THE THEATRES.
Tor Winter Theatres have sent out their bills of fare, and the re- spective entertainments'seem to be of the usual character. Of their merits we shall report next week—now we have only to announce them. It is pleasant to see their placards again covering the walls and hang- ing at shopsr!.00rs, and to watch the playgoer Rs he stops to speculate upon the prospect of the season, or choose which house he shall visit on the ivening night.
The Adelphi opens with a "melodramatic burletta spectacle," re- specting which we learn nothing but its name—Maw/lin, and that the
mods person x are French : it will be amusing to hear the actors' different modes of pronouncing the name of the hero, Mandrin. A
PALMER and Miss ELLEN CI.IFFORD make their first appearances as the hero and heroine, in place of Mr. and Mrs. YATES, who are at Drury. The piece is got up solely under the direction of Mr. llasttEws, who is, we suppose, the author also. 'rhe afterpiece is a story of " deep domestic interest,"—the characteristics of Adelphi pieces might be stereotyped, so much do they assimilate,—called The .London Carrier; a title that smacks strongly of road. side horrors when read in conjunction with the name of the author, Mr. FITZBALL, and the actor, 0. Sstrrn. Madame VESTRIS, whose bills in green and red please the eye to look -upon, announces two new hurlettas, with the inviting titles of Love in a Cottage and The Gentknian in Difficulties. Iler company appears to be exactly the same as .it was lust season. VESTRIS is not given to change—in this particular, at least : she knows how much the efficiency of a well-trained corps dramatique is increased by their being accus- tomed to each others' mode of acting. The Adelphi and the Olympic companies work better than any other, for this reason. The audience, too, enter more readily into the spirit of the scene : they take the cue at once from the actor ; and each new piece has, as it were, a share of the benefit of former successes. Drury opens on Thursday, with MACREADY, in Macbeth.- who is to support him we do not know ; for the good old practice of printing the muster, roll of the troops is discontinued here. We must not omit to mention that there is a new farce to be produced on the occasion. The bill is almost worthy of ROBINS; and well it may be, when the genius of YATES and BUNN has combined to produce it. The en. trance is christened the " Hall of Shakspeare :" and the statues of GARRICK. and KEN, recently erected in it, figure as prominent objects of attraction. The cleaning and burnishing of the interior of the house, "the remodelling of the proscenium," " the enlargement of the chandelier," and "the improvement of the stage and orchestra," are all duly announced. " The improvement of the stage !"—what an odd sound it has, coming from such a quarter. What novelties are in store we have yet to learn. The class of performances, we suppose, will be much the same as last season,—judging from the inventory of foreign operas, ballets, spectacles, &c. that is set forth in the bills as "the property of the Lessee, by copyright and authorship." Not that we object to the Great Theatres being devoted to opera and spectacle; for these are precisely what they are best fitted for. Let the managers produce what class of entertainments they or the public affect : but let not others be interdicted from acting tragedy and comedy. It is the humbug pretence of "upholding the legitimate drama," which is put forward in order to bolster up an absurd and overgrown monopoly, that we are opposed to. Covent Garden, is we believe, at length let to Mr. OSBALDISTONE ; and is expected to open in the course of three weeks.
The Victoria opens on Monday, with the glass curtain : a promise of congenial novelties of all sorts is made in the bills.
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