TI LE THEATRES.
ATTRACTED by a favourable report of the droll doings at the New Strand Theatre, we peeped in at this little bandbox full of broad fun the other evening, by e ay of variety ; nor were SVC much disappointed : the ad libitum comicality of the performers is successful, and the mirth infectious ; though the means whereby the end is attained will not always bear scrutiny, and a good many points in this hit-or miss style of acting necessarily fail. The Strand Theatre, in short, is a sort of half-price Adelphi, where those who want to enjoy a hearty laugh after the business of the day, and are not over fastidious, drop in to kill a 411 hour or two. Criticism is out of the question. Moreover, the pieces are not new ; the burlesque Behind the Scenes, introducing a parody of the Tournament, being the only one with any pretensions to novelty, and those of a slender kind. Mr. SELBY appears to be the
favourite author, as well as a principal actor here ; and he is fortunate in both characters : his burlesque, in which the audience are supposed to be " behind the scenes" during the performance of a tragedy, is very ludicrous, and well calculated to gratify the curiosity of people as to the way in which the " stage-business' is managed. The policy of thus turning the seamy side of the stage without, isquestionable ; but grown
children are prone to pry into the sawdust stuffing of their puppets
and see bow the wires are pulled. OXIIERRY is very amusing as one of those silly moths of fashion that live in a greenroom atmosphere, and flutter round the flame of some rushlight "star " of the stage, till they get a singe that gives them their quietus ; and ATTWOOD (from the St. James's) as a stage-struck mechanic, mimics CHARLES KEAN in glo-
rious style : the best hit is the death of the hero, who is supposed to shoot himself behind the scenes ; the prompter fires off a pistol, and the dying man bawling out " Father, you have lost a son 1" sits down
to enjoy a glass of grog after his exertions. The Tournament is a grotesque affair, but the absurdity of the original renders caricature superfl uous. Miss DALY, a clever and lively Adelphi actress, takes the lead here; but she had the disadvantage of performing parts which Mrs. NISBET and Mademoiselle CELESTE had made their own : she wanted the finesse and sprightly gayety of the English actress, and the point and brilliancy of the French pantomimiste. Miss DaLy's vivacity, indeed, has more of energy than refinement. Miss PssrmEn showed nicer skill and greater variety of manner in her assumption of character; her style is quiet and finished. Mrs. SELBY possesses both vigour and
versatility, and her voice is rich and powerful. The prevailing charac- ter of the performances, however, is unfavourable to the display of the finer qualities of acting : broad humour of the buffo sort alone can luxuriate in such a soil, and a redundancy of a coarser sort of' drollery is often substituted for it. H-13131OND, the JOHN REEVE of the Strand Theatre, did not play : he is too much engrossed with his duties as lessee of Drury Lane—a very different sphere of management.
Covent Garden opens on Mendav, with SHAKSPERE'S comedy Love's Labours Lost, and a new farce. The selection of this play, which is a stranger to the present generation of playgoers, augurs a continuance of " Sbaksperian revivals," but of a livelier cast than those of the late management. Nothing is said of the doings behind the curtain; but the selection of the performers—mainly consisting of the principal members of the Olympic corps, and of the light troops of the Covent Garden company—promises as vell for comedy as the forces marshalled by MAcmsAnv did for tragedy. ELLEN TREE, Mrs. NISBET, AITS. Onotm, and Mrs. HUMBY, PARREN and KEELEY, VANDESHOFF and COOPER, CHARLES MATHEWS and F. MarrnEws, BARTLEY and ANDER- SON, MEaDows and HA BLEv, are the leading names : and these include the best talent of the kind on the stage. The chief vocalists are BOR. RANI, the basso who sang at the Italian Theatre—Haamsos, the new tenor who made his debut in ROOKE'S last opera—Miss RAINFORTH* VESTRIS herself, of course—and several of minor pretensions. .The pantomimic trio, :TIAN, W. II. PAYNE, and C. J. &RUH, may also be mentioned as important accessories.
Among the arrangements for the comfort and convenience of the au- dience, the embellishment of the house, and the substitution of 'wax- lights for gas in the lustre's, are not to be overlooked: the principal hu- provement, however, is the enclosure of' the dress circle of boxes, which is entered by a separate staircase, the seats being reserved during the whole evening, as stalls at the Opera : the admission to this tier is restored to the old sum of seven shillings, for the extra accommodation ; the upper tiers, and the rest of the house remaining at the reduced prices of the last two seasons : the upper gallery excepted, which ap- pears to be closed altogether. The isolation of the dress circle we ad- vocated along while ago, as a distinction challenged by its title, and a desirable convenience for all who are willing to pay for the comfort of a separate seat, which they can take or leave at pleasure and occupy undisturbed. as in a private box : this arrangement will be an induce- tute:t to many to Visit the theatre who are at present deterred by the crushing and confusion on a crowded night, as well as to that class who conic to be seen ZIS well as to see ; and it will be particularly acceptable to the Thshionable patrons of VESTRIS. But there is another and more numerous class, whose claims to consideration are not the less urgent because :hey can only spare it hard-earned shilling. out of their scanty means, who are likely to resent their exclusion obstreperously—the oceupants of the shilling gallery : to deprive them of a cheap plea- sure, at this time, when all intellectual amusements are cheapening, seems it great mistake, and hardly fair, considering the reduced prices to other parts of the house. No one climbs the heights of the shilling gallery to whom an extra sixpenve is not an object of some importance; and dearly prized, if cheaply bought, is the enjoyment of looking down from the Pisgah of poverty on the promised land of poetry and romance. At the Olympic the case was different : there those who paid a shilling were better accommodated than many who paid four. The Olympus of Covent Garden by its height is set apart for the "gods ; " and we are surprised that Vesms should provoke those thunders "that keep stich dreadatl pudder o'er our heads :" there may yet be time to avert their Wrath. Reopen the shilling gallery, we say, that the operatives II1Cy have the benefit of the sixpenny half-price. The Adelphi opens on Michaelmas Monday; with the old favourite company, and the addition of Mr. I lAcorrr, the American emnedian; Mr. RICE of "Jim Crow " celebrity, is to play the Niggers to HACKETT'S Yankees. A new "romantic drama" is to be produced on the opening night, called Mount St. Bernard; of which Miss ALLISON, from the St. James's, is the heroine.
Drury as yet gives no outward signs of its new state of existence. The English Opera, after a last despairing flicker, has sunk in the socket ; but it is rumoured that BALM intends to light up a taper in the St. James's, with BURN for his candle-snuffer.
The Haymarket loss had a succession of crowded houses, by the attraction of MACREADY and ELLEN TREE on alternate nights. Mee-, READY is advertised to play Shy/ock, for the second time in his career, on Monday ; as a counter-attraction to the opening; of Covent Garden and the Adelphi. ELLEN TREE'S engagement at the Haymarket being closed, POWER'S return is announced.
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