THE THEATRES.
THE Easter entertainments this year are not remarkable for novelty, ex- cept at the Haymarket, where Mr. Planchd, the inventor of the classical burlesque, having run the round of the Fairy tales, is pursuing his search of subjects for picturesque pleasantries among the Greek dramatists. He has this year caught the .Birds of Aristophanes, "by putting attic salt upon their tails ": and very wittily and prettily they warble their satirical songs; Miss P. Horton being the audible representative of the nightingale, and the visible substitute for the chorus ; and J. Bland, the monarch of burlesque, personating the " Sing of the Birds," as an eagle in full feather, moulting eventually and appearing as Olympian Jove. Two discontented citizens of Athens, fackanoxides and Thomo- stykron, seek the Bing of the Birds, to pour out their woes and get rid of them by becoming denizens of the air; and the Parliament of Birds is assembled to deliberate upon the matter. This is a very amusing scene; the interruptions and comments of the feathered senators vying in variety and unintelligibility of clamour with the zoological exclamations of biped legislators. One of the malecontents is received into the kingdom of birds, and cuts a forlorn figure as a cockatoo; but the other, after hearing the experiences of the birds themselves, declines being fledged in any shape, finding that little birds are preyed upon by bigger, and that they, like men, have bills to provide for. The current topics of the day are lightly touched
j upon in a lively and agreeable vein of satire; the parodies and jokes are witty and amusing; the spectacle is attractive, and has some new features. Altogether, this is one c" the happiest of Mr. Plancha's elegant extrava- ganza&
The Adelphi burlesque of Peter Wilkins is a very pretty spectacle • with beautiful and effective scenery by Messrs. Pitt and Gordon, a profusion of puns by Messrs. Gilbert A'Beeket and Mark Lemon, some sprightly acting and singing by Miss Woolgar, and drolleries ad libitum by Messrs. Paul Bedford and Munyard. The magnetic properties of the loadstone rock are exemplified by pantomimic changes; and the " flying islanders " are represented by a whole corps de ballet, careering in couples across the scene, suspended perpendicularly by wires. The effect of flying might have been better imitated by furnishing the nymphs with long bat-like wings extending sideways from top to toe, and forming a sort of hammock, in which they might be safely swung and wafted across the stage with a rapid motion. The burlesque was preceded by a moral lesson, of a peculiarly French character, called Industry and Indolence; which is cleverly acted and well put on the stage, but has no other merits. The burlesque of Lady Godiva at the Princess's, is a very poor affair, with "a plentiful lack of wit," and redeemed only by some pretty dancing and scenery. The audience, however had come to see Macready, who reappeared in Hamlet; and were so satisfied with his powerful performance, that those who sat out the Easter piece suffered " Peeping Tom" to escape scot free, though be proved dull and not very decorous. On the next night, an interesting little French piece, entitled Ernestine, of which Mrs. Stirling is the heroine, was produced, with perfect success: it is neatly translated, and very nicely acted. Ernestine is a discarded daughter, whose devoted attentions to her father during illness excite the jealousy of his wife and her lover. Mrs. Stirling made the character a simple and touching one; and Miss May and Mr. Hugh Murray, as the Countess and the lover, also acted with similar good taste. Wallack played in his usual melodramatic but effective manner; and Cooper was all propriety. At Drury Lane, the old favourite ballet-spectacle of Permute was re- vived, with Wieland as the monkey: but the attempt only served to show the superiority of the present class of Easter entertainments; in which, if a monkey be introduced, he is a subordinate personage, though cleverly played—as at the Adelplii, by Mr. 'Aitchison. Madame Thillon has returned to this theatre, to dazzle and delight with her brilliant and facile vocal- ization and fascinating manner. She reappeared on Thursday, in The Crown Diamonds, in fine voice; and was rapturously -welcomed.
The Lyceum this season has provided no novelty for Easter; Tom Thumb being considered an all-sufficient attraction. Covent Garden has fallen into the hands of the " Wizard of the North":
▪ his magic art was not potential enough to produce good humour in the audience, until the performance of his crowning feat—standing before a a real cannon which is fired at him, and catching the ball in his hands. A promenade concert followed the hocus-pocus; but the area was as much too small for the crowd as before it had been too large for the conjuror.
Astley's produced a new equestrian spectacle, called The Arab aid his Steed; in which a troop of Amazons, an intelligent performer of the Hernhynyan race, and Barry the Clown, are the principal attractions. A family of French equestrians, named Dumos, take the lead in the circus: the father personates Napoleon, and in a twinkling transforms himself from General to Emperor, with a horse for his throne; two of his children emulate Tom Thumb in the smallness of their equipage and the taste of their costume; and Madame Dumos performs some dashing feats of horsewomanship.
Sadler's Wells beought. out Brutus on Easter Monday, for the holyday visiters; -who crowded the theatre, and were attentive and gratified. Mr. Phelps's performance of Lucius Junius is highly spoken of. On Wednesday, a new tragedy, by Mr. Spicer, of which the infamous Judge Jeffreys is the hero, was produced with great success. The character of Jeffreys, though subordinate in the action, is a principal feature; and appears to be truly conceived by the author, and forcibly embodied by the performer, Mr. Phelps. Tho acting generally, and the scenic arrangements too, are ad- miraed.
Another desperate dramatist has rushed into the field of managerial reeeculation. Mr. G. Bolton opened the Olympic on Monday, for the per- formance of " legitimate drama,"—meaning thereby, his own productions; which consisted of a five-act comedy on the Spanish model,` all about love and jealousy," as its title runs; and a burlesque' satirizing what the author considers illegitimate" performances of the English stage. The experiment does not seem to promise success.
The French Plays were resumed last night; when M. Lafont reappeared, with two or three performers new to a London audience, in as many new pieces.
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