The Theatres.

threshold of her chamber the moonlight sky , seen throngh the open door , grows black , and from the clouds a lightning flash strikes the hearthstone , and the household gods lay shattered amid its ruins . Sextus ' s own doom is sealed . The scene in the fourth aot , where Lucretia summonses her kinsmen to hear the recital of her wrongs ,

and avenge her , gives a fine opportunity to the actress , and Miss Eastlake held her audience spell-bound by her icy agony . This lady has a most trying and difficult task in the long address to her kinsrneu , buc she Epoke it with the tragic intenoilj' boRt-i .. LU „ -. _ „;„ i , of the moment , yet with a self-repression and restrained passion

worthy of all praise . Here Junius throws off all disguise , and , in a magnificent address , calls on his kinsmen and Lucretia ' s to do justice on Tarquin . We could have wished Collatinua had displayed more emotion , or that the kinsmen , as they listen to Lucretia , would exhibit more natural pity and horror . Act 5 takes us again to the palace of

Tarquin . In the audience hall stands the gold throne , high on its marble dais . The roof is hidden by splendid velaria , draped from the Corinthian capitals . Sextus , pale and conscience-stricken , sits on the throne . He appeals for advice to his soothsayer , Sophronion ( Mr . Dewhurst ) , but is met with scorn ; for help to his guards , who

mook him . News comes of revolt in the city , when a cry of " Room for the household gods ! " is heard . The bronze gates are thrown open , and Lucretia ' s lifeless form is brought in . Sextus would escape , but is dragged up the marble steps by Junius , and stabbed at the foot of the throne . The curtain fell amid universal and most enthusiastic

applause . Each principal actor was summoned by name , and Mr * Wilson Barrett had to return again and again , and still the house seemed unwilling to part with one to whom they owe so much . We cannot close our notice without a cordial recognition of the singularly fine presentment of Vindex , the Eastern slave , played with an

Eastern fervour and barbaric force by Mr . Hudson . It is a remarkable creation . Miss Leighton as the Sybilj a small part , has yet fine opportunity to display her impressive elooutionary powers . Her stately presence is of great value . Mr . Speakman as the captain of the guard played with that sincerity and force which always distinguishes

him . We regret we cannot praise Mr . Clifford Cooper ^ who , as the Roman patrician Lucretius , was certainly neither Roman nor patrician in voice or bearing . Lucretius should for no moment forget his dignity of caste and race . He should be , above all things , a Roman

noble . In Lucretia ' s dishonour , not his heart alone but the altars of his ancestors have been outraged . The music , composed and arranged by Mr . Jones , is in excellent taste , a mere undercurrent of melody , never obtrusive , ifc often intensifies the feeling of the spoken words .

Haymarket.

HAYMARKET .

THE revival of " Masks and Faces , " at the Haymarkefc , last Saturday , was welcomed with an enthusiasm that few successful " first nights " could excel . " The calm that marks the caste " of orchestra stalls and balcony vanished at the touch of that sweet womanly pathos , with fleeting lights of smiles and tears , when Peg Woffington is the arch enchantress . Pocket-handkerchiefs were in recmisition all

over the house , however skilfully dissembled . Mrs . Bancroft played her part with the old oharm and freshness j surely we can give no higher praise . Mr . Bancroft gave his carefully-finished study of the gentle-hearted starveling poet . His interview with Lady Vane , when he struggles with his famished longing for the tempting biscnits , was

indicated with artistic delicacy . Mr . Bancroft has so rarely trnsted himself to a portrayal of the stronger emotions that his rendering of Triplet has the greater claim on our hearty recognition . Miss Calhoun was at her best as Lady Vane ; she looked the girl-wife to

perfection , and acted with a most pleasant sincerity . Messrs . Kemble and Brookfield are excellent actors , but are too much given to accentuate all they touch . It is a pleasure to welcome Mr . Wyafct into the world of high comedy . His Soaper proves he may soon win an assured position .

Royalty.

ROYALTY .

CROWDED houses and the box-office returns might prove M . Mayer has been well advised to revive " Niniche " for Mme . Jane May's second visit to us , that charming young lady taking the title part . The scene opens , as our readers doubtless know , at Tronville , and no further than Dean-street we may enjoy the fun and the

absurdities of life on the sands . In these dull foggy days the sight of the beau baigneur Gregoire ( M . Colombey ) inspires one with breezy cheerfulness . Colombey is at his best in the part , his professional pride , his ambition to possess the red ribbon . He finds no consolation in his own medals— " any fool would pull a drowning

man out of the water , but you can't get the Legion of Honour by doing anything . " He is terribly troubled by the adoration of his fair clients , but ambition fills his soul . There is a Count Corniski and his lovely wife staying at the hotel , and through the Countess Gregoire hopes to secure his decoration . She appears very lovely ,

girlish and innocent , as presented to us by Mme . May . This is surely not "Niniche "the impertinent minx to whom Mdlle . Judic introduced us . This is a refined and pure-hearted young lady , who for mere gaiety of heart is playing at being a something she knows nothing about . We have not Niniche , but we have that which is so much

better and brighter and pleasanter ; we scarcely think one in the audience could have wished a more realistic interpretation . She gives us something quite other than Messieurs Hennequin and Millaud intended in their heroine . A Rosalind—not with a spear , in the forest of Arden—but still under the necessity of dissembling in

this preposterous world of pantomime in which she has lost her way . As Mr . Pigotfc does not object , why should wo cry fie ? And then the play undoubtedly is immensely funny ; the acting so bright , brisk , and

spontaneous , one has no time to stop to criticise . Didier , as the 8 olemn , severely proper , bald-headed Polish Count , makes a splendid portrait of a diplomatist ; Madame Ricquier as the lively friend of Niniche is excellent , Our ever-welcome Schey ia delightful as the

Royalty.

benevolent confidant , who is brought to dire straits by his cheerful trustfulness . Mme . Lion as the f emme de ohambre ia the perfection of perfcness and piquanoy . Mme . Santa in a very small part , Courdier , Debray , and Ricquier all giving efficient aid in the neat finish of the picture . The colouring is surely excellent—would only the draughtsmanship of the authors were a little less 600 I 0 Rogence .

Gaiety.

GAIETY .

TH Sfr " 16 noM « -na sentimentalism and dull factions ; " - * - multitudinous Matinee , the Pennine fun - ' , " ^ ^ laughter of our old friend «« London ° Wn ° "fl ^ *?*? " * day most welcome relief . Tho ,. 1 ..., Jvnittle old fashioned perhaps , as some old college chum returning from long absence in regions

where ozone is plentiful ; but w >' tk lively Helen Barry as Lady Gay , and William Farren as Comtley , the old fashioned flavour makes it no less plenqant . Mr . Herbert was agreeable , and the rest of the cast were effioient .

Miss Minnie Bell , a clever emotional aotress from the provincial stage , has introduced " A Fair Sinner" to the London public . This is described as an original drama , by W . Appleton , but it strangely suggests a consomme of some very weak Frenoh romance : —A scowling husband , an idiotic father , an undecided lover and a lady

with the nsual " aching heart" are the chief characters , but they were so cleverly played they almost seemed possible . There is one very dramatic situation , where the husband ( Mr . Macdona ) forces tho lover ( Mr . Rosier ) to play ecarto , with their lives as the stake .

This roused even a matinee audience to enthusiasm . Mr . Giddens as a cockney millionaire was delightful , in vivacious Foker style . The Hon . Member for Easthampton was in a private box , and seemed much entertained by Secretary Baffin ' s tribulations .

Though the favourite Blue-beard still proves attractive Mr . Burnand ' s " Mazeppa" is , we learn , ia active rehearsal . Ifc 13 to be produced at an early date .

Strand.

STRAND .

THE members of the St . Swithin ' s Amateur Dramatic Club gave an excellent performance of " Caste , " on Wednesday and Thursday of last week , at the Royal Strand Theatre . The band , conducted by Mr . Max Schroter , played a good seleotion of music . The parts of the Hon . George D'Alroy and Capt . Hawtree were taken by Messrs . W . F . Lee and R . C . Lochlein . Mr . E . C . Silverthorne , the

stage manager , took that of Eccles , and he pourtrayed the drunken father carefully . Mr . J . W . Williams also did well as Sam Gerridge . The Misses Effie Liston and Cora Stuart took the parts respectively of Esther and Polly Eccles , and the latter kept the audience amused with her jokes and trickery in making the haughty

Captain her slave . Mr . Gaston Murray ( by permission of Messrs . Hare and Kendal ) appeared as tho Marquise de St . Maur , and Mr . G . G . McCulloch as Dixon . The acting was admirable throughout , while the dresses and scenery were everything thafcjcould be desired .

The Grand.

THE GRAND .

THREE years ago Miss Litton , whose early death has been so gi'eat a loss , first introduced " . Mankind" to a West End audience , and the West End playgoer learnt that in London , nn . known to its Middlesex population , an actor could be found with power sufficient to almost congeal the blood in the veins of hia audience , and capable of displaying intensity of passion such as

Robson of the old days or Irving at the present time alone could command . Mr . George Conquest ' s Daniel Groodge , the centenarian miser and murderer , is a Rembrandt portrait that might hang by the side of Daddy Hardacre or Matthias and lose no tone of its grand colouring . Unhappily Mr . Conquest returned to the unknown land

on the other side of the artistic Rubicon , though many whom he had fascinated by his weird power have since made pilgrimages across the Thames . We rejoice , however , to be able to say he has brought the same drama to the Grand , where he is delighting large audiences . Mr . Conquest is supported by a capable company ; especially we

must commend his " masher miscreant , Mr . Nye , while we cannot too highly praise the delightful delicacy , tenderness , and unaffected pathos of Miss Amy MaoNeil , who , in the part of the heroine , may hear comparison with our recollections of Miss Litton . We hear Mis 3

MacNeil has accepted an engagement at Drury Lane , and we heartily congratulate Mr . Harris on his good fortune . Next Monday Mr . George Conquest will make his appearance as Zacky Pastrana in " For Ever . "

Bro . Dr . Whalley , M . A ., and Bro . Jules Richet , D . C . L ., had the honour to give recitals from Shakespeare on Friday , 20 th nit ., before a distinguished assembly , at a drawing-room conversazione given at Windsor . Holding high honours and orders , both English and Con « tinental , these gentlemen take high rank as Shakesperian exponents ,

both in England and France . The beautiful passages from "As you like it , " " Someo and Juliet , " " Midsummer Night's Dream , " and " Much ado about nothing , " given by Mons . Jules Reiohefc , formed a pleasant contrast to the selections from " Macbeth , " " Hamlet , " " Othello , " "Richard III ., " & c , given by Dr . Whalley . The beauty

and pathos of one , along with the force and polish of the other , produced a good effect , and ringing cheers greeted each . On Saturday both gentlemen were engaged in a work of charity , for the benefit of

institutions connected with destitute women and girls of London , in which an especial interest is taken and high patronage given by Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Family .