18 FEBRUARY 1837, Page 12

THE THEATRES.

A CAPITAL travestie of the tragedy of Douglas is performing at the .Adelphi, with laughable effect. Mrs. STIRLING'S grave caricature of the costume and airs of the tragedy queens of the old school, in Lady Randolph, is one of the finest pieces of genuine burlesque acting that we have ever seen. JOIIN REEVE, as Young Norval, looks like an overgrown Scotch Cupid in tartan trews ; he sings a parody on the schoolboy speech "My name is Norval," and humours the drollery throughout with great gusto. 0. SMITH, as Glenalron, looks like an animated Highlander from the door of a snuff-shop, and is appropriately hard and grim in his caricature of the stage villains : his seeming un- consci msness of the exaggeration has all the effect of dry humour. The murderers, the lachrymose old mall, and the "trembling coward who forsook his master," are all overdone in glorious style. The audience, contrary to the custom here, did not all relish the fun. • Some appeared doubtful whether they ought to laugh or not : but those who knew the tragedy enjoyed it heartily. Few things are more amusing than a burlesque in which the conventional tricks of the stage and the absurd points in a drama are ridiculed by broad caricature. The author of this parody is LEMAN REDE. We would surest to him the Duchess de La Vallicre as a good subject for a burlesque. Mrs. STIRLING us the:paw.paw heroine, 0. SMITH as the King, REEVE as Bragelone, and BECKSTONE as Lauzun, would keep it up admirably.