The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-02 00:00:00

DRAM,

SADLER'S WELLS.
Evidence that the Sadler's Wells management puts
great trust in the " Sheksperian public" it has of late
year kept together in the metropolis, was supplied by the
adventurous production last night of " All's Well th,,t Ends
Well." In the depths of the dead recess this almost
amounts to au event. Since the Globe Theatre disappeared
the play has not been on the stage half a dozen times; and,
certainly. very few who were present at its performance
last night had ever contemplated the possibility of meeting
Helena, and Bertram, and Parolies, outside the elos, t. Mr.
Phelps, however, is bold in the cause of Shskspeare, and,
clearly, not merely to gratify a critical curiosity, but in the
practical belief that be wiugetting at a goodimeca equal to •
ruu," he has defied all the scholarly and dramatic tra-
ditions of a century, and made the experiment whether
"All's Well that Ends Well" is really unplaysble. Ilis
adaptations and remodellings—his vigorous use of en erasing
pen in the coarser passages—amount to a great deal
no doubt, in the estimation of the fanatics, who
are conscientious stout commas, and who would think

a Shalispenan collection of expurgated indecencies more
precious than any other poet's refinements; but, as it hes
come from Mr. Phelps, " All'. Well that Ends Well" is
as much Shakepeare's as Garrick's " Macbeth" was ; and,
fur managerial purpasee, the trial made last night has been
made witu all due fairness. Of course, there was that pecu-
liar audience, only to be met with in Sadler's Wells—the
boxes text in band—and all reverertial and minutely atten-
tive; and there is every likeliheod that as they have not
been educated up to a quiet &idler's Wells sense of enjoy-
ment, they appreciated the novelty, and got some new views
of Shakspeare.
It is as a novelty that the matter is to be regarded. Ti..
play could not be produced out of Sadler's Wells and
great reverence fur " the great bard " only could induce
endurance of it in any ahepe, while much faith in Mr.
Phelps is required to suggest patience with the cobbling@
accomplished. The emenda.ions hardly effect more than a
compromise ; for passages sounding odd to our cautious
era are left yet ; and no alteration could get rid of the
necessary scene between Bertram and Diana, which riots
upon a plot unpeetical, and even undramatical, in its
grossness of idea. but criticism of any sort upon that one
of the Shaksperian plays, which has provoked as much con-
troversy as any two of the others, is hardly needed now;
and there is the less reason fur i ntering on it, that this
speculative exploit of a single manager cannot he regarded
as disturbing the sem pled eons ictions of his predecessors,
that the play is not playable.
Mr. Paellas has, however, presented the piece with all
ceremony and scrupulous care; mud so far has increased
the respect due to him fo• analogous attempts. He has
got an excellent company together, working with wonderful
smoothness iota each others band., and the result is most
pleasant to the eye and sir. He himself played Parades,
an anexpect,d and rather heterodox assumption, but a very
successful one. But for Isis actine, entirely different trum
anythii.g he has accustomed h s admirers to, of this cha-
racter, in the scene with the " Old Lad" and:the " drum "
scenes, we doubt if even the Sadler's Wells habitue's would
have got on so comfortably. Miss Cooper walked and sighed
through Miami's wooing. and wailinp gracefully, but not
in a way so marked as to indicate that she knew very well
what to do with the strange part Mr. George Bennett
startled us by the artistic impressiveness with which he de-
livered the superb language of the King. It is only an
elocutionary part, but it a' most became a character.
The dresses were, as might he expected, perfect. The
scenery was new, which is a slight merit,—but it was good,
which is a great one.

A HINT FOR PARISH OFFICERB.—An 01.1 aomun
died at Sheffield, a few days since, who had hem reverting
parochial relief for many year.. At her decease it was
found she had property by her to the amount of nearly
.0001.—Essex Herald.

•
SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON TIIE SUREWSBURY AND
HtIEVORD BATLWAT.—On Tuesday last an accident oe-
eurred at the Craven Arms station, on the Shrewsbury and
Hereford Railway, to a postman, named John Mayo. It
appears that the unfortunate man is a waggon shunter at
the stati..n just named, and when the accident occurred he
was in the act of shunting a single waggon, with n horse,
from off the main line on to a siding. After he hell un-
hooked the horse he ran to the points to turn the waggon
on to the siding, when his foot Rot jammed between the
points, and no one being near to stop the waggon, he was
thrown down, and the waggon passed over Moth his legs.
On the arrival of the 10.57 a.m. train from Ludlow, he was
placed in the guard's van, and conveyed to Shrewsbury;
and when the train reached the latter town, he was placed
on a stretcher and borne off to the Salop Infirmary. On
examination, it was found that his right leg was broken and
fractured in several place., and his left leg very severely
bruised. It is believed that amputation of the right leg at
least will be necessary.
CORK AND BANDON RAILWAY.—Return of traffic
for the week ending August 24, 1842: Passenger., am.,
194/. 17s. 2d.; merchandise, to .23 . 12s. 8;1. Total, 2101.
9s. 10d. (20 mile. open.) Corresponding wets in 1861,
364. Is. Id. (10 miles open.)