The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-02 00:00:00

DECEMBER 2, 1854•

tte puma.

LYCEUM.—This theatre opened on Monday even-
ing under the old management, and with The Game
of Speculation, in which Mr. Charles Mathews
resumed his character of Mr. Affable Hawk, and
Miss Oliver, Mr. Roxby, Mr. Frank Matthews, &c.,
were comprised in the cast. The novelty of the
evening, however, consisted in The Comical Countess,
a clever little one-act drama, adapted from the Sou-
brette de Quaiite, a Palais-Royal vaudeville. The
scene is laid in France in the days of the Regent
and his petite soupers, and it is at one of these that the
Chevalier de Vilbrac has accidentally struck a lady
at a moment when, for a joke, the Regent had extin-
guished all the lights in the room. Believing it to
be no less a person than the Marquise de l'arabere,
the mistress of Orleans, the chevalier, in dread lest
he be discovered and punished, puts on a suit of his
own livery, and obtains a situation in the service of
the Countess de L'Espalier, to whose notice he has
been introduced by the Baron de Bergonce, an
ardent sexagenarian lover of the countess, and who
hopes, by the connivance of his protege, to obtain
the hand and heart of the fair widow. The result is
easily foreseen ; the fair widow of course falls in
love with her footman, discovers his rank, discards
the baron, and marries her chevalier, after perplex-
ing him with a variety of disguises, in which she
assumes the character of the Marquise de Parabere,
demands satisfaction for the blow, and forces him
into a duel ; but, being quickly disarmed, discovers
herself, acknowledges that she it was who was struck
at the supper, and the curtain fails upon the happi-
ness of the chevalier and the discomfiture of the
baron. The dialogue is lively and witty, and the
scenes are well contrived and amusing ; but the piece
is spun out to a great length, and much of the force
and interest is lost in the concluding scenes, which
are de trop and tiresome. The capital acting of Mr.
C. Mathews, however, as the chevalier made amends
for many little faults of construction ; the inimitable
assurance with which, as a footman, he takes all the
liberties of a lover with the countess, who, in early
days, had been a cook before she became countess,
and his delightful impertinence to the old baron,
were so thoroughly well played as to ensure unques-
tionable success to the piece. Miss Talbot, as the
countess, did not, perhaps, make as much of the
character as might have been expected ; but the
baron was well and carefully played by Mr. Baker.
Mr. Charles Mathews was very warmly received, and
the house well attended. We regret to state that
Madame Vestris has been seriously indisposed during
the week.
ADELPHL—That popular drama The Green Bushes
has been revived dining this week, with the return of
Madame Celeste, who was loudly applauded upon
her reappearance on the stage. No novelty has been
produced during the week, Bond fine Travellers and
The Railway Belle having been acted every night.
The Slow Man, we are glad to see, has at length been
withdrawn.
OINEVIC.—The comic drama The First Night has
taken the place of The Trustee at this theatre. The
Beulah Spa and The Blighted Being are still nightly
performed to good houses.
HAYEARKET.—Mr. Buckstone has at length re-
turned, after a long absence, and appears in that
romance of real life Box and Cox every night. The
Balance of Comfort retains its hold, and its unde-
niable success as a most charming petite comedic
is well deserved.
PRINCESS.B.—The usual melodramatic routine
has continued during the week at this theatre, but
the spectacle Schamyl has given way to Charles the
Second, and Deaf as a Post, in which we are happy to
see that Mr. Harley performs.
ST. JAMESIL—The School for Scandal, Money, and
The Lady of Lyons, have been performed during the
week at this theatre, with the usual good success.
M ARYLEBONE.—Mr. Robson's Love and Loyalty
has certainly proved a much more legitimate success
than any previous piece that has been brought out at
this theatre ; still the errors of this play become
more and more apparent upon closer acquaintance-
ship. The superabundant metaphor, and the want
of contrast of character, are remarkable, yet the plot
is good, the situations forcible, and, in spite of the
errors, we look forward with certainty to higher and
more thoroughly successful efforts from the pen of
Mr. Robson.