The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-26 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

Miss KEMBLE last night added another wreath to the
chaplet of histrionic fame, which SO justly adorns her
brow. The Gamester was produced, in order to afford
her an opportunity of appearing in Mrs. Beverley—a
character truly domestic—but combining more deep pa-
thos and tragic agony than almost any other on the
stage. We have admired Miss KEMBLE as Juliet—we
have been delighted with her Belvidere, and pleased with
her Euphrasia, but her Mrs Beverley surpasses them
all. This is highly gratifying, us it proves that this
young lady is not carried away by the constant,
though justly-merited applause of the public, but goes
on her course, rejoicing—earning new laurels with
each successive character, and still preparing for
more conquests. Her most effective passages were those
where energy of feeling towered over her natural sensihility
in that trying scene with the villain Stokely, where the
indignation of offended virtue flashed forth with an appal-
ling grandeur that bespoke the sublime intensity of her
passion. When Stukely whispers that her husband had
given her jewels to a mistress, her exclamation of " No!
on my life he did not," drew down according bursts of
sympathetic applause. Her attitude and gestures were
eminently beautiful. But when the fiend kneels to pro-
fess his love for her, the anguish of her soul was wound
up to a pitch of terrific scorn which rivetted
the gaze, and subdued the breathless attention of
all while she exclaimed, " Would these eyes had
Heaven's own lightning, that with a look thus, I might
blast thee !"—holding up her beautiful arm in an
attitude fit to wield the thunder-bolt of Ju-
piter, yet combining the grace of Minerva. Nor was
the majesty of her contempt less felicitously pour-
trayed when, after ringing the bell, she walks up to the
half-trembling Stokely, and in a tone of withering rebuke
calmly said..." Your absence, Sir, would please me."
The audience testified their appreciation of this passage
by three distinct rounds of applause. The scenes that fol-
lowed deepened in intensity of anguish and inevitable
ruin. When Lewson re-appears after his supposed mur-
der, the burst of joy and thankfulness which escaped
the confiding breast of Mrs. Beverley was indeed touch-
ingly pathetic, and drew tears from all parts of the house.
The whole of the last act was painfully interesting. Of
Mr. C. KEstisca, who played Beverley for the first time,
we have not left ourselves room to speak—but to our ap-
prehension, it is one of his very best characters. So
faithfully correct was his delineation of the ruined gamester,
that we could not suppose the reality to be more afflicting.
He divided the attention of the audience with his daugh-
ter, and as often their admiration. So appalling was his
final scene, that we have no wish ever to see it again. This
we think is the last, the highest praise which he would
seek. When Mrs. Beverley rushes forward, and falls on
the dead body of her lord, the scene was harrowing in the
extreme—every heart trembled with half-suspended ani-
mation. Mr. WARD'S Stokely was admirably vil-
lainous. We could almost hate him in private life
for his triumph in cold-blooded deceit and vengeance.—
On the whole we never saw a play more efficiently cast,
nor more excellently acted. When the curtain fell the
applause was absolutely stormy, and of long continuance,
while waving of hats and handkerchiefs added to the
hearty tumult. After the tragedy the audience were
most unreasonably clamorous for Miss KIMBLE. Mr.
KEMBLE came forward to pacify the vociferous brawlers,
and assured them of that which every body must
have seen, that his daughter's exertions had rendered
her wholly incapable of presenting herself. A more absurd
custom than this, of calling for actors after the per-
formance, has never been introduced, and we trust to see it
abandoned by the audience. A very little reflection would
convince the gentlemen who set up this clamour, that
it is unbecoming themselves, very troublesome and incon-
venient to the female part of the audience, and, at the
best, a very clumsy compliment to the favoured object of it.
After Mr. ABBOTT, who came to announce the perform-
ances, had been driven off the stage, Mr. KEMBLE ap-
peared, and with the utmost nonchalance tied on his
cravat, which had fallen off in the last scene. Having
at length obtained silence, he addressed the audience as
follows :
" Ladies and Gentlemen—l hope you will not attribute my
tardiness in appearing before you to any disregard of your desires,
but my daughter is so exhausted by her exertions, that I have
been obliged to carry her to her room.—(lmmense applause.)—
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to announce this
Tragedy for Saturday next—and for Thursday and Saturday
next week."
Mr. C. KEMBLE then withdrew amid increased ap-
plause and cheers, mingled with the waving of hats and
handkerchiefs.