The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-10-11 00:00:00

MR. BRANDRAMI RECITATION.

The committee of the Dorchester Lecture Society
could not have selectei a better entertainment where-
with to oessinence their ensuing session, than a recita-
tion by the ever.populsr Shakoes:ma-Lin scholar, Mr.
B. Breninam. Whether in Dorchester, or in any town
to Whisk be Is invited. he is sure to attract a Imes
asffiessee end deservedly so, for a more clever and
wassisailess exponent of the great idea, of the
beametel bard it is Impossible to find in the present
and right tad wore we to see such • large
sedlimee as sewn led at the Town Hall on Thursday
arrosjac last, thus showing that the people at
Dershoster are decidedly not behindhend in their
of the legitimate drama when they have
, we fear is somewhat rare. Mr,
oi• g"iests:llF., wadded, and among thew who
mowed wets wore :
Mr. H. B. Middleton, Esq., Captain and Misses
Rem. W. Russel-Wright, Mr. A. R. Banker,
bgro. , Captain Thorburn, Mr. R. Pause, Dr.
b
foster, Mr. H. Symonds, Mrs. Grans,
osipLlAlli* =ur. F. Jillardr_Mr. Lesh,Mrs. A. Groves,
Her. F. Powys, Mr. H. N. Middleton, Mr. R.
Rev. A. A. Leonard. Mr. Fisher Mr. T
Gamin. • Mrs. Dunning, Mrs. Andrew,,
Kies patsy. Irrorton,_ Mrs. Grey, Mr. Arthur
Leek lire. Durdsc, Mr. H. Hswidns, Mrs. Owe,
mai Sods Mrs. Lock, Kr. Beason, Hr. Good,
Mr. . J. F. Hodges, Rev. A H. Crick. Mr.
a. &Des Ling, Miss Brooks and party, Mr. and
epos4=ll.r. A. and Mrs. Spicer, Ms.
. Mr. Newton, he.
MrTlis hes. medber made • few introductory remarks
base the seebelon commenced, in which he expressed
• his ploseses ell seeing the Dorchester Lecture Society,
gybe* be VIA informed had just commented Ite fourth
:V so posrperous. One sign of its prospoting was
D room tbey had that night, and the prospect of
a oria egretesble eatortainment. It was, he was told,
fibs duty of the ohnirmsn, to introduce the lecturer
sad eba autrjeoll that would occupy their attention.
Bet it was certainly not necessary for. him to say any.
Mebane Shakespeare, sad neither was it necessary
to my
_lusything about that great masterpiece
the ect of the recitation that evening, for
t of Venice" was • work imperishable,
sad • work standing, li not at the head, in the very
boat wok of Shakespeare's works. He was of opinion,
4iews that It Was almost unnexesszy for him n to say mush
abase sese gentisman who bad kindly come that night
to mho ems great work. There were, no doubt, many
uresest who were there on the last occasion when Mr.
~at Dorchester, and all who were present
then booed with pimento the great power shown by
io rosidering Shakespeare's great works. He (Mr.
mow) would not further trespass on their time, but
Immo etcreascelir with Mr. Brands= a discriminating
amive sadism*, and would also wish them,
ebbe was owe they would have, an evening of much
batreatgas, end of very great enjoyment. (Applause.)
Ms. & Blthiloa•s then commenced his recitation,
ssd throughout be was listened to with great atten-
dee, and at frequent intervals he was loudly applauded,
bo &splayed the extraordinary power which he
poseseeis in his interpretatioe of the ideas of the groat
pest ?wimps there is no play of Shakespeare, about
abeerb there Is such • variety of opinion In the
Ws& of dramatists as to the literal character
while Shakespeare intended to invest Shylock
sba prlncipal mover in the play; and although
dramatic- scholar, ever differed, and ever will differ, on
ebb particular point, opinions were never so divided
al they have been since Mr. Henry I rring's masterly per.
ileresasse last year at the Lyceum. His pourtrayd
el Stic found great favour with many. The
aiguilitec
and patriotic demeanour of the Jew, although '
he did not rob him for one moment of the innate greed
sad avarice, and inentiable revenge, which ultimately
peeved his ruithwa• so unlike thoShylocks of other tes-
sellates in years gone by, that by very contrast it proved
acceptable. Mr. Somehow his seen fit, whether
rightly es wrongly who shall pretend to say, to decline
to follow le the line pursued by Irving, and he prefers
ts maks Shylook, ash, hod even been before, • hard
end unacropuhaes usurer, thirsting for the blo xi of his
este& eneeny,--seri no more. At any rats, he made
as mistake as to his opinions on the subject, and he
didleatios to the chariots', which be, no doubt,
thsgonghly believes Shakespeare intended his Shylock
to waremst. It is, no doubt, matrecnely difficult for a
welter to thoroughly interest an audience by the
Hevelmet of Venice animism& as ho is by all those
Mop eceompasinagete which aid so materially to the
eliodies interetationof the play ; It was under this
dbeeveseeste be laboured SO Shag it is doubtful if a
tier ebb mow dramatic 'Shot, as Hamlet or Othello,
mosie net have more satistemeril
Illeselffeenie pest pewees ea • diala ll.Plagd oewith.-

standing NB, he gave the play as strait scholar, and in
such a manner that fully showed the performance to be
not osesely an example of the powers of a remarkable
memory. but the reisaltof a lifelong study and assiduous
research. His impersonations at. some psriods were creep.
timely fine, and we woul.l instaoce the scene ta which
fitiyk:ick make 'the bond " la merry op wt." The hidden
hatred and curbeil spit* which prosuPt th• Jew Win".
the hurrible bargain seemed at times ready to burst forth
and betray hire, aud it was in this scene particularly
that Mr. lirandram eh iwed himself a master of It,art.
Again, the interview of Shylock with Tubal, in which
with such vehement malice he thanks his God for the
fall of his victim, was full of dramatic power. The
other characters, although of leo importanos, all
fully showed the wooderful resources at the reciter's
command, whether the noble utterances of Portia cad
Antonia, or the drolleries of Lancelot Gobbo. Al-
though so totally unlike in voice and demeanour, the
impereonatioa of each was lifelike. At the close Mr.
Bracdrarn was greeted with hearty applause. The
Dorcheiner Lecture dos:lift are to be congratulated on
thee. geauine treats, which they are the =mos of
landing.