The Sun. — 1841-11-16 (London, England)

THE PROPRIETORS OF TR:  ADELPHI THEATRE. A new drama, entitled Ten Tousand a Year, was produced at this theatre last evening. It is founded on the celebrated story of the same name, which has recently appeared in Blackwood's Magazine. The adapter has followed his original very closely, both as regards incident and language. The drama is divided into four epochs. In the first, Tittlebat Titmouse (Mr. Wright) appears as the haberdasher's shopman, inhabiting an attic, when all at once he is discovered by Quirk (Wilkinson), Gammon (Lyon), anti Snap (Wieland), the lawyers, to be the real heir to the Yatton estates in Yorkshire, and an action of ejectment is brought against Mr. Aubrey (Mr. Maynard), who is in possession of the estates. Wright, and Paul Bedford, who acted Huckaback, a swell shopman, elicited roars of laughter, at the commencement of their excellent acting, but when they quitted the stage, the remainder of the act went on rather heavily until the last scene, when the children's ball at Yatton, and the tableau at the conclufilm of the act, drew down thunders of well-merited applause. The tableau was one of the most effective ever exhibited. The second epoch represents the trial at York, the result of which is to establish the claim of Titmouse to the Yatton property. The opening scene represents the barristers' robing-room, and two gentlemen appear in wigs, gowns, and bands, but the bands are tied over black stocks, and the gowns are worn over coats with metal buttons. A visit to Westminster-hall would show these gentlemen that barristers, when robed, invariably appear in white cravats, and coats with dark buttons. This is but a trifle, hut still it materially affects the vraiseinblance of the scene. In the third act we find Titmouse indulging in all the purse-proud arrogance of a vulgar parvenu, and Aubrey, the ruined gentleman, struggling hard with fate, and tortured by Gammon, whose object is to complete Aubrey's ruin, in order to force his sister into a marriage with him (Gammon). In the fourth epoch Gammon has brought his schemes to bear • he offers his hand to Miss Aubrey (Mrs. Yates), and is rejected. He tells her it is in his power to restore Yatton to her brother, who is the rightful heir, and to dispossess Titmouse, and offers to do so, if she will, on the restoration of the property taking place, become his wife, but is again rejected. This scene is one of the most effective in the piece, and was most powerfully acted by Mrs. Yates and Lyon. Foiled in this attempt, Gammon proceeds to Titmouse, tells him that be is not the real heir but a bastard, and extorts a settlement of 2,000/. a year from him as the price of his secret. In the mean time, Miss Aubrey has informed her brother of Gammon's communication. Mr. Runnington, his solicitor, is put to work, and discovers the fraud. Aubrey is restored, mutual recriminations take place among the lawyers, and Gammon commits suicide ; quitting the world in an act of fraud, for he dresses as for a party, takes prussic acid, and drops the bottle into the fire, witha view of having it believed that he died a natural. death, in order to save his policy of life insurance. Wright, as Titmouse, was vulgarity personified ; nothing could be better : he was the very Tittlebat Titmouse of the author of the story, and during the whole time he was on the stage the audience were in a continual roar. Lyon, as Gammon, was very effective ; his last scene was a most powerful piece of acting, and was was stro gly much applauded. The piece which it wentcast and well and well performed ; notwithstanding piece. At the fall of the heavily. With judicious pr.uning, however, it may cbuertaminadyeataesmanonsot evening, announced it repetition every and although there were a few dissentients, the voices were soon drowned by the cheering with which the announcement was greeted from all parts of the house. We cannot conclude without noticing the admirable dancing of the c,hildren inthelat scene of the first act.