garden
Theatre, it being from- the pen 'of the author of the
-favourite drama of the Miller and his Men. It adheres
closely to the tale, with the exception of the incident
that the wife of Robinson CruSoe having left England in
search of . him, is placed on shore by the mutinous crew
of the vessel of which her son is the commander, and it
so happens that they fall on the very island where Robin-
son and his man Friday are located.

SURREY.
, .
A new drama, in three acts, entitled the Last Shilling,
was brought out last night, and was well received by a
numerous audience. The author of the Miller's Maid,
Ben Brace, and other successful pieces prepared on this
occasion knew treat for the lovers of nautical exploits.
.Mrs. R. Howler played. the part of. Fanny With great
ability, and Miss E. Terry, as a village coqu9tte, kept
the audience on thb broad grin of laughter. When the
curtain fell the applause was general. With the omis-
sion of some' passages, which should not be• retained,
the piece will be a favourite, After the comic farce of
Jinks, or the Man that couldn't help it, Mr. Ambrose, the
Armenian, prodigy, made his first appearance, and per-
formed some extraordinary feats, called aerial pole-
dancing. The exhibition appeared new to the audience.
The perforMer, with his head and shoulders resting on 'a
cushion, and his feet elevated, balanced a Weighty pole
with considerable shill. The pole was balanced hori-
zontally, and he 'dexterously drew forth reiterated
plaudits. • -

FATAL ACCIDENT ON TUE •LoNDoN AND SOUTH-
AirroN Ita.nAvAr.—Between. five and six o'clock. yesterday
morning the youngAnan, named Weller„ who; on the night
of Sunday, the 18th instant,. was knoCked.dowd by one of
'the up-trains atfull speed: on. the-London and Soutliainpton-
. Railway; near to 'Ewell; in Surrey, as he was foolishly tres-
Pa,ssing across it, expired at St. Thomas's Hospital,. whither
• he Was removed directly after the occurrence of the accident,
and has since remained. The particulars of this melancholy
event have_ already appearad in The Sun. Ile sustained a
frigktful injury' Of the scalp, and' his death is 'suppoSeccto" have
proceeded *Om affection of the brain consequent thereon.
An inquest held' on the 'body thiS day.
ELECTRO-LITIIOTOAIT.—THS said that a 'patent is
wk the eve of-being seciired for the reduction of calculi by
means of electrolytic action: The' nature of the process and
,the character of the apparatus are `not yet known. It is
affirmed that instantaneous relief Will be-afforded, and calculi
of the largest size brought away, . .
"