The French Plays commenced on Monday. The new" star," M.
ACHARD, is a clever comedian, of the farceur species, and sufficiently amusing; but his great charm lies in his singing, which is beautiful : his voice is a tenor of remarkable sweetness, and a tone peculiarly suited to plaintive ditties ; and he manages it with the skill of a finished artist. M. ACHARD appeared in two totally opposite characters, and acquitted himself well in both. In L'Aumonier du Regiment he plays an eccle- siastic, who overcomes the animosity of an old soldier to priests by taking the veteran's place in a dangerous enterprise. The decorous gravity of his manner in this piece was not made impressive by any touches of feeling ; a quality in which M. ACHARD appears deficient: but, though his performance was not in itself very interesting, it served as a contrast to the boisterous hilarity and uncouthness of his next per- sonation. This was Couturier, in Bruno le Fileur—the prototype of Simpson in the Spitalfields Weaver, that was played by WRIGHT on his first appearance at the St. James's. M. ACHARD is farcically droll; that is, he is awkward after the manner of stage-awkwardness, in which the person is completely at his ease, and is merely rude. So far as- familiarity and complacency go towards producing the quality of bon- hommie, ACHARD expresses it : hugs and hand-shakings, together with a plump cheek, a genial voice, and a look of gayety, are some of its outward and visible signs ; but there are other de- notements, less palpable yet more essential, which we miss in him.. There is real bonhommie in LIENARD'S personation of Bruno : though less effective than ACHARD, he has more nature and genuine feeling. ACHARD does not conceal the art of the comedian ; neither does he succeed in making his audience sympathize with the assumed character. But when he sings, people are captivated by his rich and dulcet tones and delicate execution. M. CenTicNy plays the old soldier in the first piece, and looks like one of the Imperial Guards bronzed in many a campaign, with whom veneration of Napoleon is a religious senti- ment. This excellent actor adds greatly to the strength of the com- pany. M. BAZIN, the representative of young lovers, is also an ac- quisition : be has the appearance and manners of a gentleman, and his quiet by-play is significant without being obtrusive. M. Beim= dis- played a power of rapid and continuous utterance in a personation- piece called La Famille Improvisee, wherein be assumed five different characters : his features are too marked and inflexible, and his style is too grave and not sufficiently pliant to attain great success in this way ; but he has talent. M. DORGEBRET and Madame LAMBERT, the representatives of old couples, are not a good exchange for grotesque M. GAHARD and comfortable Madame CROZET ; and of the young ladies, Mademoiselle BEAUCHENE is the only one who made a very favourable impression. The performances of last night, however, made us ac- quainted with other members of the company ; whose merits demand. more space than we can spare this week.
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