The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-26 00:00:00

iL i

There is a good deal of pleasant if not of smart
writing in the dialogue, and some of the situations are
highly laughable. Webster gave it out for repetition
amidst general applause from a full audience.

DRAMATIC INTELLIGENCE.
The new version of Semiramide, which is to be
produced on Saturday next at Covent•garden, has,
we hear, been made by Planche, whose skill and tact
in undertakings of the kind is without rivalship. The
story of Semiramide is not equal in point of interest
to that of Norma, and although there are several ex-
quisite pieces of music in it, such, for instance, as the
great duet between the heroine and Arsace, we are
much mistaken if the performance as a whole will not
be heavy. The scenery and dresses will be beautiful
and gorgeous, and the two chief parts will be in great
hands—those of Miss A. Kemble and Mrs. Alfred
Shaw, who comes forward in her own unpretending mar=
vied name, although formerly S 3 well known as Miss
Postans. The part of Arsace must be sung by what
is technically called a contralto voice, -but Mrs. Alfred
Shaw has much higher pretensions as a vocalist; and
thus our two finest English singers will unite to render
the same opera attractive. Those who formerly saw Pesa-
rone in Arsace, will be aware what may be done with the
music ; and Grisi, in the season when Brambilla was
in this country, will have left such an impression be-
hind her in Semiramide, as Miss A. Kemble will find
it difficult to 'exceed. If she equal it, she will do more
than any singer, a native of this country, ever yet
accomplished. It was not originally intended to bring
out Semiramide so early in the season, and we think
it a pity that the management could not reserve it
until the town is fuller. However, if Miss A. Kemble
is indeed to retire at Christmas, there was no time to
be lost. Circumstances have led to the production of
the opera perhaps a fortnight before the period first
designed ; but it was found that a new character was
required for Miss A. Kemble, and accordingly Semi-
ramide has been a little hastened. It is advertised in
the bills that there will be no performance on Friday
next Fin consequence of-the preparations.
Since our last the cast of As You Like It, for the
opening of Drury-lane, on Saturday next, has been
published. Mrs. Nisbett is to play Rosalind, Ma-
cready would not relinquish Jaques to Phelps, and
the town would have had reason to regret the change
had he consented to do so. Keeley's Touchstone will
be a new experitnent on the part of that very droll
and clever actor; but we doubt whether the smart
things of the part will come from his lips with suffi-
cient neatness and precision. The musical parts will
be all well supported, and, looking at the cast, we
should suppose that it is to be made a prominent
feature.

The new little afterpiece, called The Follies of a
Night, is by Planche, and is an adaptation of a French
vaudeville. It was said a few days ago that it was by
C. Mathews, who plays in it, but that seems to be a
mistake. Macready's bill for the commencement of
his season is, on the whole, a good one.
It seems that we are 'to have , King John • at both
houses. At Covent-garden who is to be the Con-
stance ? We still say Mrs. Butler ' • but we know
that we say it only to have it contradicted in some
quarters. We may be wrong, but our impression
upon the subject is very strong, especially if it be
found that her father cannot carry on the theatre to
advantage without her aid. Then she will have the
best excuse for coming forward; though people may
be disposed to ask why, at his age, he mixed Vmself
up with theatricals again ? Yet, if King John be.
played (and it is already in some state of preparation),
who is to play Falconbridge but C. Kemble ? And
seeing him in the part, who will think of his 70 years?
We hope that the reports regarding it are true, and
with Vandenhoff for the King, C. Kemble for Falcon-
bridge, and Mrs. Butler for Constance, there would
the public,
be tet epemrocreeivtoe
Campbell, takes his benefit on Wednesday next, the
28th, at the Royal Grecian Saloon. Mr. Campbell's
untiring exertibns, as caterer for the amusement of
our lighter hours, and the excellence of the arrange-
ments at this favourite temple of the muses, since he
has wielded the managerial baton, we think will in-
sure him, what we heartily wish, a bumper to over-
flowing. The evening's entertainments will consist of
The Haunted Tower, an opera in three acts; Don
Juan; a ball; fireworks, a variety of dancing, and
not less than forty songs, duets, glees, &c. We un-
derstand this is to be the last gala night of the season.
—Sunday Paper.
At the English Opera House, Mr. Carter, the Lion
King, will take a benefit this evening, being the last
night of his appearance in England. Mr. Carter,
who challenges the world for 1,0001. to equal his per-
formance, will exhibit all his accustomed wonders,
and will prove the extraordinary power he has
ob-
tained over the savage tribe, and will remain in the
cage as usual, and feed all the animals at the same
time. The Dog of Monta?V‘
s and The Maiden's
Dream will form part of the amusements of the
evening.

SUICIDE AT TIIE CIIAIN PIER, BRIGHTON.
BRIG lITON, TII eßsnar.--Last evening, about
seven
.
o'clock, the promenaders at the Chain-pier were thrown
into great alarm by a soldier jumping off the pier-head
into the sea. It appears that the soldier,
ladywho was
su
t
tering to himself, shortly afterwards hit
a-
private in the 19th Foot, was observed by a
took off
his belt, bayonet, and cap, and hug them on the
rails, and then got over on to a small
lady spoke to him, telling him th parapet. The
attendants at the
pier would not allow such conducte ; he immediately
answered, " I belong to the 19th"'
into the sea. The lady, with 3 and then jumped
rang the alarm bell, when severalet presence of mind,
came to her assistance, and of the pier servants
Barber, notwithstanding one of them, named James
he is crippled in one hand
from firing a salute '
' aJudmEed into the sea, caught
hold of the soldier
piles with his lame n ung on by one of the
hand,
them against it. With the sea dashing both of
by life buoys, Mr. considerable difficulty, aided
Mathews, the foreman of the
works, and others, got them out, and the soldier was
immediately conveyed to the Sussex County Hospi-
t
al, where Mr. Whitehouse, the house surgeon, and
his assistants, persevered for
tuhpew upwards of
deceased,two hours
endeavouring to resuscitate without
effect. The deceased was a recruit. about nineteen.
years of age. It was nearly low water at thet
and the height to the water, from which the deceasedline'
jumped, was upwards of thirty feet. Great p laise is
due to Barber for the courage displayed by -
him, as
1t
the sea was very rough at the time, in add-on to the
disadvantage of his being crippled, which occurre
whilst he was firing a salute in honour of the arrival
of William and Adelaide at Brighton.
[ WINDSOR CASTLE.—Her Majesty the Queen ha
Lord caused cards to be issued by the Chamberlain,
inviting a numerous and distin •
gmshed circle at the
Castle from Saturday till
uirWednesdays to meet his Im-
perial Highness the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria.
The Duke of Wellington
house on Fridayfrornw
1, who arrived at Apsley
a mer Castle, went on Satur-
day, and Prince and Pri
ncess Leicht enstein left Ail var t's
on
Hotel on Friday, ad visit to her Majesty until
to-day. The Earl an Counttss of Jersey leave
Middleton Park,
n near Bicester, on to-day, for
Windsor Castle many other personages of dis-
tinction have likewise received the Royal commands
to join the brilliant party partaking of the regal fes-
tivities
at the Castle

•
HAYMARKET THEATRE.
A farce, under the title of Curiarities of Literature, 4
was produced at this theatre on Saturday evening,
and was quite successful. _lt is attributed to
Mr. 'l3ourcicault, and though he does not acknow-
ledge the piece, it is more to his credit than his co-
medy brought out last week at Covent-garden. The
following is an outline of the plot :—Sir Terence
Velvet (Tilbury) is at the head of what is called (in
the farce) the Transportation office in Downing-
street ; he is also a Member of Parliament, but at the
opening of the piece his interest is opposed at Mary-
bury, to which place he goes in haste, leaving his af-
fairs, diplomatic and otherwise, in the hands of an
agent whom he has never seen. This violent impro-
bability must be allowed for the sake of what follows.
He leaves instructions behind him for his unseen
agent, which instructions are by mistake carried to a
person of the name of William Shakspeare Dibbs
(Webster), who is a candidate for the situation of
Secretary to the Double-action Anti-matrimonial
Non-population Company. Dibbs, it should be stated,
is an author, in prose and poetry ; he lives in a garret, of
course is in the last and lowest stage of poverty, but is
engaged on a work which is to harrow up the very
soul of society, being the " Life and Death of Airs.
Brownrigg," who flogged her apprentices to death.
This part of the character is meant to ridicule that
style of writing which has become popular within
these: few years, and the thief excellence of which
seems to consist in the accumulation and exaggeration
of vulgar horrors. Into the hands of Dibbs fall the
instructions Sir Terence Velvet has left behind him,
and accordingly Dibbs proceeds to Downing-street,
and is duly received and installed as the agent of the
Transportation Board. In this capacity, and in the
absence of his principal, be has interviews with depu-
tations, with Members of Parliament, with ladies of
title, and others, upon' the business of Sir Terence
Velvet ; all which business Dibbs transacts much
to his own satisfaction, but to the apparent
utter confusion of the affairs of his employer.
Here, of course, we have various scenes of cquivoque,
generally droll, if not always new, and in the midst
of the blundering thus occasioned, Sir Terence Velvet
returns, to the dismay of all parties, and not least to
his own, when he finds what has occurred. It turns
out, however, that Dibbs has unconsciously accoin..
plished all the plans of his principal, and consequently
he is taken into the full favour and confidence of the
Baronet. The result is a double marriage between
Miss Velvet and a Major Blunt (Brindal), and be-
tween Dibbs and Lady Pension Hunter, while Sir .
Terence is left in full possession of his seat in Parlia-
ment, of his place in Downing-street, and of all his
political influence.

•