• The French Theatre in King Street, St. James's, opens
with a very promising aspect. Mademoiselle Brohan, the soubrette of the Theatre Francais, and daughter of one of the most celebrated soubrettes that ever lived, has come—has been seen—and has conquered. Mademoiselle Brohan is the very person to make a sensation. Her figure is good, and her face is so sparkling with intelligence that one can- not fancy the mind indolent for a moment. The whole demeanour keeps
up the notion of the quickest power of apprehension, the most unwearied watchfulness, the greatest promptitude for action, the sharpest poignancy of
spite,—qualities that form the very essentials of a soubrette; who is always to be ready armed with vigilance in the cause of her mistress and with malice against her persecutors. Her delivery of the dialogue is remark- able for its clearness and perspicuity; and she has the art, given but to few, of uttering some lines which a reader would pass over, with such force and point that an audience is astonished. In all the varieties of the genus
soubrette she seems equally at home—from the daring, thoroughgoing sou- brette of the old French comedy, whose impertinence partakes of ferocity, and who can deluge a disagreeable master with a torrent of abuse, to the soubrette of the more modern comedietta and vaudeville, who shows her malice rather in rapier-thrusts than in sabre-cuts.
In the stock company of the theatre there are several actors of consider- able merit. Cartigny, who can play all sorts of characters provided they have attained a certain age, and give force and distinctive quality to every one of them, is in himself a host—a strong, sterling comedian, who would do credit to any company in the world. Madame Graafian is an excellent actress of 'old ladies: she played a spiteful Countess in Destonches's play of L'Obstacle Imprevue, with great point and discrimination. For ardent, impassioned, and very juvenile lovers, there is an energetic little actor in the person of M. Beron; and M. Lucien can adopt those Italian drolleries which occur in the earlier French dramas, with a great deal of grotesque humour.
The plays on the first two nights were none of them new, and they call for no particular remark. Les'Folies Awn:reuses by Regnard, L'Obstacle Imprevue by Destouches, and two little comedies of a more modern class— Lea Rivaux d'Euxlitmes and Le Mari et l' "Intent—are the most striking in the list. All have been selected with reference to the engagement of Mademoiselle Brohan; the soubrette being in all one of the most prominent characters.
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