The Press.
London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

Alrsic.

A Caret-lion ,5..11:14. E. T. 1 D'Almaitte.
Ctuirch So.; . C . Steplu.n.s. J. A. Notilu.

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ExETE LI HALL.
Tar. "London Wednesday Concerts" of previous
seasons aro now renewed under the slightly-
modified title of "Wednesday Evening Converts."
The first performance of the series took place
this week. Au orchestra of seventy performer'
has been engaged, including some of the most
celebrated instrumentalists in the profession. The
directors promise to produce "the best works of
the most distinguished composers in a style to
satisfy the critical amaieur." Judging from the
specimen given on Wednesday, their system will
include in every performance some work of magni-
tude and celebrity as a pi?cc de resisianee, helped out
with ballads, national airs, and musical miscellanies
of various complexion. On their opening night,
Felicien David's well known mle-symphony, "The
Desert," was given entire. John Cooper, the actor,
declaimed the spoken verses of the poem. The con-
cert, on the whole, was good ; the lighter and more
varied ingredients of the second "part" proving more
attractive than the elassicalities of M. David. Mr.
Benedict conducted.

Abe pram.

HAYMARKET THEATRE.
Dram the recess this house has been improved in
many respects. It has been entirely redecorated,
and, without the use of a gaudy style of ornament,
a general brilliancy of effect has been attained. The
benches of the pit have been covered with American
leather; the stalls have been railed off, and the
floor of the orchestra depressed. More space has
been given to the stage, and a new drop-scene has
been provided. Amongst the ornamental embellish-
ments we must not omit to notice the medallion
portraits of British dramatists inserted in the panel-
ling of the boxes. The names of the authors chosen
for these pictorial tributes are Shakapeare, Ben
Jonson, Beaumont, Fletcher, Messinger, Dryden,
Otway, Congreve, Wycherley, Colley Cibber, Bowe,
Vanbrugh, Gay, Goldsmith, Foote, C. Dibdin, Sheri-
dan, Coleman the younger, O'Keefe, Bulwer Lytton,
and Sheridan Knowles. This selection is too arbi-
trary; and some of these names, though eminent in
their day, belong now so entirely to " the unacted
drama" that we could have wished Koine of them to
have been omitted. To exclude Farquhar, and to
retain Vanbrugh, is almost as wrong as to preserve
Foote (who never wrote a lasting piece), and to pass
over Arthur Murphy, whose Widow Belrour, in The
Way to Keep Him, is one of the standard parts in
English comedy. Cumberland's name is very pro-
perly omitted from the list ; but it amuses us to think
how angry the original of Sir Fretful Plagiary would
have been if he could have foreseen that the author
of The West Indian would be left out of a theatrical
gallery in which O'Keefe was admitted !
Mr. Buckstone's reception by the audience on
Monday night was highly flattering. The house was
full, without being inconveniently crowded ; and we
observed several well known actors amongst the
spectators. The first piece was .4 Cure for Lore
(revived), a two act farce, containing a good part for
the exhibition of the manager's peculiar comic talent.
We confess, however, that, at such a house, we
should have wished the season to open with a drama
of a higher class. But it is a habitual custom at the
Haymarket to confluence with rather a weak bill of
theatrical fare.
The Beggar's Opera was the next piece. Miss
Featherstone played Macheath, and her performance
of the part was a great improvement on her Tom
Tug, in The Waterman, at Drury Lane. (in her en-
trance she was very warmly greeted by the audience,
and she appears to be making way in popular favour.
She was encored in " My heart is so free " and "
happy could I be with either." With tilleh a voice
she ought t.,) have done more in " If the heart of a
man," but she sang it without expression. Iler
singing confirmed our previous remarks as to the
necessity of this lady's voice requiring careful tuition
before she can do justice to her powers. We dislike
seeing young ladies act the part of Marheath; but
we take for granted that Miss Featherstone has come
out at the Haymarket in that character for the pur-
pose of better exhibiting her contralto voice. The
Polly of Miss ()monde was an uninteresting per-
formance, but, by good management of her limited
organ, she succeeded in gaining considerable ap-
plause. But, with so shrill a voice, she is not likely
to become a favourite singer. in an English opera

THE PRESS.

company she might b found very useful in the
secondary parts.
Mr. Compton, on his appearance in the afterpiece
of Founded on Facts, met with one of the heartiest,
receptions accorded by the audience.

Everyleoely has heard of that memorable perform-
ance of the play of Hamlet in which the part of
Hamlet was left out. As given now at the, Haymarket,
the blunder is reversed—the drama contains nothing
else?. Exeept the Hamlet, and Mr. 1.. Nandenhoff as
the representative of the Danish prince—there is
nothing—no scenery, no accessories, no actors or
dialogue—worth looking at or listening to. This, as
critics, we cannot approve; nor, as Anaheim, do we
think that the English public will show any satisfac-
tion with the arrangement. However, the manage-
ment of the theatre seem to leave believed—aid truly
—that Mr. Vatedenhott possesses dramatic talent.
They believe ale-►—and again truly—that itamiet
would afford him a fair opportunity of showing that
talent to the public. Therefore has the play been
•• mounted " for him in ►► style of which we can say
nedy that (with a slight m►tigating elattse iu favour of
Miss L. lloward's Ophelial there is not one scene or
performer which the resources of the commonest
provincial theatre would not have rivalled.
Under such ciremnst tutees it is not easy—nor would
it be fair—for us to pronounce what Mr. Vatedenhoff
can do. What he did was this. Without attempting
aught that was strikingly ls►ld or new.--without ex-
hibiting any of the eccentricities, the flashes, the sue-
cesses—►r the failures—of yetehes,—he gave a platen,
at once vivid, refined, and intelligent of the very
puzzling and anomalous character which he hail un-
dertaken to personate. His reading of the part was
not new ; nor has he sought to embody any one, of
the manifold theories which have been devised with
the vain hope of interpreting into &consistency either
or sanity or madness the petwonage which Shak-
speare has MS& the centrepiece of his tragedy. lint
he played the part in a manner that testified at °MY
to the mind of a scholar, the manners of a gentle-
man, and the patient study of an enthusiastic and
painstaking artist. Mr. Vandettheal has improved—
we may almost say totally changed—his style since
his early appearances at Covent Garden some ten
years ago. He has evidently studied the best
models, and yet has avoided all mannerism; and has
practised his art incessantly in America without be-
coming into eted with the exaggerations and coarse-
ness too prevalent upon the transatlantic stage. His
personal qualifications are far above the average :
his countenance is expressive, his voice pleasant and
flexible in mexhilation, though somewhat deficient in
power. With these gifts of nature, and the talent
and industry which he can evidently bring into play,
it will not be difficult for him to become a good actor.
To be great is another question ; though even
greatness may not prove beyond the range of his
attaintnents.
A three-act comedy by Mr. Sterling Coyne, and a
farce by Mr. T. Morton (the latter on next Tuesday ),
are amongst the novelties announced. Miss Cush-
man is also underlined in the bill.
MAItYLEB)N E.

Is consequence of the reports that reached us upon
the remarkable qualities of Mrs. J. W. Wallack's
Ludy Macbeth, we visited this theatre on Wednesday
night. We expected much from Mrs. Wallack's per-
formance of this arduous character, but her imper-
sonation even exceeded our anticipations. TO play.
Lady Macbeth with adequate ability, an actress must
possess a tragic voice, subtle conception, physical
power, and an impressive physiognomy. Mrs. J. W.
Wallack is eminently gifted with all these qualities.
Her face, from a certain squareness of form, and
striking assemblage of features, exhibits the ominous
and boding conntenance required for highs tragedy :
her voice has deep solemnity of intonation, while her
eloenti is clear and modulated. It is rarely, now-
adays, that terms bordering on the superlative degree
can be applied to tragic perforimuwes, but we can
truly record that since the retirement of Mr. Maeready
we have seen no acting equalling the Lady Macbeth
of Mrs. Wallack in artistic completeness and vigorous
realisation of a great Shakspeariatt part. It is a
highly intellectuarportraiture, in which the criminal
resolves of Lady Macbeth and the haggard tortures
of her subsequent misery are tearfully embodied.
'Sten, grandeur is its pervading quality. The text. Is
enunciated throughout with energy regulated by
sound judgment, and, where the actress ellirlos
byplay, her attitudes are imposing and dignified. It
is a more solemn and deliberate presentment of the
part than is customary. In voice and power of fea-
ture Mrs. Wallack has greatly the advantage of Mrs.
C. Kean and Miss Faucit, and, though Miss Cushman
has the superiority in declamatory force, she does
not excel Mrs. Wallack in skill in portraying the
ideal, and marking the mulotleremotions of the mind.
Not having seen Mrs. Wallack in any other part, we
cannot pronounce an opinion an to her likelihood of
first-rate success in one of our large theatres. Her
eyes, though capable of great intensity of expression,
are not of the kind alinult abbolutely necessary fur

619

rivetting a crowd, and there is an absence of those
bursts of vehemence in her acting which tell so pow-
erfully on our English audiences. Her Lady Mac-
beth would be nearly a perfeet performance if it had
more female fascination to relieve its sterner pas-
sages. We are bound, however, to add that we have
heard that the Mrs. hatter of this lady is must
affecting mid lit completely successful. It will be
our pleasing ditty to mark other performance* by this
remarkable aetreats.

The Macbeth of Mr. J. W. Wallack will want con-
siderable study and practice before it can at all
approximate to the success of Mrs. Wallack iu the
intme tragedy. Mr. WaHack's voice has improved in
variety of tone, but the ttttt wtouous energy with
which he played this %stied part is fatal to artistic
effect.