12 NOVEMBER 1836, Page 10

THE THEATRES.

WE have not noticed the little Olympic for some time ; and, truth to tell, the performances have not been very remarkable. Moreover, the difficulty of getting a good seat—which, since the gallery has been

turned into boxes, is not very likely to arise from want of room—dis- poses us to visit this theatre less frequently than those vPhich we find

more accessible. However, we did encounter the fatigue on Tuesday last ;

and were very well pleased with the performances. The last novelty, which is called The Barrack-Room, is indeed one of the pleasantest of

the Olympic burlettas. HAYNES BAYLY is said to be the author ; but, judging from the subject and the tact shown in its treatment, we should take it to be of French origin.

Clarisse, the daughter of the Marquis de Cruzac, one of the ancien regime, is chosen by Napoleon to be the wife of Colonel Ferrier ; and

only two hours is the time allowed for the wooing and wedding. The high- born beauty very naturally refuses to be forced into a marriage with a low-born soldier, even at an Emperor's bidding ; but apprehension for her father, who has been compromised by his connexion with a plot against the Government, makes her hesitate ; and a lurking admiration of the person and manners of the young soldier finally determines her on signing the marriage-contract. No sooner is the ceremony over, than the bridegroom is ordered to his post, and the lady conducted to his barrack-room, with no one but an old sergeant to attend her. Disgusted at this treatment, she begins to repent of her rashness ; but her chagrin and vexation are banished by the glowing account of the character and exploits of her husband, which she receives from the ser- geant ; and her satisfaction is complete when she finds that the Colonel as now become a General, and that she is to exchange the cheerless barrack-room for a comfortable château.

The drama is cleverly constructed. The situations are well worked

; every improbable circumstance is ingeniously accounted for ; and an agreeable tone of sentiment pervades the dialogue. These merits, com- bined with the completeness and finish of the representation generally, and the charming acting of VESTA'S in particular, produce a most de- lightful impresssion. The first surprise and indignation of the titled beauty at the idea of being forced into an alliance with a soldier of no family ; the qualifying of her angry refusal by a consideration for the personal feelings of her compelled suitor, who woos as he would march on a forlorn hope, at the word of command ; her gradual liking for him, strengthened by the feelings of pity, respect, and gratitude, succes- sively excited by his conduct ; her after disgust and vexation, yielding to regret at her pettishness, and ending in increased regard,—are all depicted by VESTA'S with the naiveté of a young girl suddenly placed in so em- barrassing a situation. Her acting is in the true spirit of grave co- medy; not overwrought into greater intensity than the drama will bear, but with just so much of earnestness as is necessary to sustain the illu- sion and give life to the scene. She sings two very pretty little songs, composed by BARNETT, in her inimitable way. JAMES VINING, as Colonel Ferrier, acts with gentlemanlike case and confidence, though with a little too much indifference of manner. F. MATTHEWS threw more than enough of buffoonery into the part of the Marquis; and lacked somewhat of the starched and formal dignity of a noble of the old court, which would have heightened his ludi- crously exaggerated terrors of a second banishment. BLAND looks and acts the veteran sergeant to the life : the mixture of roughness and civility, of enthusiasm and machine-like precision, are admirably repre- presented. He does not caricature the regimental air, as is commonly done.

We must not omit to notice the scenery. The saloon of the Mar- quis's château is sumptuously elegant, and designed in correct style. The only merit of lie Would be an Actor is that it furnishes CHARLES MATHEWS with an opportunity for displaying his powers of mimicry. His personation of a Welshman is exquisitely finished, and has the ease and force of reality; and his song of "Jemmy Jones" loses none of its sweetness and pathos in his comicality. He also assumes the dress and manner of a French lady, so successfully that the disguise might defy detection even off the stage as far as outward appearance go ; but his voice betrayetb the man. Young CHARLES MATHEWS has much of the tact and finesse of his father's mimicry, and some whim ; but his humour is not so rich and genial, nor are his talents so versatile ; and the mannerism that we have before remarked in his general acting is growing confirmed. Whether his power of personation will ever go deeper than the outside, remains to be seen. His father put on the nature of the individual with his clothes.

A Mr. CONQUEST appeared here last week, in a poor and absurd piece called Serenading; in which be represents a Mr. James Green, a sedate-looking personage, who indulges his passion for the fair sex, by serenading them in the costume of a Polish minstrel. The fun con- sists in the ridiculous figure Mr. Green cuts in his disguise, the dis- covery of his flirtations by his wife, and the confusion that arises from the circumstance of another Mr. James Green occupying the cham- bers below him. Mr. CONQUEST sappears to be a humorist of the broad, dry, uncouth kind : it would be hardly just, however, to pro- nounce upon his merits from this performance. LISTON and Mrs. ORGER have been playing a cobler and his wife, this week, in a well-meant but feeble little piece called A Pleasant Neighbour. Their acting is perfect. LISTON looks as if he had lived in a stall all his life ; and Mrs. ORGER doats with such maternal fond- ness on her imaginary infant, that we feel disappointed that it does not give audible intimation of its existence. The best of the mythological burlesques, Olympic Devils, has been revived, with its original splendour ; VESTRIS resuming her popular character of Orpheus.