The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-09-18 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

1114 i current of novelty coutinies to Mitre or
rather to rush upon the town, with Onpreeedeisted
rapidity. When its sourer shall be Otird up, we
are at • loss to conjecture. The .151111 Itm e
with node! bf fresh supplies draw• tsotix, va.
ream is sure 'Ay be
Tinos qu3rters—so that the in
eull—whether it be clear or rissiddy is a diehretie
question. The tragedy of Othello was fait Right
performed—the Moor, "by ■ young
,Gentleetad;.
his first appearance on any stage,' for so dig:o444.
cal balletic set forth—the gentle Desdemotolo by
Mrs. Weer, late of the Bath theatre, her first sp.
pearance on this stage. If we mistake not, we
recollect, some five or six seasons back, vritacteing
the debut of this lady-, then Miss Coots. at Corea*
garden, in die • same character. She interested
us much at that Mae•—•but, nu the present oce
sion, her linlters being more matured, slid beeritik
evident marks. of sedulous cultivation. she excited
a still greater degree of interest. Mrs. WRIT'S
figure is petire-but nest, well-turned, and elegant.
Her features are very pretty ; precisely formed for
the expression of mild affection—of meek tender-
nesse. Were her eyes darker-..did. they partake
more of " the eagle's" than of it the dove's"—her
countenance, intelligent as it is, might be the index
of bolder, of more violent passions. But a sweet.
ness, a good.nsture, beams in her light eye, UN t
utter foe to fierce or angry feeling. The pert she
selected for her debut is suited. beautifully suited,
to her manner and appearance. Denteourea hos
by those who did not study, or studying. did not
understand, the character, been considered quite
unworthy or 111111/ actress, possessing considerable
talent. Mrs. Warr has ',hewn the utter fallacy
of this idea. She has proved, not Viet greet talents
ought to shun the character—but that, to raise it
to the consequence which it should hold in the
drama, talents, far removed from mediocrity.
ought to be employed. Her performance was one
continued series of excellence. We never recollect
to hare Seen the tenderness of the character de.
picted with more affecting truth. Our hearts felt
Desdemono's joy, while yet the temper of the
Moor war unshaken by the arts of 100.0--auld,
when the storm of suspicion bore !weed; on her
gentle mind. we sympathised in her aliction. •
There is, in Mrs. Wen's manner, a winning soft-
ness, that rendered some of her scenes peculiarly
uleasing. Of this number was her first interces.ion
for Cestio. It was the suit of a mind, where love
and innocence were the only inmates—from which
every mean and base passion was excluded. 111 the
fourth act, where Othello so vilely abuses Thule-
none. Mrs. WEST'S acting deserves the highest
commendation. The horror and surprise with
which she heard the accusation—the tretibling ye-
_

hemence with which she repelkd it-ipd the stupor
which followed the departure of her so much al.
tered Lord—were indicative of an intimate ac-
quaintance with the character—and had a moot
powerful effect on the audience. The continuance
of the stupor, after Othello had deputed, anti
roused from it by Estilia—and the pathos
which the exclamation, " I have no Lord was

uttered. were also particularly noticed, as bsliiities4
that could not emanate from a common mind.
Her dying-scene—and the dying-scene of Dade-
stoma, from its situatill and circumstances, is,
perhaps, the most difficult on the stage—was
exceedingly well performed. Mrs. WEST was ho-
noured with the most heartfelt applause. The
young Gentleman who appeared as Othello is
tall, and slightly formed. Of his features we can
say nothing—they were too much begrimes( to stif-
fer us to judge of their cast or proportions. His
voice is deep, and not uospleasing—though, in the
whirlwind of his passion," a sort of thickness was
perceivable. which a little marred its force. if this
really were his first appearance oo any stage, which
we greatly doubt, he gave promise sufficient of
arriving, in process of time, at a respectable
rank in the profession—if, however, u we sus-
pect from his self-possession, he is not, though a
stranger on these beards, new to the stage; we fear
that his general habits are too deeply rooted, to
afford any great chance of their eradication—and
eradicated they must be, ere lie becomes an actor of
any eminence. His action is 6' cribb'J, cabbited,
and colifin'd"— his positions are ungraceful—and his
mode of treading the stage, though it did not want
confidence, certainly boasted not of elegance. These
points might. however, be overlooked. if the ardent
feeling. if the glowing mind, if the fiery soul of the
Moor, had sometimes pressed forth, and irradiated
the performaim, It was not so. Othello's words
were recited --Mt there was no trace of the inform-
ing spirit. The young Gentleman was the most pas-
sionless Othello we remember to have sten in Lou-
don—and we certainly have seen some strange ex-
hibitions. He has apparently paid great attention
to Mr. KEAN'S mode of sustaining the character,
particularly with reference to that Geutleinan's
by-play. We remarked, in those parts of the
two great scenes with logo, *here Mr. KEAN
succeeded in Making points, by looks and ges-
tures. indicative of the torture which ligo's
words inflicted on him. that the debuseat made au
attempt of the same kind, but by no means s4l for-
tunate. The young Gentleman's best scene was
that in which Othello, wrought on by lego's state-
ment that he had seen his wife's handkerchief in
the hands of Cassie, is consinted of her
faithlessness. There was here a nearer approxi-
snation to natural passion. than in any other
part of his performance. In the two principal
*cents with Deadening—where he demands the

handkerchief and where he accuses her of inconti•
nence—there was a great deal of noise, but there
was nothing like tree passio►►. But whatever our
opinion of this Gentleman's merits or demerits
may be, it is fitting we should state, that he was
applauded u to the very echo that did applaud
again." Nay, on the coming forward of Mr. ilia-
XARD to announce the play for Saturday evening,
some dose') voices called out for a repetition of
(Ithelle—but that was rather too much ; and, after
an ineffectual struggle. they were obliged to desist.
Mr. BRXGOWiIIi played the character of logo
a great deist better than we expected. lint mode
of marking his exit, which, we suppose, is intended
as an improvement on that of Mr. KRAX, struck
however, as being greatly overstrained. The
meaning of the dreadful sigh with which he departs,
ponied us very much. Mr. Pik IA? sod Mr.
lIOLLAXD, as Roderigo and (eerie, supported those

3

.eheraelers inesitoriouels. Mrs. bt.o'i xi was ati
excellent Emilia.
In the levee of The Rory, which followed, Mrs.
A LOOP made her 4iii.i,Eppearance this prambe, se
Teinboy. She was receieetl 5150.1 cordially
14 the aothenre—entl salvo:tett, the part with Istr
impl hummer turd 4461, ,A.!.6`
o;
, -
• ..0617INOttANORANR
•
• The road erieliet to itch which comment-Pei on Mewl"
,?th instant. at Nottgagtam, ItriViet`ll irksrete or a 11.1:tig-
losel cad tweaty.oto of the Nottingham Club. trouinotad
it formsr of the lattrr, as fellow.:— • •
•• *AL 611010 AND. I . woresaGiteit.
Fins Isaias lO4 First 10tting........... lid
Slimed teettsgs as Stcuad !stains ...... Alf
Total
• • And 14 stickers to go flown!

This match, which, to an unprecedented degree, had al-
trained the attention of a grant part of the midland coon-
ttee, mid terAlinaled rather dilterently to what Ind peen
peeled, was attended with very peculiar circumstances. tt
was suade,•it appears, in Loudon, tweet' Georg. °she.
dtdtMi Eari. on the part of all England, and Mr. Joseph .
Detroit, bw the part of the Nottingham Club, not for 1,000
"miaow (as reported, we presume, to attract attention and
emoting* betting), but for 1501. amide; and among the CM'.
dittoes it was stipulated, that the inhabitants of Notting-
ham sbortld allow England .1101. towards the expense of MT.
leg to Nettirgitans to play; and that the stake.money
should be deposited in the hands of Colonel Cooper, ludo& ,
imp the 101. given by the Nottingham party to England to
defray their travelling expenses. •
" Agreeably to the touditions," says the Nottingham Pa.
per, 4 the Lundoo players came to Nottingham, in Aril -lc.
Matins of meeting Mr. Osbaldraton' sod that he would •
stake the mosey agreed to be played lhr, and, as usual nn '
Imes °coition., pas them for their tienemedeapenses. The
'squire was looked her,
.but, in vain, he Linda not he found;
and the Logsdon players, in order that the people who had
Mat from various part, to see the match might not be it,..
aPpointed, agreed to play for lid. they not being mile
amongst themselves lu make up the original stakes • this
bier win accepted, and 1151. on each skid was lodged in
Colonel Cooper's hands, agreeably to the abate article. 01,
Monday attestor)* the match accordingly toonntenced for
the NS., bat 'during the match one of the !Amami players,
on the part of his friends, represented to the Nottingham
Club that 151. was a teriooa aunt to them, and they should
feel themselves greatly obliged if the (lob would draw the
stakes, and agree to play for nothing. As the Nottingham
stakes were snide up by a.great antriber of gentlenien, alio-
tears °lithe game, nod other. whose shares did not amount
to more than 3s. lid. anti as the Club felt thit the players had
has extremely ill-used by their stialchrilaker, this proposi.
lion was complied with, and the match was' martinis the
latter cad, only played for honour. It may be proper to
add, that the Nottingham gentlemen made a present of 301.
to the London players, to carry them home again. The
company was immense. At one aerie it is coniputed nearly 1
20,000 persons were present, and had the game been played
on the terms originally proposed, there iw no doubt the sum-,
bee of spectators woolethave been weedy increased."