THE THEATRES.
Tar, three new pieces, produced at the St. James's on Monday, are of the slightest possible texture ; but they suffice to please the not very fastidious audiences attracted by the Beasts ; and an occasional growl from behind the scenes serves to divert attention from the dialogue for a while,—which is an advantage. The Young Sculptor has sonic small pretensions to grave sentiment ; but such a strong proof of delicate love as the Young Sculptor gives by knocking to pieces a statue of his mistress lest its exhibition should compromise her, requires more able handling than Mr. MArnew's. Mrs. Hooeen, for lack of a competent representative of the lovers among the male part of the company, wielded the chisel ; but, clever as is her acting, she could not overcome the sense of unfitness in the as- sumption of the character. The dressing is very tasteful, and Mr. Hooma is a noble-looking figure of Michael Angelo.
Friends and Neighbours is not one of the happiest of Mr. HAriszs BArt.y!s farces ; and the one idea of an old bachelor entertaining a
mortal aversion for widows, and being himself taken in by marrying a widow whom he believes to be a spinster, is rather a disagreeable sub- ject. Mrs. GLOVER, as Miss Peeps, a prying old maid, who discovers the deception and betrays the secret, is a most amusing specimen of the meddling, mischief-making old maid; and her clever and lively acting carried the piece through. Poor old DOWTON, though incapable of any exertion, looks hale and hearty, carries himself upright, and makes a cosy, comfortable, elderly gentleman ; and delivers the dialogue (allow- ing for a few lapses of memory) in a quiet conversational way, that is very agreeable.
The TroublesomeLodger, for all Winexcu's hungry stomach, brazen look, and off-hand manner, did not prove very welcome to the audience ; for the farce has been played in reality, and its success reported in the Police cases ; and the dramatists (for ;here are two concerned, Messrs. MaynEw and Ravels) have not come up to the life. Peter Palace: takes the first floor of a peace-loving old gentleman, and turns his drawing- room into an exhibition of wild Indians ; drawing a crowd round the house with gongs, trombones, flags, speaking-trumpets, and all the ap- pliances of a showman, in order to be bought out of possession. A little love is introduced, according to custom, but very clumsily ; and a famishing fellow-scoundrel, with a comical phis, though very droll, is de trop. The Beasts were in full force ; and M. TAUDEVTN fondled even the black tiger ; but the lion—a noble fellow—kept his royal sate apart, and amused himself and the audience by looking about lihm—wonder- ing much, no doubt, as`the Royal Lady of whose arms he is me of the supporters did at his leonine brother of Drury when feeding. The ani- mals now sup in private,—a great improvement. Mr. VA:: AMBURGH, by the way, has been giving a feed to a parcel of fashionable and literary "lions" (his supporters) at Drury Lane.
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