The Express.
London, England, 1856-09-02 00:00:00

SKETCHES OF LONDON ACTORS.

irls BIICKBTONE-
Mr. Backstons is ass of the moot popular asters of
the day, by the .beer force of inimitable drollery.
We do not mean any disparagement to thin excellent
actor by trio' this term- We oily with to mark by
it the goivisliti of Mr. Baskstass. War Won as
the stage an his equals wn. Is soon partite.
furs, but in mare native ar *dant haffoattery
no one to seer him. Of prealhirity with*
Irki may call sonde pathos—that which sands the
taus coursing down your shooks from sympathy with
the actor, at the same Mao that you sides are Asa-
log with laughter Backstone possums bet Mk.
Ho seldom satios:rds in inehmatiag those exqui-
site deliaacies of humour which the =Mar
whom be interprets sagpsts. Mire is so
nuance in Backstases sating. Them is no
eluding away in the tints of hie ottleetise. All in
Bankston@ is fall, broad, Apnea audios. Nothing
le left to the iategieaticio. H. idiom bin joke
plate Mask se yea at iterlyl_llllrl,lll% !!re '

timikeUt lasAisios. No ens Is left 10 Nimbler
about the meaning of a word or a look. &sorbing
is unmistakeable. This is particularly the MO to
the fairy and mythological burlesques which are pre-
seated at Christmas and Baster. The authors of
these productions are so continuously witty Set they
leave us no time to relish one joke halos they treat
as with another. Then is such an uniateerupted
low of brilliancy that we are dauled, and endeavour
in vain to seise on the sparkling points u they dash
rapidly by. Use is, as it were, a rushing
cataract of quips, and cranks, =Own, and allusions,
bawled, mythological, political sad social, the
waves of which jostle spinet each other, mad are
broken up into a spray of which nothing can be seen
clearly and distisotly. Mr. Bochum* is almost the
only actor who helps as out of this difficulty. If he
has a Joke, he makes you see it. He even prepares
you for it. He plass a metsphorioal dig is your
metaphorical ribs betas be delivers himself of a pan,
to awaken your atteation. He does as mush after-
wards to help your comprehensioe. He will not let
you lose the fraction even of a good pan. Some say
that Mr. Bockatone is a mannerist, and that so far as
this is theses be misers the perfeetion of hie art.
This is in one seas true. He is a manaeriet
in his yds, and a reanessiet to adios. He
is in feet always Buokstose, and is never entirely
merged in the character which he represents. Bat
it mud be remembered that this very mannerism is
one of the great elements of his IMMO& We love
the mannerism itself. We delight in that long rich
note with which be eels a droll question or com-
plaint, which is always the sues and yet is always
W•10:01114. We are ever ready to laugh at the Infinite
drollery with which he marches down to the foot-
lights, and, turning a three.quarter face to the audi-
ence, makes them, in the most serious of tones, the
comPaulona of his mows or his joys. No one does
this so well as Blackstone. There is nothing in it
of that offensive familiarity in which Wright and
other actors indulge. He speaks to the
spectator.
in perfect good faith and sincerity. esa
their tarn are flattered by the ea ilienes which he
plass in them. The emileese steeds, is fad, in the
sum relation tollusiteten as the shim to the pro.
teiceit in the Gee* plays, with the ennpdas that
they nen week, only applaud. Let le add that
Beekstooe's insusielues Is of the neat esential ser-
vice to the omen eta pine. /When in whose pro-
domino be plays a part es& to be for ever grateful
le him. Plallpme etcplti drpenbawd of be, there
ietwpeHeieersr Messed so aseteteete Irevitathe
of the snouts of arena It he were suewletely
merged is the part, as is the ease with some actors,
the wagon might consider the inherent stupidity
et it.

MEN, is one dm of chasseters, indeed, is which
Bucksaw. for the time parts with his identity, and
becomes the character itself. We allude to drank=
parts. Hen las is obliged to give up his natural
Mee and his neon manmade. Is those parts be
is mapprcashable. No cue ',pigments the gradual
singe of expression, the filminess of the eye, the
collapse of the ketone, the turgid appearmes of the
whole face, the unnatural heat, the nessetein step of
the drunkard, like Blackstone. Them ere the some
I physical changes. The meal draw ere equally
eeriest. How intensely maudlin he inmes. It he
lend but speak, what Infos stamen we should
hear. What a world of earedes balking into those
half deem stuttering weetkeseemprded by a des..
hicsogghs. Then that Wiesginst 'beat, famed by
• momentary radiants of the Isetrms, as if he was
highly satisfied with his psellsrmance, essential by
that look of stupid balksherma bewilderment as ff
he knew be had denesemethimg, bat did not know
what, red had a glismrsieg idea that it woe mama
thing to be a little shamed of after all. Thee the
seminary milestlen ef all his ',orgies for one final
extravagance, after which he sinks late unutterable
Weissmann Most actors can personate • drunkard
tolerably welkhat Bucicstoge is thoroughly up in the
whole Miens* of intoneaties
Assess element of Buckstreals seam is that
thereggh Emil& imlioneade which he displays
whomever the port allows it. We feel that he is on
of as, that his Wee, or other peculiarities, are in
moue mare ear own. Take, for instance, his latest
put, that of Ralph Thornhill is Snead Loa. He
talks, as is his wont, men to the audience than the
met" bet his manner of doing this is so charming,
so friendly, that we are sonnet to be talked to an
this way the whole evening. How we laugh, and at
the ease time syscathite with him, when he keep'
ereatinually remarking to us, with an air of droll
despair, "What a liar lam " We love the ma for
confiding is es so truthfully, bet the sodas is so
droll that we sea do nothing bat laugh. Mr. Book-
dose in this pans dieplays in a striking manner the
wontedly which we naiad at the commencement of
this article. There are many situations which are
fall of pathos, but in his hands the comic el.ment
overrides every other. They are all irresistibly droll.
The fine burst of indignation which accompanies his
deanciation of Dangerfield's treachery, instead of
being thrilling, is funny to the last degree. The
same is true of his performs°, of Sir Brian de Bean-
sex in The Bights of Women. It would be just
possible to play this character in such a manner that
only in particular situations should the comic element
prevail, for Sir Brian, all through the pine, is in •
state of justifiab's indignation against malty to
women. The indignation is real and the expression
forcible, and some actors would be utterly unable to
make anything anis of • great portion of the put.
Hem, however, what is called Buckstoas mannerism
comes to the aid of the motor. We doubt whether any
performer on the stage could mocks this part se
thoroughly oasis as Beckstooe does.
When we look back through the numerous years
daring which this actor has laboured with anemia
tiag industry in his vocation of night after night
wreathing multitudes of countenances into miles ;
when we contemplate with the eye of memory that
vest piano galley of characters radiant with
weeteeee tan It 4he hoe flied with his own nee
thee, we carnet bat hel patent to the ma
who has scattered so such delight in his path
through the world. We dread to look leeward
te a peeled whoa be will sake his lest appearance
in the hew white lam sightly echoed with
peals et laughter whisk he has evoked. This
we trust, and have every reason to believe, is far
taat. Mr. Burmese lea veteran performer, but he
has nothing of thesina bat hi years. His step is
as Ina, his veils se pod, his eye as height, se la the
best period of Ids yea*. Oa so metes of the day bee
time laid hie Sad so gently. His acting, toe, im-
proves with age. His drollery. is dohs, at the same
time that his extravagant, Is lees tUan formerly.
Leeg may be couttme his exertions fa that prier
sin of whisk be le ems of doe prindpel sambas, and
0•11 ales alike taw that are left who belong atone
Is the pat sad Se posisat.

DRAMA.

oribbrirep to which Mr. a Robes " revivals"
fiat gave rise will new most likely be sestddered as aimed.
Mr. Kean emerge as that the publie vides has Justified him
ia daddies that troth la the matter of samia, drew a seed
wesery, Si preferable W beenney, .ad no ens has •
right as sash • point 09 Ablate the emseimite at
whisk he has mind. Beeidss, the pablis an tight.
There ham bees perms when *ski as If it were •
sort of semilege to make • play of itemkspeere •
mere pretest for displaying the tole MI tM
toner, se the ingessity of the makiaist. Dot to
nob there Si sa obvious eaewer—tho Sharpen
of the skeet always has bole, sad always taut be, a thing
guile disbar from the Sharpers of the stage ; sad while
Ike rep my dais mash free hares a noble grooadwarc
wavelieb to lavish ita 111~111114 the nudes of ilkshapsase
roget is say way Maar, eves If his works en be em
Mgmewested fare mere speetaise.
• play whisk Mr. /Pa has selseted to bo
Iho tibial &Marra of hie theatre dub( the teb•
be essess, onset, however, eve rise to soy end is
bit assn. It Is • roma Bile on whir sop wiped-
Neer my be triad without lissitrits alp swamis
Prase," Waugh bowleg •f fire mite wed dilailied
with the title of • weedy, is sweistially a widener. It.
whole interest lies Ia the battle, tau modem, ma Ws,-
breadth wipes with which it is so llberalig obiletted ;
whir, for turgidity of Mora sad absurdity of esolisesat,
it word bear empuire with the staples of the fihernitab
it the beaspeatise dram. It is, hownor,a play rocoacka-
bly will suited to Mr. Kraa's ponces. The Peru of
Finns was • had of wooden, sad a noes whir prefers,
to describe Its minium my be legiticastsly ark to bees
say moor of ill/sad grump sp. Thomson whir' was
exhibited to the public for the first time last evening °fur
provoked comparison, if sot with the mat darling, st all
events with the MVO possible of those glimpse of (Myriad.
r which the Lyceum, la its best &we, used to be imam
The Temple of the lea, Ia the first act, was at sere
• gorperis sad impends' npresestatios of the Mlles
wonhip. The maser it whisk the stags was gradsally
lights' by the rising sae, the skein all the time @Wanda;
their tweerthly Womb, was is fast as sossediagly elective
ilhastarloa of Mr. boaa's beery of as.. as rms.

At the sad of the third set a. econewhat Nagler seem is
sins iatrodoind—a npreeestatisa of reran= rites with
wbkh the natives greeted the 'Wag sea on the great
festival of Bs• ral. This was received with *abounded
applause. The laseespes is moral are exceedingly gore],
especially these repneaatl•g souatela pares. la the last
setae bat eat, where Rolla is 'soaping with the shad of
Oen, be is ss•►l'd is dear whet broke to be • treseeadeas
skim by mesas of as Impulses •padkat. The wesaded
hero sense the tandril-hke brush of • aelghboaring
trek, sad is *wisp himself over; bat so dopers*"
does t►e feat eppear that It fairly ado the holm s►udder.
Of the 'snag it Is sot asesesery to lay Rash. Mr. Kees
was of souse himself the Bolts of the Oise, sad he m-
asted that " mat sweet papa " with his weal vivaelty and
ability. All the traditional "pail. " were duly made, sad
the character was a really tinged piens el *Wag. Blvira
!mad as esealleat representative I. Mn. Heaa, who, how-
ever, seemed enueely to bays physical streegat marsh for
the part. Bias Beath played Cora very prettily ; sad
Mager Meg, w►o was the baby, showed as iatelligezee
beyond his ego la stalling ea the trust sander at meetly
the right nemeat. Mr. Bike was ea eflisisat Piano,
sad the rest of the east was respectable. The ONO was a
'omplete mew ; bat the advice se often gives to the
writes et peatamistes would set, perhaps, be est of blew
—the Flees weal& seal, he amok lmpr•eed by a Mute 1 edi-
Sim somprenise. The Inland heathen sad flashy Nati-
most la whisk ft •bnads awe little to the taste el this
generstlea, sad the dialogue would therefore gala *east.
derably by befog eabdoeted to the serattay of a laces rigorous
editor thew lb. Rasa has natured to be.

PROSPECTUSES AND ADVERTISEMENT&
It may be resestbered that, woos mouths ago,
woe senestiss was eared by tit pabliestias of as ankle la
the Meininer, dededeg that there was so truth whatever
in the .weeds., la pIIMPINSIONI and edemas. siesta of S.
sesspnay Wiles Change d'Esalgretios et
Csisnieetimi." Melt had ameaget ib shaesholders " august
partosigis stmlig se the steps of the throw ;" sad by
tb• sehaseosel sesseoemet, la the tame journal, that
Chased ileashssd. who illallargelehei himself fa the
Crimes, eel Bursa de Reaskasse, eseatar, whim suss
had boss pitiniefted es inembees of the Cesseil Bar-
malaise of the sampan,, bed nothing whatever to do
with It, sad ilimeireat all of it. After thane
asseeemeasets hot appearr Suig:ediEnaen mated Costae,
who had irshisdhei ter fifty shires fa the tompaay, sad
had paid thspeells 'Sessile is 6,000 frame ea tiara,
WM* IS seise Woe die stall tribunal assist Vs 1101M-
real ta got hash the SAW, se the prouad that they bed
been eilitelead by fraud. The tribunal derided that as the
statemseds of the oasapsay Is its prospectuses were aotori-
arty Stirs, set eel" as matelot ON penalise's is question
but la Mine =Warn. eel EMI es it was la the faith of Um
that Omens bed selessiloil the shares, it moat pay the
w. Testae. sees may appealed to the Im-
perial Court se push this desisies, sad is support of
its appeal it repaseestod that it was gait. trim that
It was patronised by " august pernmages standing sas the
steps of the thwass," Mamma as a prime of tha royal
homily of Prussia was one of its aharsholdeni, sad it
laboured hard te Maw that the ether allegathrea Is It.
prospoonwas, though perhaps wither immense, Was
sabstaatially Mae. Bat the aaart easiireted *0 judgment.—
Chalgeseen.