The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

EASTER AMUSEMENTS.

DRURY-LANE.
IVhatever may be the style of the performances
at Stratford-upoE-Avon on the celebration of the

Shakspere Tercentenary, they will not for certain
exceed in magnificence Messrs. Falconer and
Cauttertones revival of the first part of Henry IV.,
which was performed last 'evening in presence of
one of the largest audiences that ever assembled
within the walls of Drury-lane Theatre. During
the management career of Macready at Cavent-gar-
den many years ago, he astonished the metropolis by
the production, in a style of unsurpassed splendour,
the exciting play of" Henry f,," but since that time
nothing of the kind has beer; attempted at either of
the national establishments until last evening, when
with the combined abilities of Mr. Phelps, Mr.
Walter Montgomery, Mr. Ryder, Mr. Walter Lacy,
and Mr. R. Roby as the principal actors; Mr. W.
Beverley, the celebrated acepic artist, and Mr.
Keene, as designer, the Managers of Drury-lane
Teatre made their Easter offering at the shrite of
Shakspere. The reception of Mr. Phelps, who sus-
tained the part of Sir John talstaff, was enthusi-
astic, and on his rising to acknowledge the compli-
ment the cheering seemed to increase in intensity.
When the fat knight stood erect we had an opportu-
nity of admiring the artistic manner in which Mr.
Phelp's dressed the part. The make-up of the head
and face was a masterstroke of art, while the other
peculiarities of the portraiture were brought out
with the utmost skill. Who but Mr. Phelps now-
a-days could be found to represent Sir Jahn, the
boon companion of "Madcap Hal," and most cer-
tainly he never appeared to enter so heartily into the
character as last evening. From the first line of the
part, "Now, Hal, what time of day is it, lad?" down
to the closing speech in the fifth act, " I'll follow, as
they say, for reward. He that rewards me,
Heaven reward him I If I do grow great, I'll
grow less ; for I'll purge and leave sack and live
cleanly, as a nobleman should," he was in the best of
humours, and chuckled with the highest relish over
his sins and follies. Perhaps the culminating
point in the performance was the relation of the
part he had taken in the robbery of the
carriers on the road by Gadshill. The
audience fairly gave vent to the heartiest
laughter during the recital, but on the discovery of
the mountain of falsehoods, the exclamation by
Falstaff of the well-known words—
" By the Lord, I knew ye as well as he that made ye,"
the mirth of the audienee burst all limit, and for
some moments the action of the play was stopped
by the tremendous applause that followed. Mr.
Walter Montgomery, as the firy and impetuous
Hotspur, won great applause by his acting, and
Mr. Ryder supported the part of King Henry with
becoming dignity. Although Mr. Walter Lacy
played the part of Prince Henry with much care,
it was by no means the best thing we have seen
him do. However, he did his best, which, we are
bound to say, pleased the audience; but, notwith-
standing, we must honestly confess, we should have
wished to have seen a more juvenile actor sustain
the character. Mr. Robert Roxby's Poins was a
capital performance, and Mr. Edmund Phelps, as
Sir Richard Vernon, acquitted himself with much
ability.
The first scene in the third act, in which the disc
pute arose between Hotspur and Owen Glendower,
has been restored, and with it the Welsh song, by
Lady Mortimer, which was prettily sung by Miss
Edith Wynn. Lady Percy was well sustained by
Miss Rose Leelercq, and the part of Mrs. Quickly,
the hostess of the tavern in Eastcheap, was given
with great point by Mrs. Edmund Falconer.
The scenery, which was entirely new, was of the
moat splendid description, and often as we have had
to compliment Mr. W. Btverley, we never did so
with more pleasure than on the present occasion,
for certainly a more remarkable production has
never been contributed to the stage than his moon-
light view "On the Road to Gadshill." The battle
who witnessed and it will long be remembered
it. The devastation andnessed
field of Shrewsbury is, however, the great scenic
by
effort of thewh
confusion of war is vividly represented, and what
with armoured knights, waving pennons, bands of
bowmen, smoke, and confusion, a sensation scene is
produced that excels everything that has yet been
ero
attempted on any stage.
The success of the revival was decisive and un-
mistakeable, taoknbl
mis congratulate Messrs.
Fa
the triumph that has
crowned their production of "Henry
IV."
eearae n,d ande ha w
tte cordially
n

••••••• ,

HAYMARKET.
Buckstone has provided
forThhiesEn my tholo - peal extravaganza
from the pen of Mr. p. C. _
ypawtrhoincshisMar.
Burnand, entitled
" Venus and Adonis." The playwright's treatment
of his theme is certainly very free, and on the whole
is very successful. The Olympian divinities are
brought upon the stage in the drollest guise, and
made to speak and act in the
most ludicrous
fashion. The presiding Spirits of the nether
world also mingle in the scene, and seem to carry
on a keen rivalry with the upper powers as to whieh
shall " carry on" most extravagantly. But that is
not the only species of rivalry which exists
between
them. Venus (Miss Nelly Moore) neglects her
ill-favoured spouse Vulcan (Mr. Compton) to
cultivate the favours of the handsome Adonis
(Miss Louise Keeley), but her penchant for the
youthful mortal is shared by Proserpina (Miss Lind-
ley), and the two goddesses contend, as goddesses
only can, for the exclusive possession of his affection.
This is, as it were, the pivot of the piece on which
all the other characters and
incidents are made to
turn. It is not, indeed, always easy y to trace the
thread of connexion between the different parts of
the action ; but that is of the lees consequence, inas-
much as the mere story is but a very subordinate
affair in all such works of art. Their chief interest
is derived from the music and dancing, the gorgeous
or grotesque costumes, the grand scenic effects, the
rattling action and dialogue, and the lively play
of
wit. • In all these essential respects it is but fair to
say that a high pitch of excellence is attained in the
new Easter piece, which alternately dazzled and
convulsed the audience. Perhaps the most exquisite
scene of all was " The Forest Primaeval,"
in which
Venus is seen reclining on a flowery bank, near a
beautiful cascade. The view of a fashionable water.
ing place at Paphos, whither Venus and Vulcan
repair to spend their honeymoon, is greatly enlivened
by the terpsichorean feats of the sea-nymphs. Here
the corps de ballet is introduced with great effect,
the whole scene being strikingly picturesque and
animated. The gardens of Adonis, in which the
action of the play culminates, are a perfect blaze of
spectacular art. The piece is of course, like all ire
class, thickly sown with puns and hits at the follies
of the day. These are considerably above the
average in quality; although certainly that is not
saying a great deal. The acting was throughout
spirited and effective, Miss Louise Keeley as Adonis
and Miss Nelly Moore as Venus (her first appear-
ance at this house), both acquitting themselves with
especial credit. The curtain fell amid loud and
reiterated applause, and Mr. Burnand was called to
receive the tribute due to his undoubted success.
The extravaganza was preceded by " Our American
Cousin," in which Air. Sothern appeared for the
455th time as Lord Dandreary with as much
apparent freshness as if the part of the half-witted
lord were new to him.

II•••••P..III.

PRINCESS*S.

Mr. Watts Phillips' new play, " Paul's Return,"
and the drolleries of the Brothers Webb in the
" Comedy of Errors," continue:to Attrtult such large