THE LONDON THEATRES have this week exhibited their winter glory
in full blow. The principal novelties, inviting criticism, are of a musical kind ; and they will be found duly treated of, a few pages fur- ther on.
Mr. KEAN reappeared at Drury Lane on Monday, in his favourite character of Richard; and was loudly welcomed by a full house. No
allusion was made to the circumstance of his returning to the stage
after his formal and final leave-taking ; the audience seemed glad. to see again an actor of genius who had so often delighted them' without calling him to account. In the first two acts, he displayed all his usual 'brilliancy of conception, if not of execution ; but, from an early point in the third, an evident decline of power took place, and some of the audience began to suspect that he was "keeping up" for the more arduous exertions of the closing scenes. But here they were disap- pointed: the tent scene was, physically speaking, a failure, and the combat with Richmond a lamentable exhibition of bodily infirmity : his withering look and action, however, before he fell, were admirably impressive, and gained him a couple of rounds of "ap- plause. On being called for after the tragedy, he appeared, and bowed with evident pleasure ; but, on attempting to thank the andience, and wish them a long continuance of happiness equal to. that they were then conferring on him, his voice sunk into a faint whisper. Notwithstanding this partial failure (must we record it ?) we looked forward with considerable hopes to Mr. KEAN'S appearance in Sig/loch on Wednesday, and we were not disappointed. This part, while it affords full scope for his various expression and inimitable sarcasm, does not demand that alacrity of bodily exertion which at present he can so ill command ; and his performance accordingly told infinitely better, and gained far more applause than that of Monday. Miss PHILLIPS, as Portia; spoke and acted with dignity in the trial scene, but wanted feel- ing and flexibility in other passages.
The Duchess of Kent and her interesting daughter visited Drury Lane on Thursday evening, when "God Save the King ! " and other, but less harmonious, royal sounds greeted their presence.
We are sorry we cannot say much in praise of Mr. POWER'S Married Lovers, which was performed at Covent Garden on Wednesday. It is an inexplicable rigmarole of intrigue and cross-purposes ; without one prominent character or incident on which to rest the attention. The scene is laid in Paris, in the gay times of yore ; and the principal dra- matis persorzie are three married men of gentle or noble blood, who indi- vidually and clandestinely fall in love with each other's wives' with whom a variety of intrigues are planned, and sometimes frustrated, until at last, by the coalition of the ladies, the three gentlemen, together with a fourth (PowEa), who is a bachelor, paying his insidious addresses to a young lady's maid, are all jumbled together in a dark cellar, and there, on the appearance of lights, exposed. The piece was strongly cast, including Weave, ABBOTT, BARTLEY, POWER,- Miss PORDE, and Miss TavLon.
Daring Mr. WiLsora's indisposition, his part in Cinderella has been played by Mr. HUNT. An apology was on Wednesday made for Mrs. CHATTERLY, who, it is said, refused the part of Aldabella in the tra- gedy of Fazio, and has been replaced by Miss TAYLOR.- " 'Young KEAN is said to be *engaged at Drury Lane; and may perhaps arrive before the conclusion of his father's engagement, A new Comic piece called Misapprehension has been played at the Olympic, and, without the aid of any star, has proved successful. The Queen's Theatre, in Tottenham Street, Was exhibited privately Oft Tuesday night, and on ThursdayWas opened to the public. The house Is tastefully decorated and well- lighted, presenting a neat and elegant appearance ; it is Warm, yet airy, and at once snug and commo- dious. The lobbies and passages of the boxes are narrow, as are the private buses ; the pit is very roomy : we think it is the most conve- nient of the minor theatres for seeing and hearing. The ceiling is a bad' attempt to imitate a dome, and looks a dirty patch, not at all in harmony with the bright and warm salmon tint of the rest of the ill- tenor. The drop-seene, by STANFIELD, is very pretty, mid cleverly
painted. • -
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