THE THEA+RES.
TIIE three little Winter Theatres opened their doors on Thursday, and each was instantly filled to overflowing. The rush at the Adelphi, TIIE three little Winter Theatres opened their doors on Thursday, and each was instantly filled to overflowing. The rush at the Adelphi, however, was the greatest : the restoration of the old dynasty, the up.
pearance of Mrs. YATES, and above all, the return of " Glorious JOHN " from America, drew together an audience that would have filled two Adelphis. Long before the inner doors were open, the crowd blocked up the pavement, and extended half-way across the road. The experience of many successful seasons has shown that YATES knows best how to cater to the general taste : and we should bear in mind that it was he who, in conjunction with TERRY, first raised the Minors to an intellectual rivalry with the Great Houses.
When Mrs. YATES came forward to speak the opening address, the audience seemed as if they would take her in their arms ; and she ap- peered as if she could throw herself into them. It was the greeting of long.parted friends—expressed somewhat tumultously on the part of public. The address was brief and to the purpose ; and Mrs. YATES spoke it with a hearty familiarity ; each allusion to the old favourites behind the curtain was responded to most vociferously. Mrs. Yams looked extremely well : she has grown younger—in spirit at least. The performance commenced with a piece for the occasion, called Novelty, or New Scenes and Old Faces ; which introduced in succession all the " old faces" of the Adelphi company. As each one appeared, the uproarious welcome was repeated,—Wit.erNsoN, BUCKSTONE, O'Ssirrn, and Miss DALY, were severally cheered, nor was S. SMITH with his jolly face passed by. YATES himself was overwhelmed with kindness ; and accustomed as he is to such receptions, was a little moved on the occasion. When JOHN REEVE appeared, the audience rose en massy, shouting and waving their hats, while peals of laughter
intermingled with the applause. JOHN looks all the better for his voyage across the Atlantic : he is thinner, but there is quite enough
of him left ; and his face seems to have acquired a confirmed robustness
of jollity and humour. In the course of' the dialogue, REEVE made several allusions to those infirmities and failings which latterly came to> often before the lamps, and promised reformation. After a long voyage, finding himself once more anion his old friends, it is not sur- prising that Joule should feel " at sea" again ; so we must not be severe on his lapses of memory on Thursday night.
But we are forgetting the Novelty: and in truth, there is little of novelty it. Memory and Novelty vie with each other who shall best succeed in pleasing the public. Novelty brings forward the Arabs, the Giraffe, and so on ; while Memory calls up the shade of MATHEWS- per,onated by YATES—and brings forward samples of the favourite
Aliclphi Burlettas ; YATES appearing as the Red Rover, Mrs. YATES as Victorine, 0. Small as the Flying Dutchman, REEVE and Bum- STONE as Magog and Jemmy Starling, and WILKINSON being old Memory himself. Memory carried it hollow ; but YATES promised to unite the two, amd both were content. Rer.ve's reminiscences of his Transatlantic trip were confined to the song which he sung out of book ; and his imitation of Mactuanv as Ion of necessity extended no further than the dress and manner. YATES gave a capital imitation of %Alum ; but the exertions of Messrs. BROWN, KING, and GIBSON, only proved that the feats of the Arabs were inimitable. The Wreck Ashore and the Christening fol- lowed: in the fumes, Mr. Lung, from York, took YATES'S character of Miles Bertram ; and in the latter, Mr. CULLENFORD and Mrs. COLE- MAN made their first appearance. We shall have future opportunities of forming an estimate of their respective merits.
We were glad to get extricated from the jam of human beings ; so we escaped at the end of the extravaganza; and went to see how the Olympic looked, without its gallery, and with its new decorations. By the way, we were not much better off in point of air and room at the Olympic ; for the upper boxes and lobbies were completely crammed, and the beat was as stifling as at the Adelphi.
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