The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-25 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE 71-lEATRE.

The engagement of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean,
which was unfortunately interrupted last week by

a domestic affliction, was resumed yesterday even-
ing, when both artists performed with great ap-

plause in the tragedy of " Hamlet." All critics are

unanimous in the opinion that the character of the

••=_ _ --
Prince of Denmark, as it is the grandest creation of
the poet's genius, is also the truest touchstone of

the actor's skill. To say that the part demands in
the artist who would worthily sustain it a most
poetic conception, sublimity of imagination, ele-
gance of fancy, depth and variety of passion, ten-
derness of sentiment, refinement of manner, and all
those nameless graces of deportment which are
essential to the perfect ideal of one who is a scholar
and a gentleman in the best sense of both words,
were merely to repeat a truism with which every
one who knows anything of the British drama is
intimately familiar. To act such a part even in-
differently well would demand no mean exercise of
histrionic art ; but to excel in it so signally that
the performance shall be regarded as the master-
piece of an artist whose repertory is unusually
varied and extensive, and that for a period of a
quarter of a century the impersonation shall, on
occasions of its production, be received by the
public with unvarying freshness and fervour of
interest, is assuredly as strong a proof of an
actor's abilities as can possibly be required.
This is what Mr. Kean has achieved in
the greatest of Shakspere's characters, and
herein consists his highest claim to celebrity.
Other Hamlets have from time to time arisen, and,
after enjoying for a brief season the applause of
the town, have softly and insensibly glided into
oblivion ; but Mr. Kean is par excellence the Ham-
let of the present generation, and while others
pass away he alone endures. No lapse of years,
no change of circumstance, no adverse vicissitude
of taste or fashion, affects injuriously either the
performance itself or the estimation in which it is
held. The playgoing public evidently regard it
as " a joy for ever," and the frequency of its repe-
tition, so far from creating a sense of satiety, seems
but to render it more attractive. It may well be
doubted whether the history of the stage can
furnish an instance of any other tragedian 'flaying
played any one character so often as Mr. Kean
has played Hamlet. It is no exaggeration, but
the simple truth, to say that he sustained the cha-
racter many hundreds of times. Yet the per-
formance was received last night with as much
enthusiasm as ever, and never was Mr. Kean seen
to play with greater spirit or more complete
success. Mrs. Kean has raised the character of
Gertrude from the dull type of conventionalism
into which inferior artists of had late years
suffixed it to degenerate to the gran-
deur and dignity of tragedy, and the dramatic
passion which she infuses into the part adds
sensibly to the interest of this august tragedy as
an acted play.
It being arranged that Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Kean are to appear in several of Shakspere's
plays, it will not be possible to represent " Rana-
let on more than three or four occasions during
their present engagement.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPRITIrEATRE.

Last night a grand Eastern spectacle, with entire
new scenery, entitled "The Rajah of Nagpore," in-
troducing Mr. Bell's sagacious performing ele-
phants, was produced here with the most complete
success. Of course in a piece of the above descrip-
tion plot is generally looked upon as a secondary
consideration, the greatest feature being to intro-
duce in a series of splendid and exciting tableau%
the principal performers, in this instance a pair of
the largest elephants in England. The author has
executed his task with great ability ; for, as the
bills of the play state most truly, a more " magnifi-
cent array of splendour" has not been produced at
Astley's for many years. The plot of the piece
consists in the dangers encountered by a young
Prince Djelmi, the rightful heir in gaining the
throne of Nagpore, from which he is traitorousli
withheld by his designing enemies. In the end,
however, thanks to the assistance of the " sacred
elephant" he regains his kingdom, and the spectacle
concluded by his highness's entry into Nagpore in
his car of triumph drawn by the two elephants'
amidst the joy and exultation of his devoted sub-
jects. In the first act we are introduced to the .
Queen-mother and her fugitive son, in a " subter"
raucous pagoda leading to the sacred forest," a veil
splendid specimen of scene painting, where the
secret plans of the conspirators are frustrated by
the sagacity of the Elephant, and the prince escapes
to the public dwelling of Peter Prunella, a cobbler
from Cripplegate, excellently played by Mr.
Searle—to which place he is followed by the "sa-
gacious creature," and there again he is saved by his
gigantic friend, who destroys the dwelling, and
to aid his escape, he allows Peter Prunella, who has
been compelled to assume the royal purple, to make
his entry in the capital as the Rajah. The act con-
eludes with a very brilliant procession, amid the
military evolutions of his guards, both horse and
foot. In the second act, we find the Prince in cap-
tivity, and under sentence of death ; but before his
enemies have time to carry out their plans, the
elephant again rescues his friend from confinement,
tearing down the iron bars from the cell, and lifting
him from his prison window by his enormous trunk;
This must be looked upon as the " sensation scene,
as it is now the fashion to term it, of the spectacle!
and certainly the audience seemed perfectly amazed
at the performance, and from the enthusiastic er
plause at the fall of the act drop, the elephant Was
certainly expected to acknowledge the compliment;
but it was not so, and this was probably owing to'
the great preparations for the closing scenes of the
hpiece.as lnthe
not
es
ape
escaped
third a
his dangers,
dand ng
e concludingrs,fo act, h
ronhi
his
e stcaep Pe rfirno:
prison he takes refuge in the woods, where he is
overtaken by a storm and other dangers, to avoid
which he plunges into the foaming cataract, frel33
which he is again preserved by the sacred elephae,"
who dashes into the roaring Waters to his assist
ance. Finally, the enemies of the Djelmi are
trampled to death by the elephants of the Pagoda,
and the rightful heir makes his public entry 1e`4.0;.,
xn
triumphal drawn
tey
Nagpore, to ascend the throne of his ancestors,
um
The
sgerceoantedstacefft,eeitn. The s pbaeyre
et tahcael
lel twoheaxs elephants.ebceuetned
mounted
incidents in the spectacle, it must be acknowledge"'a rrie plpenhtailfu arl d h e
with tr::
the best taste, and the introductory ballet in Op
which the Misses Guiness
their appearance, was extremely pretty and 'We
of
deserved the applause it elicited. At the fano
the curtain the applause was enthusiastic 8,,c,
unanimous, and we congratulate Mr. Batty 0n.0T.,
Success of his new spectacle, which most certal.,v,,
must attract the whole playgoing public to the
Royal Amphitheatre.

- - - -
THE NEW COMMANDER OF THE GREAT EASTEO;
—Captain Paton, who has just been appointed to command
the Great Eastern, is a gentleman well known and ralle';
respected in Liverpool. About three years ago he retire'
from his professional labours, but has been induced to re'
sume them upon the terms offered to him by the Great Sbi,Po
Company. He is still a young captain, being under
years of age, but he has had very considerable experieti,,c:
both in sailing and in steamships. He commanded t'ci
sailing ships Eurydice, Torrens, and St. Andrew;
successively, under the same owners, the screw stearaera
Levantine, Geneva, Lady Eglintoun, Charity, Ottawa,
Cleopatra, his chief commands having been in the Dlediter
ranean and Canadian trades. The latter trade he left with
his steamer the Cleopatra for service in the transport dea
partment during the Crimean war, in which he was Engaged
tr about two years. Re is well known awl highly esteew ,
among his brother officers for his scientific and priteticiu..
attainments. He is a member of one of the best families 1.,
the neighbourhood of Leigh, and by his education is Well
qualified for tho position ho is to hold.