The New York herald., 1873-11-16
THE LONDON THEATRES.

A New Comedy Drama at the Court
aThe Beautiful Mrs. Kousby" Wide
Photographl-Premfc Gladstone Hit
or at the Olympic-Ago Cannot
Withcr MIR. Charles Mathews-An
American Citizen Overcome by British
Loyalty-A Favorite Old House i'm tho
Market.
LONDON, Oct 80, 1873
One by one the London theatres are opening for
the winter season, and though, no doubt, the man
ayers are reservng their trump cards for later
period, when town shall be more full and business
orlsker, there is plenty OF pleasant amusement to
be had. When Christmas pantomime was far more
universal than 1t is at present, managers were in
the habit OF deferrlng the opening OF their theatres
as late possible and, without thinking OF money
making, were content If they could keep the ac-
counts balanced, relying ON Christmas and the
pantomime for their profits. This, however, Is no
longer the case, save at Drury Lane, where the
rule still maintains; at the other houses
certain class of entertainment, buriesque, reuue
Or spectacle is produced at Christmas time as an
attraction for the children and the holiday makers ;
but far-seeing manager now selects no special
period for his coup. finding among indigenous Lon
doners and the ever arriving excursonists suf-
ficient audience TO welcome anything good, bad
or eccentric, which may happen to hit the public
taste.
'ALONE,r AT THE COURT
The Court Theatre, PRETTY little bandbox stu
ate in Sloane square, far away on the southwestern
confines OF civilization has produced the novelty Of
the week, in the shape OF u three act comedy
drama called "Alone." The authors are Messrs. Pal
grave Simpson and Herman Merivae-the former
an old stager, the latter young gentleman who,
for the first time, comes forward in his own proper
name, having hither 70 been winning his dramatic
spurs under a pseudonym. They are indebted for
the outline OF their plot TO French comedy
by Scribe, la Lectrice," but they have
succeeded In giving the story an Eng
lish garb, though they have failed to do
away with much in 1t that is preposterous
and absurd. An elderly colonel, blind and
misanthrophic, Is living 'alone'' at Torquay. His
mlsanthrophy Is not due entirely to his blindness.
He imagines his daughter to have run away from
school with man who has not married her, ana
he consequently hates the human race, and flies
into the most terrible paroxysms OF rage on every
possible occasion. In young lady, who comes
to him recommended as a reader, the public
recognizes the daughter, and speedily learns that
both the young lady and the young gentleman,
rom whom she had separated Immediately, have
been much belied The girl had no intention Of
elopement, but started OF on the receipt OF letter
announcing the dangerous Illness OF her father; /;
the cavalier had attended the rendezvous on the
receipt OF letter purporting to be an assignation
made by the lady. After the necessary amount OF
mental agony all sides the forger or these epis-
ties, jealous school companion OF the heroine,
confesses her crime, the Colonel being at the same
tirRe mercifuly restored to sight through the skill
OF somewhat fippant doctor, who forms con-
Meeting link between the principal personages
This is pretty little story, and 1t Is very well
acted. Mr.. George Rignold looks like gentleman
ana conveys the idea OF blindness without those
unpleasant contortions which uspally accompany
such an assumption; he Is occasionally little
exaggerated in his irasciDity, but his outbreaks
are at least more natural than those OF the stick
brandishlng hoarsely believing old theatrical mill
taires to whom We are accustomed. Miss O'Berne
plays the daughter with unexaggerated force ana
leellng, and Miss Lltton enactS capriclous widow
in style successfully modelled on that OF Mrs.
Bancroft. spo nging, toadylng hanger-on OF the
Coionels IS played by Mr.. Chnord Cooper with an
amount OF natural perception and humor which
leads one TO look upon hm as an acquisition to the
London stage. The worst thing about the little
piece-and consequently that which has attained
the greatest praise from the majority Of the
critlcs-is the dialogue. whch bristles with rude
ness so palpable aud so gross as to be necessarily
fatal to the existence OF any society in which IL
was permitted. This style OF conversation, origi-
mated by the late Mr.. Robertson and improved
upon by Mr.. Ii. J. Byron, Is considered TO be epi-
grammatc," whereas II is simply insolent and un-
natural
THE aousBYs AT THE PRIsCEss's
some time ago Mr.. Tom Taylor, the drafnatlst,
visited the island OF Jersey and discovered Mr..
and Mrs. Rousby, who were acting there. Mrs.
Rousby IS lady with very handsome face and a
Mr. Rousby is Mrs. Rousbyis husband, gentleman
who under one name or another had been acting
attempting TO get an opening III London. That
opening owing to Mr.. Tayor's influence, was &C.
corded oe TWO 70 5e 9s Da aIe M naI snd
Joan OF Arc" which were produced at the
Queens Theatre with Fictitious success 1t was
admitted by those who knew anything about 1t
that Mrs. ROusby could not act at all and that
MIR. Rousby a third-rate Imitation OF Mr..
Charles Kean; but there was no doubt that
Mrs. Rousby looked wonderfully picturesque and
handsome in the headdress OF the Princess Eliza
beth and in the arInor OF Joan ol Arc, and the
public, which Is always marveously lenient To the
artistic shortcomings OF a pretty woman, bore
with her and her husband Tor time. Mr.. and
Mrs. Rousby nave now returned to London alter a
heightened absence and are playing In "Twixt
Axe and Crown at the Princess | reserve lur-
ther comment upon them until the production Of
"Griseda,n - a new play ia blank verse BY Miss
Braddon which IS announced l9r next month,
A POLITICAL BURLBsQUB
Regular theatre irequenters mustered in force
on Monday night at the olympic, where q Durlesque
entitled Rchelieu Redressedp was announced FOR
production. 1t was anticipated that Mr. Righton,
who had previously given clever imitation OF
Mr. Irving, would parody the great actor in his
newest part The burlesque turned out however,
TO have little or nothing TO do with Bulwer's play,
and TO he political skit. Mr. Rignton was very
happily made up ior Mr. Gladstone and the politics
Of the present ministry and the recent elcctloneer
ing tactics 1.-THE conservatives were very happily
hit Oh. We are likely TO have good deal OF this
KIND Of humor, the taste for which was inaugu-
rated by the Happy Land"
MR.. CHARLES MATHEWS.
The perennial Mr. Charles Mathews Is just com.
pleting another successful engagement at the
Galey, aud though within six weeks lie Will attain
DIS 10Th year there does not seem TO be the
slightest iallng OH In his yiyacity. | had heard
that his voice was falling little and that he had
ost @ somewhat Of his Incompatible nnesse,
but when ! saw him the other night IN
"Ihe Game OF Speculation there was
not the smallest trace oi any feebleness In
uehVery or manner, while his style was what il
ever mas been-the perfection or artless arr Ii Is
understood that Mr.. Mathews mas achieved a hand.
% aone iortuhe OF anu that recent legacy has largely
ADDED to his means. but his iondness for hs oro-
lession Is such that he has no intention OF reIln
quishlng y. lie VIII spend the winter at Nice ana
70 lne ensuing spring lie purposes being ready lor
work again. ' W.