The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-12 00:00:00

4

DRAMA.

PRINCEID3'B.

It it not often that Mr. Westland Marston, who
bis armed a prominent pleas amend oar principal original
iem•tiete, appears in the more hackneyed character of an
taarisir ; bat in this capacity he appealed to the public last
4044 this theatre, by the prodoction'of a comedy called
.Dennea Dies., avowedly founded upon one of the most
'opal'r plays of Monde, the Spanish dramatist. It is •
eosandy of courtly intrigue, in which only three &wadies
amigesedipentlyjoogaged—two lovers, who remind us forcibly
of Beatrice and Benedict, and a gentleman usher who has
all the qualities of the Spanish Figaro. The action is as
atately—we may almost say as monotonous—as • long
smirmt, and the piece is constructed like a mask
It to be performed before • select court circle
with no background but a piece of tapestry.
Ile humour is
beiterons level—the sentiment is never strained soy to
set violently on the feelings of the audience. There are
assihng seen*, and weeping scenes which follow each other,
but the issue of the plot is clear almost before the tint of the
three act. La ended. The interest of the piece is sustained
by the Cleves fencing of the hero and heroine—the efforts of
Den Cies': to win the hand of Doona Diana ; and the
efforts of the lady—who is as wilful as she is beautiful—to
bumble her lover as she has humbled others before him.
The Doe only succeeds in the fight by the aid of Perin—
tbs Figaro of the comedy—who is in the confidence
el both parties, but secretly favours the gentleruau.
There are torero! Dons and ladies of the court who
:evolve at certain distances round these three central
*goes, and there Li a father (the father of Donna Diana) to
ones the play and close it decently, but none of these ohs-
asters are cert.- strongly marked, or are allowed to be mete
this mere 3.043a50 ries.

Mr. Weatiand Mutton has shown considerable courage in
adapting and partly re-writing this piece, for we believe that
Mehive wed the task and was only partially succesda
Whew the Garman company were over here some yearn ago
Dewiest produced a vendee of thi play is German, and it
Ira doehtieas been translated into many other languagee. It
is a class of piece likely to be a favourite with " starriag"
mikes, beams' ite good characters are limited in number.
Mr. Westland Marston's eaglets is closely and elegantly
written, and full of that poetical grace which always die.
tinnuaites he dramas. He has retained all the best in-
elients of the original piece, and the only improvement we
awe wow is that the third act should be a little
eempressed. Mr. and Mrs. Hermann Vezin, who
eastaimed tile parts of the hero and heroine, ..cted in
the most finished, intelligent, and charming manner.
The fate of the pious depended upon their taste and efs.
eiency. and, with the able assistance of Mr. G.
Yining r. i'ef.c. succeeded in interesting the whole
of their cuLied audience. They were called on at the end
el the second act, and also et the close of the piece, after
the curtain had risen on the whole of the actors. Two of
the leaser parts were carefully played by Mr. David Fisher
and Mr. H. Forrester, and Miss Powell acted pleasantly as
a waiting maid. The dresses and appointments were saris•
factory, and the music was quaint and appropriate. The
keens was d tasely crowded.