OPENING OF THE LITTLE THEATRES.

THE Little Theatres are the places for fun, with their light, lively burlettas, half an hour long, and their broad comic extravaganzas, quizzing the gravities of opera and tragedy. The actors, too, feeling themselves at home, are more free, easy, and natural, and take more pains with their parts, or the audiences are less critical and more indulgent, than at the Great Theatres, and meet them half- way ; slight defects are thrown into the shade, and minute points of exeellence brought into the light. If the piece is not of the best, as it makes no pretension, it is received for what it is worth. Itis always brief, and often droll. The contagion of merriment spreads through the crowded pit, the close-packed boxes, and the over- flowing gallery. Serious people exclaim, " How ridiculous !" and are ready to die with laughter: and go away complaining of the heat and pressure, inwardly resolved to conic and see the next no- velty. The Minors generally open with new pieces, and with their new performers. This is handsome and politic. They begin as they intend to go on. The Great Ilouses should do the same. It would give greater midi to the commencement of their season*, which is commonly "stale and fiat" to the audience, and " unpro- fitable" to the manager.

The Olympic and the Adelphi commenced their own proper seasons this week ; and the snug little theatre in the Strand, which Miss Ke Lay engaged for Hrs. Part/dads attractive "At Homes," reopened for a winter campaign under the able general- ship of JAMES Rtrssuid., with Weeacia as his lieutenant, and a small but well-eitesen corps.

THE OLYMPIC.

VESTRIS claims the precedence, no less by the superior quality and style of her entertainments, than on the score of her sex. Whatever she touches she adorns. She metamorphosed a dirty little cabin ofa theatre in Wych Street into a gay pavilion, audits stage into a classic bower for the Loves and Graces. She ha& purified burlesque of its grossness, given elegance to buffoonery, point to parody, and made puns seem witticisms. In short, her performances and her play-bills, her looks and her legs, are alike unrivalled. Previous to a grand Card Party—one of the pleasant- est we ever attended—two new burlettas were produced, of which LISTON and KEE LEY were the respective heroes; and a popular one of last season, A Match in the Dark, in which VESTRIS is the heroine, and Mrs. OaCER personates so admirably the canny Scotch housekeeper, who manoeuvres into matrimony the thrifty " wee bit deride.- The burletta in which LI STON appeared, called Look at Home; is written by CHARLES DANCE. It should be an especial. favoir- the furtiter in re. He is a paragon of politeness when obeyed, . . THE AOELPHI awl a perfect Bashaw when his wishes are not anticipated ; for

his supple spouse to thwart him, seems as improbable as that a with aleve ehould disobey his master. M ndil Mr. Gabriel Lovibo, o the tuna:ray, is an easy, good-natured, complying sort of a bueband, e who finds it not unpleasant to be ruled by his wife ; and she. on her part is so aecustonted to have every thing her own way, is famous. There were necromancers ;And daimon bats; a

abet she does not seein cuuscious of her spouse busing Ito Will I' :ands a pupil more willing than apt, in the art of matraging his ; but the pert was unworthy of her talents. Even 0. Smi lade. Gabriel—or Gaby, as his wife familiarly calls him—bit:fel-6

and.. swaggers, and orders and contradicts, in vain. Ills better half only wonders and laughs at Min; and he is glad to return again to passive obedience under pettite govertnnunt. Septimus at annpliantly instances the numerous proofs given by his git:dicta aoraplacently sneers at " poor brother Gaby," who can only lid- miem not imitate. By way of climax, Septimus commands his half make up fa her loss.

kovibond in particular. r n. Septimus obeys With a altI

lehllee

SUIIIS,Jul to her, but that is construed into a natural aversion to

aae task; and her subsequent compliance, which is quite era/. Shoevs Oft

atop ; and, on being threateme11I-Ith hursewhipping unitae begs a

hond,—to flee em h e horror and chagrin of her hueld, wlw teta

aaseroet personated Mr. Septienac Loy/bond. His eaey, quiet,

sail familiar manner, heightens the effect. of las humour: lie The performances at

taaawe into the picture with such dexterity thoee fat and rich Tut: STRAND TnEATIZE and LisToee, when they would play so well teen; LI% ef curiosity to see what was eoing — atatielrawn. a handsome face and person adds a most aoreeable manner, and Tbe new extravaganza, called .114th, Low, Ark, and the ti : or a voice of considerable power and a rich sweetness of tune : .:"as Card Porty, written by Panannta and DaNca, the author:: of she promises and deserves to become a popular favourite. Then e-n'yrapic Berets and Derds, is capital; and got up in a most tmapie them are Mrs. CHAPMAN (one of the 'limas, and worthy of such st)ie. The drop-en rntin exhibits agigautie effigy of the Great Mee ul, kindred), whose acting is very pleasant, easy, and natural, and eaa he is figured on the wrapper eta por,..1: of cards ; and opening, al:s who sings nicely; airs. GRIFFITH, who played. the \Vi low with eae t he floor of the stage representing the smooth green stir-thee of such maternity or feeling in the Yeoman's Auq.chter ; and Mrs. . !at-table, and having a colossal candlestick at tacit of its four IZa)E, who throWS an expression of piquant scornfulness into a yeee as. The game then begins. The aeimated cards enter, ;weals!' damsel or a touchy waiting-maid. Her husband, LEHAN • ed in exact imitation of the court cards of the pack ; the men Rama is a suecesaful author as well as a clever and intelligent tic-

: arim visages, and wigs and beards of tawny and blue, and toe: he also is here, in his &able capacity. Vce recognized, too,

,cords; the queens each with sceptre or flower in her hand, English Opera, and W. SMITH,flOID the Queen's Theatre; all cx- zeal the hinge with a proper painted sword. They looked flat too, coaent in farce and low comely. These, in addition to aVaaNeu • thoaah they had been squeezed between two boards; and their ana Ressann., constitute a comic company of uo small force; iiaake were all white, as cards should be. The court cards had which we hear will be further increased by the acquisition of per- alie respective suits indicated by a heart, a spade, or a club, pro- formers of talent, though perhaps not known to London audiences.

• .

:f eta from one sale of the head; and the common ones by a cap In the King and the Actor, latissaaa plays the actor Sto/beea, taa: shape and colour of the pip of their suit, and a white sur- who personates Frederiek the Great : and BENSON HILL sac ill tniiit (T which their value in the pack was indicated card- King, who is mistaken air an admit-able imitation of himself by esen.aea. The vostutnes lookid extrem l r picturesque, and were another amen The equivoque mystifies all parties, and Oyes rise al:a-emus in colour amt material, but strictly correct withal : to some arousing situations. The two performers were dissimilar tae vety hott.‘es in the scenery were card-built, and the coup in face and voice; but their deess and manner being alike, the re- aaaetning as ever, and contemplated with due tenderness a arc accuetomel to have their imagination pretty freely drawn upon. ante:attire of Itinple dimensions of her departed King; the re- OxuEttay, as a cook—who recognizes the real King by the nine- a aeldetnee to whom all who have seen a pack of cards can tition of a vigorous kick from the royal foot, the honour of which leaae testimony to. The dialogue was smart and sprightly, he is as sensible of as the force—was very amusing. zeal thickly sprinkled with allusions to card-playing, and pun- WRENCH personated a lawyer's clerk, and RUSSELL a French- :rang adaptiuns of its phraseology. The parodies of popular man, in the Sad tan-House, a pleasant little musical piece, ill one Snagiieb and foreign airs were well selected. Among °tie s, was act. Rgssamas it1i1111,--nry was a finished performance; amusing, ac duet between VasTitis and BLAND, in which VESTMS gave a without exageetattioa ur grimace of any sort, and exhibiting the desque imitation of PasTa's manner of singing "Al campo" in inyinciblearelea; du mar of the Frenchman to the very life. The ..aeeredi, very pleasantly. SALTER also gave a capital imitation song that he .sings in the Station-house, to the great annoyance erlesque admirably, and is very clever in low comedy. his RUSSELL has a fine powerful voice, and correct taste, and sings reuse of Hearts was the best of the pack. The Hunting-chorus with great spirit and feeling. WRENCH as Valentine Quill- uz -Der Freiachiitz was introduced; the burden being chauged to • a restless, impudent, goodnatured, scatterbrained fellow, alwa3s 'site with the ladies ; as it not only reads a smart moral lessolato " Garda, fullow.suat." Tie .grand scene in Faust of the staircase tyrannical husbands, but exemplifies the advantage of the " grey leading down to the infernal regions, with the descent of the mare being the better horse," by contrasting the condition of two devils, and the popular march, formed a very splendid tableau ; married couples. Mr. Septimus Lovibond is a supreme dictator of and the whole concluded with a pool of Quadeilie. This new :a husband, and his wife an automaton of acquiescent obedience. entertainment is likely to.be even more popular than the nail°. Its mode of domestic government is the suaviter ira mod° and logical burlesques, because the subject is universally .uudetstood.

Opened with a melodramatic spectacle, magical and demoniacal,

callad Lrkindu, or the SleTkss Ti;»nan got up with all the

fhice of the company, and with the aids of elaborate m picturesque mimicry, and splendid dresses, for which the Adelphi skull with flaming eye-balls, and the vision of the spectre-gat ; a

Isis own. Gabriel being with his wife on a visit to his brother sea of flame, and a fiery ascent •; and various other anatel ios and transformations. Mrs. YATES, as the Sleepless V■aintan- -an Septinms, each draws comparisons betweea their dotneet:egovian-

a:gateau' Princess enclosed M a tomb—looked and acted eat rem ay anent; and Septimus undertakes to instruct Gabriel, whom he who is so effective in characters of dathletie, had no scope a a dis-

play of good acting : and REEVE and Breasroaa could hardly re-

neve by spontaneous (drollery tile exceeiiine dulness of the piece.

afra FarzwiamANI has suddenly seceded from the f'Ornlyniv. She

will be greatly missal; and will be a weletene nequisilion et :my

theatre. Mrs. HON, with her pretty laughing eyes, and ir helpmate of the efficacy of his system of connubial discipline, and M EY aa WAYLETT, With her handsome legs and her pleasing attlatils, don't

r

if;! to be civil to an impertilient exquisite, One Mr. Collingwooa The Mummy, and the Loves of the Angels—called, in compli- Sieeks, who had intruded himself into the company of the ladies, ance, We suppose, with the desire of that most moral and re- but whose attentions were apparently directed to Mrs. Gabriel liaious personage the Deputy Licenser, the Loves of the Stars— M have been transplanted to this theatre. The Loves of the Stars IS Weil gilt up, goo; a welt. NSON, Jap, a thirsty

his dry humour to advantaae.

cvenore, is eulogized by her exulting lord and tea: ter, es the tri- The imbliarent success of the new spectacle (for, notwithatena- mreph of his system. The exquisite Snooke, or Ciiiiimewooa inn it drew a crowded house on the second night, it cannot le- popular, and must soon be curtailed and made a tail-piece), will caaooks, as he insists upon being called, turns out to be a CtIll titer- rit, who has practised dandyism and flirting in a linendrapera be it hint to YATES to attend more to the material of his dramas, nd not rely exclusively upon the machinist, the scene-painter, and aataion on his knees of the lady whom he has insulted by his at- the decorator. The cost and pains bestowed upon this piece must teetions, he kneels to the devoted and immaculate Mrs. Septimus have been immense, and will certainly not be reeompeneed by ita

run. Lit him

set about producing Snell pieces as T'irtorine and

modimis, people will not flock to it as they have done.

a): never spoil the cliiciency of a cast of characters hyciiciliiug dieace heartily eikaa ed themselves. People seemed to come in out on'for there were no names Tao burletta in which Kaeaav appeared, was so le el as nliaost ben VaReNa it and RUSSELL to attract them; and they were almost :.oeinteract the ludicrous effect of his acting. We beard the ne- surprised to find themselves well amesed, and taking an interest alcome; and here innvonted sounds of hissing. It has since been in the performance. There is a aIiss M. A. CRISP, who to

anaves walking sideways as there represented, with partisans as old acquaintances, OXIIERRY and BENSON HILL, from the must VESTR1S, the Queen of hearts, looked as semblance was snaiiiient fur stage purposes, where the audience

BRAT1AN. lie is an acquisition from the Adelphi. He humours of the Policemen and his fellow-prisoner, was given admirably. put to his shifts—was quite at home. He afterwards played Rattler, in He Lies like Truth, with his usual offhandedness, im- perturbable confidence, and consummate effrontery. RUSSELL played Dominique, in a piece revived under the title of The Devil Again ! (we believe its old title was Dominique the _Deserter), Mrs. GRIFFITH his Mother, and REDE the "Gentleman in Black," excellently well. The interest of the piece could not have been better kept up.

The performances altogether were very satisfactory; and the more so as they termineted at eleven; so that the audience came away without being either suffocated with heat or tired to death with fatigue. This little theatre will be popular, now that money is taken at the doors as at the others. The necessity for purchas- her tickets beforehand, was the only drawback upon RAYNER'S success; and Rus..;EL CS is a better company. People go to the Adelphi from habit: they will visit the Strand Theatre by way of variety ; and it will then depend upon the positive attractions vrithin to which they go the oftenest.