SUMMER THEATRICALS.
WE were induced the other evening to pay a visit to the Victoria Theatre, as the Coburg is now called ; and found its metamor- phosis so complete, not only as regards the actors, the entertain- ments, and the decorations, but the audience too, that we really should not have recognized the theatre of the famous Glass Cur- tain. We actually heard every word that was spoken on the stage; and even between the acts, the gods, who used to " make such dreadful pudder o'er our heads," were at peace. The Ganymedes of the gallery subdued the tone of their invitations to quaff the nectar of Barclay and Perkins ; and. the locomotive nymphs of Pomona in the pit were superseded by a stationary store of fruit. The audience was very respectable in demeanour as well as in attire. The stubble chin of the grim-visaged coalbeaver, and the steel of the butcher, which, we are told, under the old "shilling order" system, adorned the boxes, were supplanted by the well-trimmed mustachio and the taper cane of the exquisite ; fair elbows veiled in blonde now recline where erst the brawny arm with upturned shirt-sleeve reposed. The decorum that reigns in the theatre, indeed, almost redeems the character of the neighbourhood from the reproach of disreputability. The new drama of The King's Foot is full of interest, notwith- standing its many defects of style and construction. WARDE, as 7riboulet, the King's Fool, was very effective; but at times too noisy even for this theatre, and, what is worse, noisy in the wrong place. Mr. WARDE seems to think that deep feeling is best ex- pressed by loud tones; and if the force of his feeling were to be estimated by the strength of his lungs, he would be unrivalled as an actor. Miss JARMAN played the little part of Blanche, his daughter, with great propriety. We heard people about us say, after applauding WARDE 'S iron-tongued declamation, "She is not effective enough—she is too weak." She did not rant, but ex- pressed every emotion with true feminine delicacy and feeling. She did not seem to us deficient in force; because there was not any occasion for her to display violent energy. She evinced sensi- bility, refinement, and discretion; and had occasion required it, we do not think she would have been found wanting in energy. Miss SYDNEY is not equal to any character beyond a froward miss from boarding-school : her acting of Diana de Poictiers, therefore, was any thing but a personation. ABBOTT was not the beau ideal of the royal gallant; but lie made a passable representative of Francis the First; and EGERTON, as a prosing old Count, was very re- spectable. But to put into his mouth the curse which was to fall upon the young King and his jester, was depriving it of all its terror. We could not see why the cunning villain Triboulet and the luxurious Monarch should have taken it so much to heart. Certainly it must have been the echo of their consciences, and not the words of the old Count, that made them so uncomfortable. The piece was got up in splendid style. Among the chief attractions of the company are KEELEY and his wife; he the most unconscious of figures of fun, and she the most lively and earnest of lasses. Nell Gwynne was brought out here last night, in which KEELEY plays his original part of Orange Moll, one of the most perfect pieces of acting of its kind on the stage; and his wife Nell Gwynne. Her acting was genuine, un- sophisticated, and full of enjoyment. It had not the artificial grace of Miss TAYLOR'S personation. Mrs. KEELEY'S is the truest; its homeliness is consistent with the condition of Nelly. Her's is the portrait of the witty orange-girl; Miss TAYLOR'S of the fas- cinating actress.
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