29 SEPTEMBER 1866, Page 3

The legitimate, by which ' is meant-the-Shakespearian drama, is -once

more in possession of 'Old Drury. Mr. Chatterton opened his winter'campaign a -week ago with a tragedy and a comedy, -each " razeed," to-use a doekyard term, in order -that the acting of both might be brought within a compass of time endurable by flesh and=blood. King 'John is not one of -the best of the acting tragedies, nor is Mr. 'Phelps seen 'to 'most advantage in the scoundrel brother of the -brilliant Ceem= de Lion. 'Shakespeare's Philip Augustus,hy the way, is altogether- a-mistake. Bat while neither King John. ner'Falconbridge was-a particularly striking-per- formance, Mrs. Hermann Vezinis a-very creditable Constance, 'who 'can speak the poet's; language, and act a passion Of -rage- or grief. without tearing it to tatters. The juvenile prodigy who -per- formed the part of Arthur is one of the mast natural eloeu- tionists on the stage, and effective because he Is natural. It, willhe a pity, should thalittlefellow, when he grows :into a big fellow, grow also stagey and. unnattuad. 'Master Percy Roselle's pleading with Hubert was, in its way, equal to .the acting of Mrs: Iretin. The fan of-the- Comedy of -Errors was-wonderfully auseained by those amazing Dromini, the -Mesats. -Webb, who "are exactly alike, so_that you know not one from the other, and do not -believe there= are two until you see them on the stage together, and by Mr. Barsby and Mr:Sinclair, who each bear the name. of Aatipholus, and who look; and speak, and walk, and act alike,-thongh the likeness. is not quite so complete as lihat• of the Dresniee. ,AllaShakespearians and all lovecs-otglorioua Lim should go to see the Comedy of Errors aa it is now presented at Drury Lane. Mr. Dion Boucicanit, who recently complained quite feelingly of the painful necessity of occupying every theatrnin London, to which he seemed likely to be forced by the popularity of his works, is to=write a play fee the spring.