The New York herald., 1869-05-29
ENGLISH THEATRicAIS.
ee-.ip Of the EaSis-h stase.

mainly % the approach % summer, which prcmpt
people 20 prefer living trees ami running brooks q
canvas landscapes. however lllusiyely executed
The fortunes OF the stage vary with those OF IN
climate, and the connection between the weaihe
ana the drama is more intimate than might be sup
posed. Last season when the sun went stark stlrn,
mad, establishing dazzling despolism In the coun
try and behaving like the brilliant bully ina
he was, the playhouses were deserted, and ma
turaly 20, for who could enaure the though
Of sitting for hours together In a steam
nU. stiniug theatre, while the Thermometer
was ninety In the refrigeratorf ON the other haBd
n n curious fact that the houses are usually well
filed when the rain comes down In torrents Mr..
Blackstone made some dron allusons 90 this phe-
somenon IN one OF his antumnaI speeches al the
Haymarket year or two ago. assuring the audience
that there was no sight pleasant 60 his eyes ~
tnst OF street swaning with opened umbrellas. nor
any sound musical 20 hls ears a. that Of the rain
pattering upon silk and gngnam. The present sum-
ner, so far we know OF ~, In an eccentric crea-
ture, proved By the fact tina there are az tins
moment In the Chiidrens Hospital. In Great 0rmond
street two martyrs Of ITS alternate heat and cold
enc Of the little patients suffering from sunstroke
the other from frostbite. In meteorological
a. In political afrairs, 'motiey~ n nov your
sniy wear; but the ultimate eject Of this
seen. At this present writing things are very quiet
and there Ia little dong at any house except the
Prince OF Wales, the Haymarkef and the strand.
spell OF continuous sunshine would soon tnin the
audiences even AZ these iayoIite establishments, but
should weather prove 10 merit Jules Janin's
eneering description Of ''phirer pert rfTf.n all
WIN be well with TIE managers. 20 true n it that
IL n an III wind that blows nobody good.
"Talking OF Dunions. how Is your mother - asks
the Incompatible Lord Dundreary, and taking OF
Mr.. Blackstone reminds one OF the iiaymarket thea
WI HAh al n fsaFs
a. pleasant "a It's name, runs lis course rejoicngiy
with Mr. sotEern In the leading character. Inc
popularity OF this brilliant comedian with London
play-goers nouits no leaiher. lne close oi the
hunting season leaves him free o pursne his proles-
sion, though u depriyes hlm for time of spOrt VI
which he ls extremely fond. and m which he greatly
excels. he Is, as you are doubtless aware. a
capital hand "across countryr AID last season
ana when he was continually out with the Hartford
shire hounds, II was no uncommon thing FOR him
10 be In the ''pigskin" IN within an hour of his
assuming "tne sock and buskin,- as The grandlo-
Quent critics o Dygone age used 10 call the actors
art All Mir. Sothern's professional arrangements
are comp eted up 70 SeptenbeT lS50 at which perioI
by the way Mr Blackstone ~ Is said, intends 20 re-
tire To the honorable reDose he has well earned.
But We shall mss him. and the town will be all the
duier Tor the loss OF one whose abundant lrth has
gladdened the hearts OF two generations.
The soldiers have vanished from the piaLzas OF
prury Lane; her Majesty's servants, as the actors
Of the national theatre delight to be styled, dis
persed to ali points OF the compass and the house
consigned to darkness and oblivion. Great things
had been expected at Easter from ''Ihe Man OF Two
LIVES an adaptation OF Lies MiseraDles,n by Mr..
Baye Bernard, whose Irish farces and comedies
were in great favor long ago IN the pamy days
of Tyrone Power but the piece proved caviare 10 the
milion and the loss TO the exchequer very great
hr. Chatterion then tired to do something with the
legitimate drama, which, however, IL no match FOR
the sensational in these degenerate days. Mr.. King
aprovlncia tragedian. VINO appeared in ''uamlei''
Ior lew nights, was not bad actor, II acting could
always be Kept In one groove; but he wanted variety
Of style. lie reminded OF tine Scottish performer
OF whom 1t IL written
Would he express the heigh, Of woe
Should mirth and giadness be eIpressd
He'd point his toe and thump his breast
This sort OF thing Is all very well for while but one
Is apt TO grow tired Of il, and long for diversity
In action and expression. Nothing dannted by pre-
vI0us misadventures Mr.. Chatterton will return to
the charge about the latter end OF July when Will be
produced q new comedy by DION Bonccaut Mean
ume Mr. Phelps, always frst Iavorite at Drury Lane
goes 10 the standard to replace Mr.. ToOe, who is
understood TO have made pot OF money there, hav-
hn received arser terms than were before given
10 an English comedian at any London theatre.
AT MIS-. SwanbOrou2h's bright little theatre IN the
rather his face has. or purely "faciaIn comedy we
nave had no such master since the DAYS of Liston.
80 old playgoers assert. Mr.. Carke's lace IL a
comedy In Itself, the features being SO many acts
lie has given up the redouDtable Major Wellington
De Boots, and now appears as young scamp in
the most elated condition Of comic lnebriety in q
revised version OF an American play by Mr. Stockton
70 which the familiar title OF 'Fox aud GOosev has
been given Is understood that for the trivial task
Of touching up this piece for the London stage the
English adapter t''adaptn the wise t call received
check for 100 glneas. Ii thls be true the good time
80 long predicted Is come at last and we have lived
TO see the day when dramatic literature IN the sen
derist sense OF the phrase is at ieast Us profitable
calling as soap DoiiDR.
Mr.. I. w. Robertson has not been so successful at
the Gaety as at other houses. His play OF .Dreansn
ls ike ourselves 'such stun as dreams are made OF,
and It's little life Is rounded with seep.r The dou-
bling OF two parts by one actor, Mr.. A. Wigan tie
plOrabe mistake. unless perhaps under very excep-
tional circumstances, accounts In some degree for
the comparative failure OF the piece. burlesque
by MIR. Alfred Thompson, to be called Columbus y
Will be the neXt novelty.
where the Frelch comedians, a third rate company
from the Porte st. Martin are playing nightly to
sparse audiences. NJ Felix, the manager, s not the
prudent man Of whom the Latin poet sings-not the
feti1 qsteIl J1ciuII otteild peY-icud cduna.n IN
dsayed alike by the perils OF other people and his
own, he will persist in his attempt TO establish a
French theatre In London. In the summer of 1867
then quite stranger In 0ienbachs operas; but last
summer the Undertaking received little encour-
agement that It's renewal this year excited general
surprise IL was supposed that the manager was
mot quite so mad as that comes 10" as the Bedam-
lite, IN Iom Browns London spy prettily replies
wien asked why he did not marry the woman for
love OF whom he had gone mad. However NJ. La
font IL coming on Monday TO play ''Monuoye." and
schneider and Dup1is, too. are ION the road" Qike
GlIpln's wlgl, and IL remains 10 be seen whether
tney VIII Drlng prosperity with them. In August
tms theatre is TO pass INTO the hands Of Mrs j. Wood
wei known AT your side OF the water.
AprOpos Of Mr. Bouclcanlt. his new play Just pro-
duced az the Princess unoer the title OF Presumptiye
Evldencen has turned out only small affair. but of
the sensational school. It's author Is really the
lew stage writer's who snow any aptitude for the arr
ofconstructing dramatic stogy aud peOplng II with
wei drawn characters. or iae, however, he has
displayed atal propensity 10 rely tor his effects
purely sensational incidents, 10 the great injury OF
ms literary style. ills ulay Of .'Aftcr DARK or
rather yOurs, i0r II was an adaptation ofthe American
meiodrana Under ;he Gasitqht proved greatly sue
cesslui last year, OWING chicty 10 vivid represen-
tation OF tine underground railway with the thrilling
escape OF one OF the dramatic personages vino lies
across the rails and seems within hairs breadth OF
being cut INTO peces. Something still more tremen-
dous was looked Tor In the new piece and ~ absence
ueteriorateu from the play M the estimation OF
uence VINO had come prepared 10 sup fGil Of horrors
but wen timed accdeht mas just occurred and
our paywrighis VIII DO wisely 20 press ii into
tnelr sefNlve' = woman IN rtanOrishrc, who
had long been IN the habit of Blowing up
her husband, IN metaphorical sense OF
the word has at last attempted To subject herself
TO the like process, but IN physical way and with
villanous saltpeire. The heroine OF "A Sensational
drama disposed OF after this fashion would draw
crowded houses The present season VIII close in
three weeks and the theatre Will remain shut iill
autumn, to undergo meantime a complete process
OF redecoratlon. The gallery ~ 10 be rebuilt, and
some attempt is 10 be made 70 enable occupants OF