The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-29 00:00:00

FRENCH PLAYS, ST. JAMES'S

THEATRE.
A numerous and fashionable audience assembled at
the St. James's Theatre last evening, to inaugurate
the short season for the French plays. Short as the
season may be, however, it cannot but be most bril-
liant, seeing that Mr. Mitchell has managed to secure
the services of almost every one of the notabilities of
the French stage ' • and so alert is he in securing
every available talent, that although the name of
Madame Charton did not appear in the pro-
gramme of the season, which Mr. Mitchell
put forth a week since, yet that lady appeared last
evening, and sung the solo part of the " National
Anthem" divinely. The performances commenced
with the vaudeville of Jobin et Nannette, sustained
by M. Hyacinthe and Mdlle. Scrivaneck, of the
Palais Royal Theatre. The plot of Jobin et
.Nannette has been common stage property any time
during the last century, and has been freely used by
almost every farce writer from the author of La
&rya Padrona, one of the earliest versions
of the piece, down to the author of the
Alarming Sacrifice, which, is, we believe, the
lateq. Hyacinthe and Mdlle. Scrivaneck were
admirable in their respective parts, and kept the
audience in a roar of laughter. Then followed
Scribe's last new comedy, line Bataille des Dames,
which was produced so lately as the 17th of last
month only at the Theatre Frarqais. The scene of
this delightful comedy is laid at a château near
Lyons, end bordering on the eastern frontier of
France, and the time is the year 1817, immediately
after the discovery of the Bonapartist conspiracy at
Lyons. This chateau is the property an residence of
Madame la Comtesse u'Autreval (Madlle. Judith), a
fine high-bred and courageous woman of 32, and a
Royalist of the most ultra description, her niece
Leonie (Madlle. St. Marc), an interesting girl of 16,
is residing with her in the:chateau. Henri de Fla-
vigneul (M. Lafoat), the son of her dearest friend, is
condemned as being concerned in the Lyons conspi-
racy, and has sought safety in the château,
where he is disguised by the Countess as
her valet, Charles, and at first gives great
offence to Leonie for what she imagines the assump-
tion and arrogance of his manner, but the young
lady. having discovered; his real character, falls in
love with him, and makes a confidante of her aunt.
Now it so happens that the aunt also has fallen iu
love s ith the too fascinating Henri, and hence the
Bataille des Dames. There is also at the chateau a
certain M. de Grignon (M. Regnier), the son of a
brave mother and a most cowardly father, and
who is, according to his acount, brave in
theory, but not in practice, who talks with
the soul of his mother, but always finds the
paternal half engrosses him altogether, whenever he
is called upon to reduce his words to action. This
semi-hero determines to marry, and fixes upon the
Countess for his lady-love. Things. are in this position
when the Baron Montrichard (M. Roger), the
prefect of the department, arrives to search for Henri,
of whose concealment in the chateau he had received in-
formation. He is completely outwitted by the Countess,
who engages Charles in his own service, and actually
sends him on his own horse across the frontier, while
De Grignion is arrested in his place,;hearing which
Henri returns, and all is set right.by the arrival of an
amnesty, when the Countess, generously overcoming
her own affections, resigns Henri to Leonie. The
dialogue is brilliant and sparkling—sparkling even
beyond the usual brilliancy of Scribe ; and the acting
is perfect. Madlle. Judith, who made her debiit last
night, is entitled to rank among the very first
artistes of the haute comedic, Mdlle. St. Marc is the
most interesting of jeuxes) demoiselles, and Lafont's
gentleman valet was a perfect piece of artistic repre-
sentation. Regnier, as the coward hero, was deli-
ciously quaint and humorous. It would be well that
some of our English humorous actors should pay a
visit to the St. James's, and study the admirable deli-
neation of the character of M. de Grignon by M. Reg-
nier, they would then see that it is possible to be quaint,
yet at the same time well bred, and that to be hu-
morous it is not at all requisite to be vulgar. The
Baron of M. Roger was a careful and artistical
performance. The play was much applauded
throughout, and, at the conclusion all the artistes
were called on. The performances concluded with a
drollery, entitled L'Amour a l'Aveuglette, in which M.
Tetard made his rentrie. The National Anthem
was performed, in the course of which Madame
Charton, as we have before stated, gave the solo.
This lady had kindly volunteered her services for the
occasion.

The theatre was crowded by a distinguished and
fashionable company, amongst whom we observed
Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, his Excellency the
Russian Minister and the Baroness Brunnow, Madame
ale Ilorta, the Marquis of Douro, the Marchioness of
Aiksbury, the Countess of Tankerville, La Comtesse do
Flahault, the Earl of Wilton. the Earl of Kilmorey, the
Elrl of Gifford, the Earl and Countess of Morley, the
Countess of Waldegrave, Lord and Lady Walsinghare,
Lord Itibtflobdele, Vieoounl Cli Load Frecl.kk.
Beanelyre, Lady William Ponlett, Lard Alfred
Churchill, Lord Adolphus Vane, Hon. Valentino Brown,
Sir Robert Peel, Sir Henry Webb, &c.