OPENING OF THE WINTER THEATRES.
DRURY LANE.
The Lessee, we are told, has selected " the most eminent talent of the two Great Theatres," and formed "the most powerful company
that expense or research could collect together." Mat:READY, it is true, is the best tragedian of the day ; but where are KEMISLE and KEAN ? could no " research " discover their hiding-places, nor " ex- pense" secure their services. The names of Mrs. HONEY, Miss .VORDE, Miss FANNY HEALEY, and Mr. ANDERSON, appearing in large letters in the bills, we suppose the public are to regard them as specimens of the " eminent talent" forthcoming.
Macbeth was selected for the opening night—the gentle ELLEN TREE being put up for Lady Macbeth A character more utterly unsuited to her powers and style of acting could hardly be found in the whole range of the drama. ELLEN TREE'S Lady Macbeth was, of necessity, a failure ; but she made it a very graceful one. Her face and voice belie every sentiment she utters. Her performance, therefore, is not a subject for criticism. MACII;;ADY'S Macbeth, though far from being perfect, is beautiful and imihessive on the whole, and marked by many fine touches. He portrays the weak points of the character most successfully. His haggard looks give vivid expression to the feelings of terror and remorse ; and his desperation in the last act is wild and energetic. But MAcitEanv's affectation of classic grace is not in keeping with the character. For the rest, WARDE's hard monotonous chaunt, and COOPER'S melan- choly didatic tone made the beautiful poetry of SHAKSPEARE Sound like a homily doled out in fragments. The scenery, dresses, and properties, were as dingy as might he, excepting the regal costumes of ELLEN TREE and MACREADY, which were rich and elegant. The two murderers were as harmless-looking fellows as ever lived, and the white-faced messenger was much more self-possessed and rosy-cheeked than any one of the soldiers of either army. MACREADY was enthusiastically welcomed ; and recalled to life, after the fall- ing of the curtain, for the purpose of receiving the plaudits of the audience. The new farce, the Night Patrol, is one of the stupidest ever inflicted on a patient and good-humoured audience. It employed upwards of twenty dramatis persona, besides dancers, soldiers, and mob, during two acts; and was only saved from summary damnation by HARLEY'S tomfoolery. The theatre and the chandeliers have been cleaned, the proscenium altered, and the orchestra made to project in a curve on to the stage. The new drop-curtain is designed in classic taste, and has a very handsome appearance. The house was full at first price, the upper boxes excepted ; and the tragedy was announced for repetition on Monday.
ADELPHI.
The two burlettas at the Adelphi may be characterized in apothe. eary's phrase, "the mixture as before ;" and nauseous doses they are, as ever poor playgoer swallowed. Crime and mystery are the princi- pal ingredients, with a strong infusion of absurdity. We were made to laugh, certainly—but we fear not exactly in those parts intended by the authors. Mandrin is the old story of a " bandit chief," who, in the disguise of a gentleman, wins the heart of a lady (who is of course going to be married to some nobleman) and, in propria persona, carries her off. He assumes as many different characters as MATHEWS in a monopolologue, dashes through files of soldiers, and escapes un- hurt' by vollies of musketry, breaks the cords that bind him like another Samson, and, but for the necessity of concluding the piece by the death of the hero, we should be in doubt if he were really a kill-
THE commencement of the theatrical winter season has been neither brilliant nor auspicious. No signs of improvement as yet appear. The opening entertainments at the Minors arc similar in character to those of last season, but inferior in quality; while at Drury, as heretofore, the tragic mask is held out as a sign, just as a bunch of grapes is hung over the door of a gin-shop " as much the mock as mark." However, let us not anticipate that the ensuing season will prove "the winter of our discontent ;" though, on the other hand, we are not so sanguine as to expect that it will be " made glorious summer by the sun " of either house. The arrangements for the opening of Covent Garden not being made, we have yet a chance left ; but the bills of Drury " keep the word of promise to the eye and break it to the hope."
able subject. Mr. PALMER, who personates this redoubtable chieftain, is a well-knit figure, with a voice almost as hoarse and deep as some of his men ; but for a dark mysterious. hero of melodrama he is too round-faced and rubicund ; and instead of a glaring eye, deep set beneath a shaggy beetled, brow, he has a roguish twinkle that, coupled with his pointed lip, bespeaks a merry good-humoured fellow, more ready with ajest than lie, and not likely to be disguised—except in liquor. In short, he looks as if he would make a capital low come- dian ; somewhat hard perhaps, and certainly not so oily as REEvi:, but mirthful enough. His disguise as a ferryman was too complete, for no one would have suspected him of being a brigand any more than he would have been taken for a gentleman when he assumes the name of his rival the Marquis. Of the abilities of Miss CLIFFORD, the heroine, it would he searetly fair to judge from seeing her in such a character. She has a proper person, with fine black hair and eyes, and declaims in good set style ; her voice is of a peculiar quality and high tone, and requires the ear to be accustomed to it. She reminds us of her mother, Mrs. CLIFFORD, of the Haymarket. The piece is as splendidly got up as usual as regards the scenery, decorations, and dresses. The vraiscmblant effect of the ball-room scene was, however" destroyed by the three male dancers, BROWN, KING, and GIBSON, bur- lesquing their parts in the minuet. The London Carrier is, as we anti- cipated, a murderous melodrama, but of mitigated horrors, inasmuch as the carrier is but a poacher, and becomes a murderer without malice pre- pense. However, to give him a due degree of atrocity, he accuses an innocent man of his crime, and attempts the abduction of the woman who is accidentally witness of his guilt. lie not only fails in both cases, but further to relieve our excited sympathies, his accusation has the effect of reconciling these two parties, who are a once happy couple separated and made wretched by the husband believing that a violent attempt on his wife's virtue has not only succeeded, but with her concurrence. Herein consists the " deep domestic interest " of the drama; and if it were in the power of excellent acting to redeem a bad piece, certainly the London Carrier would draw loads of people to the Adelphi. :AIN. KEELEY, as the wife, gives such true and powerful expression to the distress, terror, mid determined resolu- tion of a wronged, deserted, and innocent woman ; and O'Ssirrir is so vivid a picture of the desperate villain, that they almost succeed in making the incidents appear probable. HEMMING, too, as the husband, and a Mr. ATTWOOD and a Miss AIRES, as a country lout and a ser- vant-wench, act very cleverly. The two last-named performers are most efficient additions to the company. BUCKSTONE in the first piece, and WILKINSON in the last, have not much scope for their drol- lery; but in the popular farce of the Christening they indulged their humours ad libitum—Bucss-rosrs buffoonery hieing occasionally too re- dundant. BUCKSTONE looks every inch a cleric; and WILKINSON, as the old bruin, Mr. Grum, is inimitable. In the opening scene of the first piece the stage dialogue is made to allude to the change in the management ; and a promise is given of the same entertainment as be- fore. We had been led, erroneously, it would seem, to expect some improvement in this respect ; and we are sorry to find that we are likely to be disappointed. Mr. MavitEws, however, having failed in imitat-
ing the worst features of the old Adelphi burlettas, will, we Lope, be
more successful in seizing upon their better characteristics. lie has only to compare the success of Victorine with that of Oscar the Ban- dit, to convince himself that the best dramas are the most popular. We shall see what BUCKSTONE will produce. The loss of Yams and his wife will be felt much more than that of REEVE—though BUCKSTONE is no substitute for once "glorious John." Why does not Mr. MATHEWS engage T. P. CooKE ? or Mrs. H. CRAMER, who has been playing Mrs. Nrserrr's part of Zarah at the Queen's with more than oulinary success ? The places of Mr. and Mrs. YATES would then be well supplied.
OLYMPIC.
The novelties here, though the veriest trifles, light even to flimsi- ness, and gay only from the absence of gravity, are not merely inoffen- sive, but made amusing by the acting. Love in a Cottage serves the purpose of introducing two new ditties of Mr. IIAYNES BAYLY'S; which, being nicely sung and acted by Ws-rim, will, we dare say, be pretty numerously sold in the music-shops. But if the author have a re- gard for the success of his songs, he will get some friendly dramatist to help him to a vehicle for their introduction, instead of constructing one himself, that almost broke down under their feather-weight. BAILY'S brace of ballads, however, are eclipsed by a delightful one of Lovsn's, infinitely better than both put together — " Rory O'More," which VESTRIS sings charmingly in the character of an Irishwoman. Her dress is true to the life, and very well she becomes it. VFSTRIS is very much altered in appearance, but her manner is as fascinating as ever. She looks meth thinner than last season. We did not use to fancy her too plump ; yet we can't say we now think her too thin ; it was the alteration struck us. The Gentleman in Dfificulties is LISTON, who, in the disguise of a footman, follows his wife from France to England, whither she comes to try and arrange with his creditors. The fun of the piece of course consists in the ludicrous situation of a husband acting the part of footman to his wife, and the absurd blunders that he is constantly committing through ignorance, forgetfulness, disgust, and fatigue. To heighten the perplexity of both parties, the relations of the wife are horrified at the seeming impropriety of her conduct in allowing certain innocent familiarities from the supposed footman ; while she, on her part, is alarmed at the particular attention paid to her husband by her maid. The idea is not so well worked out as it might he, nor is the most made of some of the situations. The mistakes that LISTON makes are not always such a gentleman would fall into in acting the part of a footman ; and a man so circumstanced would be more careful of keeping up the assumed character; but this is per- haps a hypercritici&objection. LIsTON'S drollery is all, and it is abundant. Mrs. ORGER makes an excellent lady's-maid. The mixture of assumed respect and real impertinence, of affected gentility and in- herent vulgarity, is done to a nicety. Her inquiries into the particu- lars of her " place," and her scrutiny of the figure of " the man " with whom she is "to sit in the rumble," are made with the same cool, calculating assurance. She seems as if she were engaging a mistress.
VICTORIA.
The glass curtain is the grand attraction here; and so dazzling is it
with the reflected lights of the theatre, and the crowded audience, that all the other sights appear confused and dull after it. We must post- pone any account of the performances until our eyes have got more ac- customed to the lustrous wall of mirror.
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