The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-28 00:00:00

Miss Bateman as " Leah,"

I(From the Liverpool Mercury.)
There was last night a crowded and most fashion-
able audience at the Theatre Royal to witness Miss
Bateman's first appearance in her celebrated charac-
ter of Leah, the Jewish maiden. The mere fact that
the piece had had a run of no less than 211 conse-
cutive nights on the metropolitan boards was in
itself sufficient to excite great expectations of it, but
we may with confidence assert that those expecte•
tions were fully realised by all who witnessed Miss
Bateman's wonderful performance last evening.
Many present would recognise in the lady the fea-
tures of the elder of the B etenaen children who some
years ago visited this town and astonished the public
with their marvellous precocity as actors, Since
that time the histrionic talent of one of the sisters
has been matured and developed in a most extraor-
dinary manner, and she now justly ranks as a lead.
ing tragedienne of the day. Her impassioned de-
lineation of the unfortuuate Leah is certainly a
most remarkable and careful piece of acting. The
plot of the drama is simple and briefly told, though
it is peculiarly adapted to the great powers of the
lady taking the principal character. The scene is
laid in Germany, at a time when the Jews were
subjected to most cruel persecution at the hands of
the " Christians," who were forbidden to shelter or
even to hold converse with the despised nee.
Rudolf (Mr G. Jordan), the son of the magistrate
of a Styrian village, is smitten with the beauty of
Leah, the poor Jewish maiden, who, in company
with another Jewess and an old blind man are
found wandering towards Bohemia. An apostate
Jew named Bertolf, the village schoolmaster, who
hates the Israelites " with a perfect hatred," die.
covers this unfortunate amour and discloses it to
the young man's father. The old burgomaster is
of course much overcome at the knowledge of his
son's attachment, and he is seized with a violent fit
of apoplexy. Upon his partial recovery he is dis-
posed to regard the mated snit with a more friendly
eye, but, incited by the schoolmaster, he resolves to
test the love of Leab, and promises to consent to the
union if the maiden should resist the temptation to
forsake him upon the offer of a large sum of money,
Rudolf at once fearlessly consents to the applica-
tion of the test, and Bartolf is despatched with the
gold, but instead of giving it to Leah he secretly
hands it over to the other Jewess, whom he finds
starving on the road. Oa his return he announces
that the money had been ccepted by Leah, and
the young man is subjected to the mortification of
hearing that she who had promised to become his
wife had forsaken him for gold. He denounces the
supposed false one with all the vehemence of "love
to hatred turned," and subsequently marries
Madeline (Miss M. Palmer), one of the maidens
of the village. Leah, by chance, wanders into the
churchyard on the day of the marriage, and pours
forth the bitterest curses on the head of the wretched
Rudolf. A few years later Leah returns, hounded
and persecuted to the village where Rudolf lives,
and becomes greatly moved at seeing his young
child. The intense hatred which she has until
this time flourished against Rudolf is subdued,
and she is greatly moved at finding that the child
has been christened Leah. She recalls her terrible
curse, beseeching instead a blessing upon Rudolf's
household, and, having exposA, the perfidy and
apostaey of Bertolf, dies peacefully in Rudolf's
arms. It will be seen from this brief sketch that
the piece is of a highly sensational character, giving
scope for scorn at the worship of gold, which is set
forth as a great characteristic of the Jewish race,
whilst, on the other hand, it abounds with ,bitter
satire at the persecution of the "Christians." Miss
Bateman has an excellent voice, and there is evi-
dence of very careful elocutionary training, but the
effect is somewhat marred by a slight touch of the
Yankee accent, and a delivery so rapid as some-
times to be indistinct. She has at her command
great facial expression, and some of her attitudes
are truly tragic, all being perfect studies. In the
churchyard scene, when pouring forth her envenomed
malediction against Rudolf, she rose to the highest
pitch of art, losing all semblance of acting in her
impassioned denunciation. In the subsequent scene
when melted at the sight of Rudolf's child, she
displayed very varied powers, the whole being
replete with true pathos, and completing a very re•
markable histrionic picture. Miss Bateman's recap-
tion last night was most enthusiastic. At the end
of the first act she was twice recalled, the compli-
ment being repeated at the close of each succeed-
ing act, and ending in another double recall of a
very cordial character at the close of the piece.
The drama is admirably mounted, and the striking
beauty of several of the scenes called forth loud
bursts of applause. Mr C. Brew and Mr Dawson,
the scenic artists, have evidently exerted themselves
to the utmost, and the result is highly creditable.
We cannot omit to mention a very pretty view of
a village in Styria, and another of the churchyard
and church—both by Mr. Brew. The stock com-
pany of the Royal has been powerfully augmented
for the piece, in the engagement of Mr. G. Jordan,
from Mr. Fechter's Theatre Royal, and of M.
Swinbure, from the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane,
both of whom were last night very favourably re-
ceived. Mr. Swinburne's impersonation of Nathan,
the apostate Jew, was full of character, and was
given with much force. The other members of the
company ably supported Miss Bateman, and the
piece, as we have already said, was throughout most
successful. It will be repeated each night during
the week.