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

The Westminster Play.

The revival this winter of the " Adelphi," following to
regular order the " Andria," revived last year, would seen
to indicate that the substitution of Plautus for Terence, at'
tempted in 1860, is finally abandoned, and that we shall go
on like our fathers, witnessing a small cycle of Terentiaa
plays, Christmas after Christmas, the cycle being rendered
narrower than of old by the omission of the " Eanuchus,",
which it seems has been sentenced to perpetual banishraer
as a punishment for its offences. Perhaps the repetition of a
few well known plays answers the purpose of the Westmin-
ster audience better than the production of a great varielli
If the aggregate works of Terence and Plautus were pu
upon the stage they would not afford many types of chat);
ter not already presented in the selected pieces, for tog
writers of the new Greek comedy, which the Romans t 0
for their basis, however they might have multiplied tbeill.r
collisions, kept themselves within very close limits viretis
they conceived their list of dramatis personce, and ab°
eight types of character will probably comprise all the sPec;,
is
mens of humanity they undertook to exhibit. Hence It
just as well that the old habitues of St. Peter's dornitt°rlt:
assembled rather to admire the abilities of the actors than
to feel a dramatic interest, should have for their delectati°,
a few choice works with the plot and points of which tiTe
are perfectly familiar, than a series of strange fables t° ire
unravelled for the occasion. The " Adelphi" does not clc ,
so much laughter as the " Andria," but is always an agre pet
able play. The contrast between the severe and indniged
}mothers, repeated in so many works, is well maiatainett
though the close observer may feel somewhat puzzled by as
t
moral with which the last act is pointed, the poet, 01° ide
hitherto been apparently enlisting the sympathies on the: 5
of the urbane Micio, suddenly and unaccountably shifiliji,
his purpose, and endeavouring to make us feel that Delneso,
in the right, oven after Demea himself has pronounced a c'd
trary opinion, in a long recantatory speech, which is one de
the best passages in the play. The drunken scene cff°r.pci
Syrus an opportunity for a peculiar humour which is 41elihi-n
to the Davus of the Andria, generally his superior. Th'el.
the attachment of the two young brothers to each ot.':
shown throughout the entire play, and so prettily exPres,ir,
in a speech by Micio, elicits a strong feeling in their tsTve
and the episode of the poor family, with their faith&
G-eta and their honest advocate Hegio, gives a pretty setts
mental background to the principal action, in which
comic element predominates. Play
Even those whose familiarity with the Westminster k•I
does not extend over a long series of years will scarcolY
to be struck by the very great change that has recel'e,
taken place in the spirit by which the performance
gulated. Formerly the language was delivered in a soole
formal manner, of which perspicuity seemed to be Ole. uise
object, and even the gestures that accompanied partlissiii
lines were so completely stereotyped that they could
be retraced after an interval of ten years. Only a Peri°lo.
liveliest
stances, of extraordinary vivacity could, under these
stances, attain the ars celare artem, and even the e ,co
impersonations were not altogether without an aPPe,ater6toia
of constraint. As the actors, so were the audience. t'll de
cues had been obviously marked for applause, and, w.g deli'
the passage with which they terminated was well °r ibationt
vered, it was sure to command a round of noisy Bppt
of which the gods were the fuglemen. de:LOY'
Now,on the contrary,the actors and audience are evi
clearly'
in a state of comparative liberty. The former are livery,.
allowed to be as natural as they pleased in their de, ,t of
and if anyone is ingenious enough to devise a litutiltell.),oB
original fun, he is quite free to exercise his
Syrus of Mr. Trevor is not the work
s of
a aand his detail°
tutoredschoolboy
to look 08
both of astuteness and of inebriety aredetermined exub t even
,
is the Sostrata of Mr. I;
excess. Quito opposite • character, but equally marked
by its freedom from
perfectly matronly in ve'ce
discriminating P
~0
this character, small as it is, IP
showed their • oc'ef
S h
manner.apt er, a
Thedi dignified fiu ecirdis
iaulacgde convention,yttio,h
last night by awa
of Syrus. The Deniea of Mr. W. C. Lane
drunkennesslaest amount of applause next to that bestowed on tl3B
40
wa
sharp, irascible, and genial (it could not have been sot a 1
old times), though perhaps it lacked variety, and his 000
solilsquy in the fifth act deserved more applause than,
,
obtained. Mich) was distinguished by a very careful deci4

mation.
These are the most remarkable characters. The entire
cast is as follows;_

_
Micio ****** A. J. Mackey Sostrata....W. Shapter
Delve.
s • • • ..W, W. C. Lane Canthara IVgluer.so_
annio
i•C. T. Biscoe Geta .. FL. liarrl
s'cllinus..M. 0, Sirn liegio. ..... E. JerraYu
k'YruE .... .E. Trevor Drumo ....A.. IL Nur°
to
..E. J. Chepmell I

Persona 3luta.

Parmeno .. C. E. Oldman.
The prologue and epilogue were given last night. The
former is, as usual, the obituary of deceased "West,
minsters," and the persons lamented are Professor Cockerel'
(under whose care the beautiful scenes of the play `c.,.
executed), the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Beauchamp,
1.5. Slade, Bart., Archdeacon Lane Freer (of Hereford), or''
Captain F. Madan.
In the epilogue, which is of course dramatic, Dentea
become Lord Mayor, DI icio an alderman, Syrus the Dlayor
butler, Sannio a troublesome liveryman, and Gets a Polic7/
man. Complete copies of both prologue and epilogue
m'
b
be published after the third and last performance, No
will take place to-morrow.
ht were Lord Cheltesforii, tbe
Among the visitors last nig .
Dean of Westminster, the Queen's Advocate, Nr. J3e°l'
ford, Professor Selwyn, Archdeacon male, d;c.