THEATRICAL DOINGS.
THE theatrical Winter Season has commenced, in an Autumn wearing the aspect of a second summer ; but the inconvenience of heat has not been very severely felt at Drury as yet. We expect, however, that it will be warm work for the audiences at the Adelphi and Madame VESTRIS'S Olympic Pavilion, which, as well as Covent Garden, open on Monday night. We briefly noticed in our second edition last week, the opening of Drury on Saturday, and the reappearance of Miss MORDAUNT, who ought now to be called Mrs.NESBIT, as the Widow Cheerly ; she has since performed the character of Miss Hardcastle. On Monday, a Mr. STANLEY, from Dublin, appeared as Romeo; and although he made an indifferent Romeo, he is likely to prove a very useful actor in genteel comedy, and the secondary parts of tragedy. He is young, and well-looking, with a slight and neatly-turned figure, and an agreeable voice. He displayed rather too much alacrity of movement, and a redundancy of attitudenizing, with a tendency to rant—the common faults of the conventional mode of acting, which players without feeling and "discrimination," as MACKLIN has it, invariably adopt. Indeed, the rule of the stage would seem to be the reverse of nature, judging by the practice of the majority of actors. Miss PHILLIPS'S Juliet has been much commended: to us, it appeared forced and melodramatic. The sepulchral tones of her deep voice were more suitable to the "Bleeding Nun" than the love-sick Juliet. Indeed, the entire cast of the piece was inefficient. COOPER tried Mercutio for the first time, and played it, as he does every part that he under- takes, respectably ; but it was a mere imitation of KEMBLE ; as Mrs. C. JONES'S Nurse was of dear old Mrs. DAVENPORT in that character.
BRAHAM reappeared on Tuesday, in Masaniello. He is getting quite youthful, and an actor, in his old age. He is determined to atone for any lack of sweetness, or diminished compass of his voice, by feeling : in his singing he does not forget expression, which is half its charm ; and wanting which, Miss BErrs's clever execution merely tickles the ear. The musical corps dramatique at Drury is to be very effective, with DE MERIC at the head, Mr. and Mrs. W00% Miss BETTS, MISS HYLAND, T. COOKE, Miss CAWSE, Miss FERGUSON, J. Rus- SELL, &C.; and in comedy, FARREN, POWER, HARLEY, and MTS. GLOVER, in addition to Mrs. NESBIT.
The Hunchback is of course brought out here, with FARREN as Master Walter. The difference between his acting and that of the author, is as "a dry old applejohn," tasted after a rich juicy pear. This play was refused at Drury Lane; and now, having proved successful at the other house, it is adopted,—a very deli- cate term for such conduct. The talented author-actor is, we are glad to see, engaged by LAPORTE, and he will perform his first and. as yet only part of Walter with the gentle ELLEN TREE as Julia. This delightful actress will, now that FANNY KEMBLE is "over the water and far away," have good scope for the development of the quiet graces of her manner, and the natural sensibility of her expression, in characters of leading interest. She has not hitherto had a favourable opportunity of being duly appreciated. Those who have seen MARS will enjoy her unaffected style the more for the association. LAPORTE, the most politic and therefore the most prosperous of managers, commences his first season on the English stage with!' drama taken from an incident in one of the great MARLBOROUGH S campaigns, in which the Manager will play a French corporal, and little POOLE a drummer and the drum. A "young gentleman,' only nineteen, makes his debut in Shylock on the opening night; and a Mr. BUTLER is to appear as Hamlet on the following Monday. LAPORTE'S good judgment induces us to augur favourably of their success, against our experience of the results of similar announce- mmits. We are also to have RICHARD 'JONES, the comedian, back again : they are dressing up a comedy of SIIABSPEARE.S,
With music and other garnish, for the purpose of introducing him
in a new character—can it be Malvolio Among the vocalists are still Miss INVERARITY, Miss ROMER, WILSON, PENSON, &C.
A new tragedy (by KENNY, we believe), entitled the House of Colberg, is announced for next week at Drury, with MACREADY for the hero. JERROLD has written a domestic drama called the Factory Girl,—taken, we hope, from Miss MARTINEAU'S true pic- ture of the Factory System. We should not be much surprised to see Mr. SADLER announced to perform one of the parts : if he were to get it up gratuitously at Leeds, it would aid his canvass
more efficiently than scores of his speeches. •
YESTRIS has got LISTON again, and Mrs. ORGER instead of Mrs. GLOVER ; and her bills present a long string of female names, in- cluding one or two new ones of great promise. VESTRIS'S should be called Thbiltre des Beautes.
MATHEWS and YATES open the Adelphi with the old favourites, and a new melodrama, founded on the famous story of Rip Van Winkle ; to be followed by the Pet of the Petticoats from Sadler's Wells, and Cupid from the English Opera; these pieces being purchased, not pirated, from those theatres. We missed seeing REEVE'S Cupid—or rather his TAGLIONI—and were not able to reach the New River Head to see BUCKSTONE in the Pet of the Petticoats; so that we have a glorious night in prospect.
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