THE THEATRES.
This week has been more fruitful than the preceding one in the article of dramatic production, but we fear that nothing very permanent will be found in the crop.
At the Lyceum a new farce, called Astounding Plaenomena, has been brought out. The author, carefully shunning all originality, has attempted to amuse his audience by the burlesque of mesmerism, which Mr. Bernard turned to such good account in His Last Legs. Let it not be inferred front our words that the notion is here turned to good account likewise; for As- tounding Phosnomena is as insipid an affair as possible. Mr. Charles Ma- thews, by that ease and rapidity of articulation in which he has not an equal, makes all that can be made out of so unkindly a subject as the mes- meric doctor; and he has put the piece upon the stage admirably; but his pains do not suffice to hide the meagreness of the production. At some dinners, there is a degree of scantiness for which no brilliant show of plate will compensate. Let us, however, do the author the justice to state, that in an age when the stage seems likely to be inundated with French mo- rality, he is perfectly inoffensive in all ethical respects. His farce is as harmless as milk-and-water, and equally exhilarating to the spirits.
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