The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-17 00:00:00

THEATRES.
ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.

The bill-of-fare at this theatre was exceedingly attrac-
tive. The performances commenced with an operetta in
two acts, the production of the late Thomas Haynes
Bayley, called Picturesque and Beautiful. The plot is
very slight. The interest turns chiefly on the smartness
of the dialogue. Old Dauberry, (Mr. Granby) whose
occupation is pourtrayed by his name, is a pseudo artist,
devoted to picturesque, though his man, Tom Muller,
(Mr. Wigan), is by no means devoted to his constant oc-
cupation of grinding colours. • In the opening scene,
Dauberry is just giving some finishing strokes to a cha-
racteristic daub, intended by the artist to represent Mary
Queen of Scots and her favourite Rizzio. The
painter has a daughter, Miss Eliza Dauberry,
(Miss Fairbrother), who is devoted to Henry Lorimer
(Mr. Barker), who in his turn is equally devoted to
her. There is, however, a second suitor, Mr. Kit Cadence
(Mr. Walter Lacy), who is devoted to national airs, as
well as to the lady. Henry Lorimer secures the esteem
of Dauberry, by his admiration of the gem which he is
engaged in executing, but the old gentleman refuses to
countenance his suit to his daughter unless he can pro-
duce a fair copy of the original within a month. A plan
is hit upon to get out of the difficulty ; after a supposed
lapse of some days, the old gentleman is told by a cham-
bermaid named Fanny (Miss Hughes) that the copy is com-
pleted, and the curtain supposed to conceal it being drawn
the lovers, habited as the Scottish Queen and Rizzio, are
presented to his view. The deception is complete, until
dispelled by their leaving their position, and in reward
for their ingenuity Dauberry consents to the union. The
piece was enlivened by the introduction of several songs;
both the acting and singing were of the best description.
To this succeeded two burlettas—the burlesque burletta
of Olympic Revels, or Prometheus and Pandora, and the
burletta (written by J. Brougham) of Enthusiasm. The
latter piece would deserve special notice, were it not
already familiar to most of the theatrical public.
It is a witty attempt to throw ridicule on the science
of phrenology, by the exhibition of the effects produced
by the study of; and belief in it, on an old gentleman
named Vane Waverly. The piece abounds in fun
throughout. In the excitement of his enthusiasm,
Waverly discovers that he has a large development of
the bump of destructiveness, and exclaims, in h rror,
that he is an " involuntary destructive," and, perhaps, a
" prospective assassin ;" that " while his heart proclaims
him philanthropic, his head proclaims him savage." His
conduct immediately becomes consistent with his disco-
very. Suddenly, however, he finds another bump.
Dreading that this, too. will prove some fearful develop-
ment, he compares it with a cast in his room, and to
his astonishment finds that it is "benevolence." From
this time his conduct becomes the opposite of what it
had previously been, every one about him is amazed at his
sudden benignity. Amongst his extravagances, however,
which are not confined to phrenology, the most extraor-
dinary is that of his being suddenly seized with a strong
desire for fishing. On hearing some one allude to a
fishing party, in his enthusiasm for the sport he orders a
washing-tub filled with water to be brought into the
room, and he is seen fishing with the usual implements,
and with the zest of an Izaak Walton, watching for nib-
bles. This scene is admirable; nothing more exquisitely.
ridiculous can be conceived. All the characters in the
piece are adinirablY sustained. A grand ballet, in two,
acts, entitled La Sylphide, or The Fatal Scarf, met with
a most favourable reception, and was announced for re-
petition during the week. The whole concluded with-
the well-known and laughable farce of The Irish Tutor,.
Brougham sustaining the character of Teddy O'Rourke,
which lost nothing in his hands, and Mr. F.-
Mathews appeared as- Doctor Flail. We regret
to say that the theatre was by no means so
crowded as we could have desired to see it, or as the
merits of the actors and pieces deserve. We would.sug-
gest to the managers the propriety of hastening the in—
terval between the different acts. The interest is apt to
flag when the time is extended to nearly a quarter of an
hour. Great impatience was manifested by the audience
yesterday evening. An addition is about to be made to
the corps dramatique, which will doubtless attract a much ,
larger company.

SURREY.
The very name of " the Surrey" is enough to conjure
up in the minds of holiday goers, a world of enchant-
ment, which haunts the imagination like the phantom of
first-love. Hence all the world go to the Surrey in the
hope of realizing all their past dreams of enjoyment, and
revel for the moment in the illusions of forlorn hope.
And no wonder ! Every one likes to be happy,
if but once in their lives—and those • who go
to the Surrey are sure of catching all's that
beautiful, romantic, enterprising, wonderful, and
almost improbable in one evening's incomparable enter-
tainment. " Wouldn't you like to go and be happy? If you
don't make haste, all the world will he there before
you, that's all." And certainly; judging from the over-
flowing crowd of last night, we do not think " the
Surrey" was ever so crowded before. The soul of
attraction was no less than Murat—the brother-in-law
of Napoleon, and King of Naples—a piece which was
the admiration of Paris for six months—a phenomenon
in itself, for nobody ever heard of the Parisians admiring
anything but themselves for six minutes consecutively.
Indeed the notice in the play-bill groups the merits of
the piece very. graphically. It says—" The excursive
nature of this drama—which embraces the whole period
of the manhood of its celebrated hero—carrying the
peasant son of a village innkeeper on the wings of that
moral tornado, the first revolution of France, through
all the military dangers and unequalled triumphs of
the Republican and Imperial Armies, to the various
grades of General-Marshal of the Empire—Prince
—and King ;—and the peculiar construction ne-
cessary to stretch the short time given for dramatic
representation, over so extended and sanguinarily marked
an epoch, renders it necessary to prepare the minds of
the spectators, in some manner, tbr the rapid changes
of locale and of time, exhibited in the progression of its
exciting and swiftly varying scenes ; France, Italy,
Egypt, Naples, Russia, `France again, and the final
and closing tragedy on the shores of Calabria,
are all visited in turn, and the unparalleled for-
tunes of the first equestrian ' soldier in the world,
all duly chronicled ; nay, more, the realms of the De-
parted Brave beyond this mortal breathing world,' are
invaded by the eye of imagination—the spirits of the
heroic dead assembled, and the great master mind, whose
warlike and indomitable will made Europe one wide
battle field, is summoned from his willow-shadowed
tomb of rock,' to grace and hallow all. It only re-
mains with the management to state that this Drama,
for the unexampled space of six successive months, kept
the populace of Paris in a fever of delight and admiration
—it became, therefore, a duty to transport it to the
English stage, for the gratification of the patrons of this
establishment, and that every care has been taken to do
strict justice to its effects, regardless of expense or labour."
Everything is comprehended in the above description,
with the grand exception that nobody will understand it
till it is seen, for " seeing is believing,"—and of course
people will like to see the truth, and in these
days of sporting—" back it too." We shall give
one specimen of the heartinesss with which the
performers entered into the spirit of the scene, as a
sample of the rest. • So intent were the horses and
men—we always give preference to those who have two
to one over the other, and those horses always put
their best legs foremost, which men, from modesty.
or something worse, seldom do—that the Battle. of
the Pyramids was turned into a real tragedy ! Yes,
a real tragedy. Each actor seemed to feel that the spirit
of forty centuries was looking down on him, and him
alone; and, acting on this chivalrous idea, one of the pike-
men actually thrust his offensive weapon into the sabre--
hand of a cavalier, to the wonderment of' the spectators,
and the sudden astonishment of both man and horse I
It was a master-stroke of heroism, and will no doubt
be repeated every 'evening—if the sufferer will per-
mit his assailant to try his hand at it again.
But these are mere trifles, serving only to prove how
deeply interested the actors are in doing their duty, and
no mistake. It would occupy about two columns of The
Sun to describe the battles, vicissitudes, and moving

scenes by flood and field, in the eventful history of
Murat, at the Surrey ; and' as we cannot spare the
room, we advise people to go to the Surrey, and judge for
themselves ; and when they have seen it out, to thank us
far such good amusing advice. Perhaps the piece might
be improved, for those who have not much time to spare,
by discounting the bill of fare about ten or fifteen per
cent. This would make the residue more precious ; for
what with the wonders of the ring, the races, and truly
grand displays of horsemanship—aye, and womanshil)
to •,oevery one must allow that there is plenty and to spare
for Igs or her money. The pony races were exceed-
ingly
.m3using—the more so as a monkey contrived, by
hook or
by crook, to win the race. " Go to the Surrey," as
,George Ix'elyins would say, "and look at the lot"---we
say' laugh at' the lot, for there are lots of fun.
VICTORIA. _

- - _
The spirited proprietors of this favourite place of pub-
lic amusement, anxious if not to surpass, at least to
establishment on this side of the water,
equal the rival es
produced last nigh for the amusement of the holiday
folks, a new drama or great domestic interest, entitled
.Jane Paul, or the Victim of Unmerited Persecution.
'The principal chrtracwin the drama, which was most
ably and cleverly sustained by Miss Vincent, is perse-
cuted with unmerited severity by a disappointed suitor,
Philip Necker (Mr. Dale). She, however, through
th,,t instrumentality of a tribe of Gipsies, endeavours to
evmie all his machinations, and ultimately succeeds; her
accus \er, when on the point of death, acknowledging the
unfou tided nature of the charge he had made against
her, tc.nd leaving the whole of his wealth to the
victims of his persecution, her husband, and their
only chfid. Michael Paul was ably personated by.
Mr. E. V. Saville, and Mr. Paul in the character
of Hedgehog Jack, the captain of the wandering gang,
looked ev4 rything that an admirer of the predatory
tribe could wish for. The scenery was in perfect keep-
ing with the piece, which was announced for repetition
amid unboun.ded applause. The entertainments of the
evening concluded with the drama of The Mill of Bere-
zina, and a new version of the Forty Thieves. The
house, we are happy to say, was crowded in every part.