NEW BABYLON.

Evening Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 42, 8 September 1882, Page 3

NEW BABYLON.

The first performance of Paul Merrit's "New Babylon" drew a orowded house to the Theatre Boyal last night, and, taken altogether, may bo pronounced a decided auooess. Provided with greater individuality of obaraoter, and with a much better dialogue than "The World," quite as sensational in its way, though happily containing fewer catastrophes than that popular speotaole. and with scenery in no sense inferior to that of its rival, Tl New Babylon " will probably attraot its full share of publio patr >nage. Both pieces are essentially flimsy in oonstrnotion, but the flimsineas of "New Babylon" ia infinitely preferable to that of its predecessor. All the scenes— tome dozen or more — are fairly good, while four are especially worthy of praise. These, are the bolliaion at sea, whioh is a very chef d'auvre of ingenuity of lt*ge meohanism ; Tatlersall's during a sale; Cremome Gardens, perhaps the most telling scene of all ; and last, the scene of the Goodwood race, with its dandies and its flirts, its jockeys and its Jewj, and with it* cleverly manipulated " favourites" spurting, liko spectres, across the miuuo course. ' The central oharaoter of the piece, as our readers are aware from the return^ tint has already been published in these columns, is that of Flotsam, the ' American Detective, played by Mr. Bland Holt nearly 300 times before, as also we believe by his father in Locdon, and in whioh he appears to muoh greater advantage than as Moss Jewell. Mr. Bland Holt indeed gives an exoellent impersonation of the quick-witted Yankoe, undormining the villainy of the Long Firm, and finally, disguised as the Brummagem Bullfinch — a needy vendor and singer of oomio songs— running the swindlers to earth in the slams of Seven Dials, where he parries the deadly blow aimed by Ramirea

with a oandlestiok, and handooffa him on the spot. Mr. Bland Holt watf well supported, partlonlarly by Mr. J. J. Kennedy (Ezra Lazareok), Mr. C. HoUoway (The O'Sligo), Mr. W. H. Seagrave (Hiram Maltby), whose Yorkshire brogne was inimitably given, Mr. £. Kyan (whose pourtrayal of the Celeitial was eßpeoially noteworthy}, and Mr. L. St. Lawrence (John Lamb, Esq.), chiefly remarkable far hia mirth-provoking, bat inane, laugh. Mr. H. N. Douglas's impersonation of Ramirez, though fairly good in some parts, was anything but oommendable in others. Miss J. Watt-Tanner, as Eunice and Bel Lorimer, Miss Mortyne, as Madge Maltby, Miss Edwin, as Dora Sparkes, Miss Fenwiok, as the love-rick jockey, and Miss Mainwaring, as Aunt Crazy, fairly earned the applause whioh greeted their efforts, as also did the remaining characters in the piece. _

Mr. T. Kennedy Maodonald'a sale was well attended this af ternoou and good prices were obtained. PaEooe'B bre>7"y ™ B °«| to Mr. McCarthy for .83500. and the Waterloo Hotel to Mr. Hodßon tnr