The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-29 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON THEATRE.

This agreeable little place of amusement opened for
the summer season last evening, with a strong and
efficient corps dranustique, recruited from the various
theatres of the metropolis. Among the new engage-
ments, Miss E. Terry will no doubt prove the chief
attraction. A drama, by Mr. C. Dillon, entitled,
Elizabeth Mowbray, or the Old Chapel Vault, was
brought out for the first time on this occasion. Neither in
plot nor the incidents was there any feature of novelty
presented. Elizabeth Mowbray, who had abandoned
the house of her father, Lord Mowbray, with the lover
of her choice, returns, after having lost the latter,
to her father's abode, accompanied by her
infant child. Baron Malvern, a rebel lord,
whom, as as her Buittit,-.- the. had formerly re-
jected becomes, by a series of successful deeds of villany,
master of Mowbray Castle and lands, and having pos-
sessed himself of the restored and repentant Elizabeth,
plots, for the gratification of his revenge, the death of
her child, and the destruction of the entire Mowbray
family. His plot in part succeeds ; ultimately. how-
ever, his villanous machinations are defeated, and virtue
triumphs. In this little piece (it consists but of two acts)
there is, as we have said, very little that is novel, and
though many of the situations and passages are very
,trite indeed, they are by no means devoid of effect, and
were very well sustained. Mr. C. Dillon, who took the
part of Lord Mowbray, has got the matcriel of a good
a tor in him, but there are quite enough of
• vyists of the mannerism. of Mr. Macready, in
all conscience, without his adding to the number.
Let him rely more on his own resources, and enact the
imitator less, and we shall not have cause to regret the
result. Miss Terrey, as Rosiaa, gave evidenc6. of the
possession of all the requisites for an actress of the first
class in her peculiar line—an agreeable person, a voice
sweet and flexible, and an excellent perception of cha-
racter. Few young ladies have given so early such
pr,nnise of high professional distinction. The old and
established favourites at this theatre, Messrs. Shepherd,
Johnion, Dunn, Bradshaw, &c. were good, as usual.
In the course of the piece, and at its close, a
grand tableau was introduced with striking effect.
In the interval previous to the next piece the national
anthem, " God Save the Queen " was sung by the entire
corps ; Miss Terrey and Mr. Taylor taking the solo
parts. All acquitted theinselves respectably and the
solos were loudly and deservedly applauded. It
struck us as not a little surprising that during the
singing of the anthem only two or three persons in the
boxes rose. The other entertainments of the evening
consisted of Muzeppa, ,a burlesque on the equestrian
melo-dramatic spectacle of Mazeppa which was brought
out at Astley's some six or seven years ago
under the management of the late Mr. Ducrow,
a laughable trifle enough ; and The Goblins
Gap, a tale of_ diablerie, as the bills had it, in
which Miss Terrey, with her sweet warblings, again
drew down repeated plaudits. The house was pretty
full, but the boxes not quite so much so as
the managers could desire. The increased attraction
however, which the company in its present strength and
members presents, will, we have no doubt, prevent any-
thing like " a beggarly account of empty boxes," being
returned on any occasion during the season.