The admirable manner in which an entertainment exacting no slight preparation in the play-wright's and scene painter's departments, as well as from the executive immediately engaged in presenting it, was put on at the Lyceum Theatre on Friday, proves that a partial failure and a somewhat cold reception, so far from discourage ing the A. D. C., but urges them to try to, revivify their drooping laurels in the warm atmosphere of a brilliant success. On the present occasion, the Shanghai public have to thank the A. D. C., their musical alli of the Glee Club, and the Orchestral contingent marshalled under the baton of M. Remusat, for an evening of the richest amusement they have ever contributed and if an enthusiastic reception could compensate the disinterested exertions of the entertainers, they were fully rewarded.
Very shortly after the early hour of 8.30, which was fixed for the commencement of the performance, the curtain rose on the one-act comedietta, "A Cup of Tea;" in which the breaches apparently about to
Charles and Lady Clara Seymour are open up in the domestic happiness of Sir widened, but ultimately closed, by the unpremeditated appearance on the scene of a Mr, Scroggins, who, by a freak of circumstances, becomes an inmate of their residence, and is used by each successively, much to his own bewilderment, in the furtherance of their little plots. After he has acted as shuttle-cock, without the feathers," for some time, the comedy adj ta itself; Scroggins diplomatically helps out Sir Charles, and is rewarded with the Cup of Tea," with which a distracted footman has appeared and disap-poured some half-dozen times, and the comfortable post of steward.—Lady Clara was cleverly performed by Miss Castor, who was all life and grace, with occasionally becoming sonpgon of dignity; and Mr. Burkins played' with much aplomb as Charles, opposing to my Indy's quick and not ill-founded jealousy, the imperturbable bearing of a man-about-town turned hnsb But his claims to exercise the privileges of a bachelor and a Benedict at the same time, and his professed freedom from anything like jealousy on h should her lndyship's movements seem to suggest it, disappear altogether when the latter, to test him, gets up a mock flirtation with Mr. Scroggins, alias (for the purpose) Howard. Then the irate Baron nearly drives the innocent Scroggins out of hit muddled wits. The part was very well done. Mr. Nautilus, as Scroggins, took up the broad comedy role with a facility which we had scarcely looked for from him, As the blundering, awkward, but good-natured "clerk in an office," got up to cut a dash at his landlord's party, from which he had been unwittingly borne away, he played admirably, and sustained most of the fun of the piece. Mr. Timberpost also hit off to perfection the character of the unhappy footman Joseph; nothing could exceed the expression of bewildered disgust with which he endeavoured to carry out the varying and whimsical orders of his master and mistress, and of settled satisfaction with which he at last served the long-delayed Cup of Tea."
The burlesque of "Romulus and Remus" localised ai ent Rome in modern Shanghai, and a very amusing transposition was made of it. Local allusions were plentifully interspersed, and many matters which have recently had. a share of public -attention were satirised in witty verses, set to popular music and admirably sung ly the actors and their associates of the Glee Club. Mr. Drinkwater and Mr. Doolittle in the juvenile capacity of the twins, Romulus and Remus, amused themselves with childish toys, and quarrelled and fought with precocious pugnacity; and after emerging from the obscurity of the shepherd's hut, ably contested at the Forum the suffrages of Rome,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.