The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-18 00:00:00

DRIJEY LANE

The revival of Croatians at Diary-lane hat night un-
doubtedly owed much of its attraction to the fact that Miss
Helen Faticit made her re-appearance, after a very long ab-
sence from the metropolitan stage, in the ohs:aster of
Dacron. She has accepted no regular eugagement at a
London theatre since the early part of 1858, when she cep-
peered at the Lyceum in a round of characters, while that
house was under the fitful management of Mr. Charles
Dino.. She performed Lady Macbeth, and many other Shaker
pearian parts, during this period, supported by Mr. Dfflon,
' and her eugagement bad every appearance of being etiooseduL
No living actress has a larger literary and artistic following,
probably because few are so refined and so Intelligent. If
her eating suffers from any fault, it is from over-refinement.
Her art is not concealed. She never plays any character
without a clear definite conception. Every tone, look, sad
gesture is elaborated, almost painfully, and little is left to
the promptings of impulse. We have plenty of talent, but
no genius, properly not:ailed ; grace that sometimes slab
into lack a &laical attitudes, and a large amount of tree
womanly feeling, though no overwhelming pathos. Her
passion is somewhat forced, bat her command of exprendon
is situations requiring intense acting is perfect. Her
'write so far imbalance her faults that her appearance is
always welcome ; and if she falls short of • Siddonian
standard, she towers above most of her contemporaries.
Tb redeems of construction which mars many of Skein%
spesre's plays is glaringly apparent in Cpabeline. The
ratio* shifts from Italy to England, and from England
to Italy, in the twinkling of an eye. The two principal
malecharecters—Posthumus and lachimo—would have been
celled • Brummagem imitation a Othello and lago, if
anybody else bad written them. !whim°, how-
ever, her this advantage over lago, that his motive, if mean
sad coarse, is sufficiently apparent. He works for ten
thousand ducats, and he gets them. Post-humus is much
weaker than Othello, and more easily played upon. The
most beautiful part of the drama—that dealing with the
pastoral life of Holmium and the two stolen sous of the
King—has this diaadvantsge, that it eau rarely be poetically
illustrated on the stage. Three men come on, dressed, mote
or less, like Rocky Mountain Wonders, and mouth the
delicate text of the post, until little reaches the ear but
grunts and growls. Sock a *one can generally be much
better realisedi by reading the play in the box lobby. The
indelicacy of the plot might be atoned for by this part of
the drama, if the stage was less prosaic in its general rem.
sentetions.

Mir FendPa embodiment of Imagine wee lighted up, bare
and them, with evrellset acting, tier reception of Ischia*
was very fins, and full of variety and meaning. Her good
breeding se a Princess struggled hard with her suspicions.
She was a little tame and quiet in some soeues—too much so
for so large a house—bat her pourtrayal of fear on Ant
seeing the cue of Belaritu wee moat forcible and
natural. The multitude hardly understood it at dist,
bat applauded it therwards. as if it bad been
a back-fall, or • burst of good natio'. Mr.
Phelps made • sensible, but hardly a loveable
Posthumus, and though he ban played the put
often, it is not one in which be can ever shine. He wants
character to deal with, not " walkingientleasen." Mien
is generally played by light comedians, though it might be
made mom of by • good low comedian, and last night
it was given to Mr. Walter Lacy. The self-email of the
character was admirably repeesented. Mr. Oreswick was
too direct and murder as 'Achim°, and he should guard
&phut a jerky delivery, which at times resembles that of
the late Mr. Harley. Mr. Henry Marston was dignified
a• Baena; and Mils Atkinson was not a bit like a Queen.
Mies Helen Fault had a mast enthusiastic reorptioa, and
Messrs. Phelps and Crawl* were called for emu during
the evening. The play has been well put upon the stage,
the managers using up old Drury-Mae materials.
A new Irish fares, called The O'Fiesherty's was played hir
fore Cinsbelihe, but very badly received by the audience. It
wee tee long and misty, and delayed the production of the
play until • vary late hour. To use en old word that be.
longed to playgoing of the teat age, It was damped, aid •
few mom such demomizelloes may immune a revival of
dramatic criticism. The performances were not over until
after midnight.