THE THEATRES.
THE Lyceum has become less musical and more melodramatic, but con- tinues as prosperous as before. Miss ROMEIt took her benefit onMonday, and had such a bumper that its overflowing filled the house on the next night also. On Thursday the theatre was again crowded, by the at- traction of The Highland Cater-an, a Scottish melodrama, and The Spitfire, a nautical farce; both of which have gained a popularity that will atleast last the season out.
The Highland Cateran, though new to the London playgoers, was, we believe, known to the Scottish portion of the audience, (which was pretty numerous on this occasion,) as a favourite piece at the Edinburgh Theatre, under the title of Gilderoy, and written by the intelligent Edinburgh manager, Mr. Mutual. Like the rest of its species, this melodrama is full of dangers and disguises, fittings amid fighting, which are wrought up with an ingenuity and effectiveness worthy of one ex- perienced in stage-craft : there is a " situation " in every scene—in- deed, it is a progressive series of situations, each more embarrassing than the last. The story is of the loves and distresses of Macdonald, the eateran—which our Southron readers need hardly be told is a High- land freebooter—and Lilies Logan, time daughter of a farmer. A treacherous rival betrays Macdonald to the Sasseilach; a price is set on his head ; he is hunted down by the English soMiers ; and, after va- rious perils and hairbreadth 'Rallies, in which he is aided by the courage and address of Jock Muir, a Highland shepherd, his enemies are de- feated, his rival killed, the Whey of Mitts saved from death, and, to crown all, the maiden herself becomes his. But though Macdonald, the cateran, is the hero of the drama—and has a very efficient repre- sentative in Muslim., who plays with spirit and energy—the principal actor in the scene is Jock Muir, the herd, personated by -TITAN,—as genuine a piece of nature as E31EltY'S Yorkshireman or POWE tt's Irishman. The half-savage character of the wild Highlander—his brutal outside and boorish manner veiling a ready cunning and active skill that only need occasion to call them forth—was embodied to the life ; his way of eating " crowdie," and his style of wielding the claymore, were equally characteristic. The combat, in which M'Iats represented the actual mode of attack and defence with the Highland broad-sword, tran- sported one to the blood-stained heather and the times of the Co-
venanters. Crouching like a panther preparing to make a spring, he advances with stealthy and cat-like tread—putting out one sinewy leg before the other as if the feet clung to the ground, jet ever and anon leaping up and capering, out of pure elasticity
of muscle and incontinence of energy ; clutching the claymore with a tight grasp and a stipple wrist, and switching it playfully as if he were going to whip his adversary, instead of hewing hint; the seeming reck- lessness and watchful cautiousness, the frolicsome manner and despe- rate purpose, and the wild whoop of the savage mingled with the skill and elegance of an expert fencer, produce an indescribable effect, at once comical and ghastly. M. IAN'S style of cudgel-playing, too, is as like PowEit's manner of furnishing the shillelagh at Durnlybrook as any two things can be : there's the same mixture of fun and earnest in both; and the two artists are equally stage.national and inimitable. We must not let pass unnoticed his costume, which looked as if it had seen many a campaign in the dark glen and on the cold hill-side; not the dialect, which sounded as if lie hal a thistle in his throat ; nor his song—in a word, APIAN's shepherd is a living illustration of High- land character, mariners, speech, dress, and warfare. If a Southron might venture an objection, we would suggest, by way of showing bow thoroughly we appreciate the likeness in all other particulars, that his hair was too trim and " weel-keinpt " for a wild Highlander.
The Spitfire is a laughable broad farce, by young MonToN; very smartly written, neatly put together, and capitally represented. The fun consists in the ludicrous distresses of Tobias Shortcut, a staid tobacconist from the Alinories; who, by a strange concatenation of cir- cumstances, is compelled at an unprecedentedly short notice to assume the part of Captain of the Spitfire frigate; in which character he is under the disagreeable necessity of fighting a French privateer. Co:almost gives due effect to the blunders, embarrassment, and terrors of the invo- luntary commander : he is drily comical, and—rare virtue in a low come- dian—never vulgar. By the way, however, we cannot help thinking that this gentleman has mistaken his talent : he is a clever actor, and not without drollery, but he wants breadth and force of humour for low comedy—Lis face is not rich enough in expression. Genteel comedy, it strikes us, would be his proper range : he looks the gentleman, and his air and manner are graceful and easy : there is nothing naturally uncouth or clownish in him ; and he can never get rid of his gentility, which peeps out every now and then through the transparent disguise of grotesqueness. The scene of the engagement was capitally managed, and the sea-slang was turned to amusing account. The Boatswain's yarn was spun with gusto by W. Baxxa'rr; and the surly Waiter was a racy bit.
SERLE'S new drama, The Queen rlf the Beggars, is played at the Hay- market to-night—too late to report of it this week.
Mr. PHELPS has been most injudiciously suffered to prove his incom- petency to take the lead in tragedy, by attempting Handel and Othello.
A comedy of PowEa's, with the title of Etiquette, or a 'Vilefor a Blunder, was announced to be performed one day, and withdrawn with- out remark the next. It is said POWER is engaged at the Adelphi, and is to open the ensuing campaign as the hero of a comic burletta by Loviat, called Rury °Wore. But as yet, little is talked about the Whiter Theatres, though their season will be shortly commencing.
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