The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-16 00:00:00

The Westminster Play.

The revival this winter of the " Adelphi," following in
regular order the " Andria," revived last year, would seem
to indicate that the substitution of Plautus fcr Terence, at-
tempted in 1860, is finally abandoned, and that we shall go
on like our fathers, witnessing a small cycle of Terentian
plays, Christmas after Christmas, the cycle being rendered
narrower than of old by the omission of the " Eunuchus,"
which it seems has been sentenced to perpetual banishment
as a punishment for its offences. Perhaps the repetition ofs
few well known plays answers the purpose of the Westnlis"
star audience better than the production of a great vane*"
If the aggregate works of Terence and Plautus were Put
upon the stage they would not afford many types of chare.c-
ter not already presented in the selected pieces, for the
writers of the new Greek comedy, which the Romans too.lt
for their basis, however they might have multiplied. their
collisions, kept themselves within very close limits whet:
they conceived their list of dramatis personw, and shell.'
eight types of character will probably comprise all the k Pee!.
wens of humanity they undertook to exhibit, Renee it 15
just as well that the old habitues of St. Peter's dormi
assembled rather to admire the abilities of the actors than
to feel a dramatic interest, should have for their delecta,tieS
a few choice works with the plot and points of which tbei,.
are perfectly familiar, than a series of strange fables to b. '0
unravelled for the occasion. The " Adelphi" does not c
so much laughter as the "Andria," but is always an agrest
able play. The contrast between the severe and indulg end
brothers, repeated in so many works, is well maintaitle
though the close observer may feel somewhat puzzled by tjlo
moral with which the last act is pointed, the past, who aide
hitherto been apparently enlisting thesympathies ,71:t
of the urbane Micio, suddenly and unaccountabbr sh
his purpose, and endeavouring to make us feel that ,9ethell"„
in the right, even after Demea himself has pronounce,l a eO/11
trary opinion, in a long recantatory speech, which is ous 414
the best passages in the play. The drunken scene a ifetci
Syrus an opportunity for a peculiar humour which is d e
to the Davus of the Andria, generally his superior. r-C bas
the attachment of the two young brothers to each o ii 1
shown throughout the entire play, and so prettily expr‘esser
in a speech by Micio, elicits a strong feeling in their fa-'°11,1)
and the episode of the poor family, with their faithful s
lati-
Geta and their honest advocate Hegio, gives a pretty 06.1310
mental background to the principal action, in which- t

comic element predominates.
Even those whose familiarity with the Wastmins ter Yll
does not extend over a long series of years will scarcelr fah,
to be struck by the very great change that has re c 6 t"
taken place in the spirit by which the performanos LI ig
gulated. Formerly the language was delivered in a °l° ii:
formal manner, of which perspicuity seemed to be tb.o °l°lo3.
object, and even the gestures that accompanied par ticali
lines were so completely stereotyped that they could ef°l
be retraced after an interval of ten years. Only a pet 4°.rf
ante of extraordinary vivacity could, under these ci re`,..;:t
stances, attain the are celare artcm, and eveil the live '1-
impersonations were not altogether without an alWeara:ip.
of constraint. As the actors, so were the audienc 43. eel fain
cues had been obviously marked for applause, and, 1111,i d'eli-
the passage with which they terminated was weal or .I'' .0,3,
vered, it was sure to command around of noisy approb Nti
of which the gods were the fuglemen. . d entlY
Now,on the contrary,the actors and audience are ell i early
in a state of comparative liberty. The forma are, (1i yea,
allowed to be as natural as they pleased in their " it of
and if anyone is ingenious enough to devise a
original lun, he is quite free to exercise his ingenuity. oi
Syrus of Mr. Trevor is not the work of a tutored to
i,
so
but of an original humourist, who is deter-I:eine to. ea )0,,,
much like a professional comedian as possible, and his d e 1'
re exuberant ev erl to
both of astuteness and of inebriety al, a
hteoirdiscriminating • Pna :00
excess. Quite opposite in .
,3 is the Sostrata of k : r. Sy
by by its freedom from conventiofe,ct y
1 matronly in • all-
Shapter, a dignified lady, I,"'r
character, but equalilltytler ts
asked
voi c a
sv ,
:thwniesdextt character, small as it iis, tii
of SyrUß• The Demea of Mr. W. C. La a e a'a
last manner.
night Theby
us
atguoi Is
largest amount of slip that bestowed o ,
and genial (it could not have been se. il, 41°
o
old dines), though perhaps it lacked variety, and bi g fin3
soliloquy in the fifth act deserved more applause tOa
stihruarnpk,einr:Belsble,
obtained. Micio was distinguished by a very careful .decla'
'nation.
These are the most remarkable characters. The. entire
cast is as follows :
Mici0...... A. Mid° ... ASostrata.... W. shap ler
Demea ...
. J.
Mackey
W. W. C. Lane Cauthara ..H. Wale ir. on
Sannio ****
x„h• • " •0. T. Biscoo Gera ...... F. L. Ha 11'
mus..M. 0. Sim Hegio. ..... E. Jelin 5 ,1
(ite6iPho ..E. J . Chepmell
- -
...... H. E. Trevor Dromo .... A.. H. Ail rre

- _
Persona Muta.
Parmeno .. C. E. Oldman.
The prologue and epilogue were given last night. The
,-cpst-
former is, as usual, the obituary of deceased '' " "aii
minsters," and the persons lamented are Professor Ca- were
whose care the beautiful scenes of the pla'.l sce,,ri°l.
executed), the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Beauchat al,, 'a
F. Slade, Bart., Archdeacon Lane Freer (of Hereford), el'
Captain F. Madan.
in the epilogue, which is of course dramatic, Derne 1/3.4.0
become Lord Mayor, Micio an alderman, Syrus the 3-°,?cre,
butler, Sannio a troublesome liveryman, und eta
a polio
man. Complete copies of both prologue and epilogu° i:l3,
be published after the third and last performartee' .44'
take place to-mortow. „d at°
will
Among the visitors last night were Lord Chelnat°;., 'er
Dean of Westminster, the Queen's Advocate, Ns.
e'
ford, Professor Selwyn, Archdeacon klale, B,:c.