The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-02 00:00:00

AMUSEMENTS, &C.

The Theatre Royal bas b,rti closed during the leek.
Mr. Charles Mathews' having concluded his engagement
last Saturday night, left soon after for Iroland, and
appeared on Tuesday night, for the first time during his
career, in Cork. From the Cork Examiner we perceive
that the pnlalic of that city are, as may easily be imagined,
enthusiastic in their welcome to the first of Hiring comic
actors.

At the Amphitheatre, Mr. D :yid Fisher, from the
Princess's, has appeared in several of He favourite characters
during the week, and has made an effective impression on
the Liverpool public during this his first appearance before
them. An easy natural manner, perfectly free from
extravagance of any kind, combined with much force and
humour, have made him successful in every part which he
has produced. Mr. Fisher will appear at the Amphitheatre
during the whole of nest week.

VoUSDRN, QUEEN'S Hatte-IVe have already spoken
of this et tertainmeut generally, and it may be well to say
a few words in detail relative to a performance upon which
the vocabulary of panygeric has been nearly exhausted.
We are nothing (hunted' for that, because every time we
see Mr. Vousden we discover new beauties and freshness
that stared ont buoyant against anything that can be brought
in opposition to them. Tbegeneral plan or pregramme of the
entertainment may he summarised thus : That respected
and indulgent grand sire, " Old Time" (and a capital
representative of the antiquated parent, according to all
established ideas, is Mr. Vousden of that father), enters at
the opening scene, ,and in a poetic prologue, of snperior
merit (written by the act ,r himself) gives you a brief
history of what he bas seen, past and present.
and by wholesome admonition imparts a glimpse of what
ought to come. The illesttatien of' this opening is con-
veyed in an appropriate and beautiful song, full of moral
axioms, which touches the feelings, gains the sympathies,
and excises the goodness that lies in some remote (as it
maybe) region of all human hearts. The mind of man,
even, when steeped in passions of the worst description, is
not totally bereft of some latent quality which a spark may
touch, and produce a flame of reformation ; and in this
respect the heart must be callous indeed that departs from ,
Vousden's performance not better than it came. Then
follows a true description' of men and manners of different
countries, and individuals, illustrated by living
portraits, true to nature in all respects, without
any attempt to caricature the one or burlesque
the other. Tbe first question asked by a
friend who has had his likeness taken, is, " Da you' think
it a good likeness ?"—for in this lies the value of the
representation, and the skill of the artist. Now, Vousden
is the artist, and his ,pictures may be called the fines' lined
photographs (beyond which no art can go) of the originals
In his delineations of the nations he represents namely,
America, France, Bavaria, England, Ireland, and Scotland,
you see the real inhabitant. with the natural distinctive
features of. all so fully developed, that you cannot with-
hold the highestmeed of praise to the genius of the indi-
vidual, who can concentrate such perfection within himself.
Then there is, what in histrionic art is called " bye play,"
30 indicative of the manner—the twinkle of the eye, the
motion of the hand, the shrug of the shoulder, and the
shake of the head—all characters in their peculiar
way. In the " glomeratfo ," of all, Vocsden is peerless.
Passing from the mare solid to the amusing portions of
national character, the features became still more recog-
nisable—there are the poetry and music, wedded to the
identity of the country, and the man who represents them.
His acting, even as a mere actor, is of a 'high class, justly
conceived, and carried out with fidelity. The dialogue is
without strain or wrinkle, and the illustrative songs speak
at once to the right veins of the heart. You feel them as
though pointed at your own -heart, and for none other. We
flatter not Mr. Vousden, but we render him justice, and '
would with equal candour speak otherwise of his ertertair-
ment, imperfection if we detected any. Out
of the andtho note
anydswho have been delighted and instructed
by his single handed performance, and amongst the marry
opinions of the journals written on it, not one has spoken
of him disparagingly, and this would not have happened
could a flaw be discovered. During the week the Queen s
Hall has been crowded by elegant audiences—c, owded to
positive inconvenience; and so great is the public anxiety
to witness, the entertainment that placeshave to be secured
a day beforehand. Mr. Vousden introduces some of his
new and favourite songs every evening, which are received
with unbounded applause.
"[JINGLERS' CIRCUS —We have so often been called
upon, in common fairness, to eulogise the performances at
this popular place of amusement, that those of our
readers who have not even yet visited it are so well ac-
quainted with the talent of the various members of the
equestrian corps of Mr. Hengler, that we need not do more
than call attention to the many novelties advertised for
this night's entertainment On Monday a tribe of Bedouin
Arabs, numbering in all ten persons, will be added to
the already extensive troupe of flengler's " Grand Chque
Variete."