The Sun. — 1851-01-14 (London, England)

ADELPHI THEATRE.  An adar;to-;or of the fir 6itrit-d Paillasse, which fur tnrce months past has drawn all Paris to the Gaite, and in which Frederic Lemaitre has made a hit equal to his Robert Macaire, his Ruy Gomez, or his Don Cmsar, was produced here last evening, under the title of Belphegor, the Mountebank. The drama has been translaten and adapted by Mr. Benjamin Webster, who himself sustained the part of Bciphegor (the Palasse of the original), and we certainly have t.o actor on the English stage who could have at all approached him in it. To act Belphegor, an actor must be at the same time a tra. gedian, a genteel comedian, and a farceur, and we have no actor on the stage who combines those three requisites but Mr. Webster. The scene is laid in France in the year 1814, the year of the return of the Emigres. We find at the fair at Angouleme Belphegor (Mr. Webster) and his " little family," consisting of his wife Madeleine (Madame Celeste), his son Henri (Miss Ellen Chaplin), his daughter Louise (Miss Stoker), an interesting but sickly child, and consequently the pet; and his apprentice Ajax, alias Mr. Merryman (Wright). The Mountebank performs his tricks to the great amusement of the crowd, amongst whom is a certain Chevalier de Rolac (Mr. 0. Smith), who declares that in Madeleine, he recognizes a girl committed to his care during the revolution by the Duke de Montbazon (Mr. H. Hughes), and that the Duke having returned, wishes to reclaim her as his daughter, but on condition that she quits her mountebank husband, from whom he engages to procure for ber a divorce, and to whom be offers a considerable sum, which is as indignantly rejected by Belphegor, as are his offers of rank by Madeleine, who declares that she will never leave her husband. We are then introduced to the lodgings of Belphegor, and behold the buffoon, en famille. Nothing can be more happy then the mountebank and his family, the most devoted affection subsists between all its members ; there is but one drawbrack to their felicity, and that is the delicate state of the health of Louise ; of this misfortune Rolac takes advantage, he introduces a physician to see the child, who declares to Madeleine that nothing but the waters of the Pyrenees, the climate of Italy, and the enjoyment of every luxury and comfort can restore %the child to health ; these are offered her on condition that she quits her husband, and her maternal feelings overcoming every other she consents. The agony of the poor Mountebank on learning her departure is intense, and was very finely depicted by Mr. Webster, who was admirably supported in this trying scene by Miss E. Chaplin. A series of scenes follow of the most heartrending description ; the poor Mountebank and his son wander all over France in search of his wife ; at length he arrives at a fete given by a nobleman, where he is engaged to amuse the company assembled at a Bal Masque, who shout with laughter at his misery, which they consider acting ; he tries to be gay and amusing as mountebanks should be, and be and his sons endeavour to play tricks, but at last the word "mother" is mentioned, and the boy, overcome by his feelings, sinks senseless into the arms of his distressed father. This is the great scene of the play, and was magnificently acted by Webster and Miss Chaplin. He at length discovers his wife, but, by the machinations of Rolac, is arrested as a condemned murderer. The Duke has procured his pardon, but will produce it only on condition that Madeliene publicly disown him, and this she is compelled to do. The pardon is then produced, when De R'dac claims it, declaring that he is the real murderer, and that Belphegor is the son of the Duke, and not Madeleine his daughter. The burden of the piece falls upon Mr. Webster, Madame Celeste, and Miss Ellen Chaplin, and admirably did they sustain it, but the piece includes in its cast all the principal members of the Adelphi corps. We had Wright, the Merryman, masquerading after the most amusing fashion, as the son of the Baron de Montroulade (Paul Bedford) Miss Woolgar, an opera dancer, turned fine lady, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Boyce, Miss Emma Harding (who made a great. deal of a very small part), Mrs. Laws, Mr. Cullenford, Mr. Worrell, and all the strength of the company. The piece was admirably put on the stage, and was announced by Webster for representation every evening amidst shouts of applause. The house was crammed to suffocation.