THE French Plays terminated last night. The latter part of
the season was more prosperous than the commencement, from the attsae- tion of Mademoiselle PLESSIS. She is very pretty, but more of a coquette than an actress; and seemed to make the dress and situations of the character she performed, siabserve to the display of her charms and airs. She came forward with a winning smile, and played off the artillery of her glances with great effect ; her soft musical tones aiding the fascination. People went to see her, rather than the character she represented ; and they were never disappointed. She was a very pretty sight, certainly; but we prefer the drama.
We hope that JENNY VERTPRE, if she should have the management of the French Plays next season, will profit by the experience of this. She has brought forward a variety of performers at different times, but only one or two have possessed talents sufficiently rare to enable us to
put up with mediocre representations of the other characters. French plays being mostly dramas of manners, require the most finished acting, and that completeness in every point which is the great charm of the French stage. The "starring system" has failed.
Ion has been got up at the Haymarket; ELLEN TREE personating the hero. It was of necessity a failure, though Miss TREE made it an interesting one. We did not go to see it ; anticipating the result, and not liking to witness a favourite actress proving her physical ina- bility to accomplish a task she had boldly undertaken in default of any one else to attempt it. VA NDENIIOFF played Adrastus with more vigour and not more heaviness than DALE, we dare say. The highly- elaborated language of the drama seems to have come from the lips of the actors generally with any thing but the fine flow of speech that it requires : in this respect, however, it could not be much worse than at Covent Garden.
Mr. BACKET, the 'American representative of a Kentucky fire- eater, acted one night this week at the Lyceum, where he was an- nounced to appear in a new American piece; but his name and that of the drama have been withdrawn from the bills; and in its stead the Rose ef the Alhambra continues to bloom nightly, by means of the colour which Miss SH1RREFF and Wu-sox give to its representation. Some novelty is announced, which we suppose will curry the per- formers on to the end of the season.
BONN, it seems, has got this theatre, though he does not take posses- sion of it till about October. We shall see what he will do. Buss has also got a renewal of the lease of Drury Lane for three years. He seems bent on having two strings to his bow.
The little Strand Theatre is filling, we are told. HAMMOND'S robust humour seems to suit the audience : he plays the principal cha- racter in three pieces every night, and makes immense fun.
Mrs. WAYLETT has opened the Queen's, with BENSON HILL for her stage-manager. Of course she sings the eternal " Kate Kearney," and brings out new ballads of ALEXANDER LEE.
BRAHAM is actively preparing for his next campaign. He has en. gaged almost a new vocal corps ; amongst whom is young PARRY, who is to make his first appearance on the stage at the St. James's. A new opera is spoken of as being a revival of the "good old English style" of music.
Previous page
