The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-26 00:00:00

DRURY-LAA E THEATRE.

410
The tragedy of Virginius was played on Saturdel
night by the company now assembled under Mr. Smith:
auspices. The character of the Roman Father could
hardly be excluded from the present list of Mr. G. ‘,:,
Brooke's performances, for his admirers rank it We
the best of his personations ; and, if we remember
rightly, it was one which he repeated several times der'
ing his former career at the Olympic. We have nothing
to add to the opinions already expressed respecting this
gentleman, whose merits have been elaborately discuss"
and whose precise position as an actor may now be °lv
sidered to be fully determined. His delineation of
Roman centurion on Saturday night was conceive'
in the same physical spirit as all his other delines'•
tons, and the passages which produced the most e;
feet were those upon which he expended the great
of
violence, or resorted to those sepulchral transitions °9l
voice for which it would be hard to assign any „
motive. As a melodramatic actor Mr. Brooke satisue"
all desires, and the audiences he most specially addresselia
are those the most easily influenced by the " sturra uni
drang" results which belong to this peculiar sohe°.;
That he has a large auditory cannot be denied, but
belongs principally to the pit and gallery. No histrionlo
success could be more apparently real than the apPisn°
which followed the fall of the curtain upon the thwirha 8
act of Virginius, after the interview with Lucius. .."u-
-:
spectators were in the stormiest state of ecstacy, and 1-
popular actor was summoned before the drop-ecenenm,
receive a round of extraordinary glorification. -`"
vigour with which he represented this great Will
was assuredly not unlikely to invite this vast burst .°
public favour, but it had little really to recommend it ""'g
an effort of art. The scene in the forum was charfa
terised by the same leading principle, though
delivery of an occasional passage in the low tremulon°
tones of deep and absorbing grief betrayed the lurkief
presence of true emotion, and urged the belief that gs'
Brooke, under other circumstances of education a"1
experience, might have done himself and the art ssuperior
justice. Few stage voices that we meet with are so vre,l'
adapted for the display of passion and feeling as his. are
a calm piece of declamation its full, sonorous tonee.,:
beautiful ; but it has been allured from its better Ttl ore
y
by the verdict of vulgar audiences, who recognise °ll
an elaborate "point," and are blind to the artiees uP
which it is built.
A greater contrast to Mr. G. V. Brooke could not be
found than in Mr. George Bennett, whose slow, Pro
longed, and mysterious style of elocution becomes.
monotonous as that of the other is bold and starttttrig;
This gentleman is the Appius Claudius of the Present
cast of the tragedy. He reads the text with the clos;
' observance of its meaning, but he doles it out
methodical protraction that is justified neither "
propriety nor effect. Miss Anderton, who emulatessi,thee.
earnest sentimentality of the late Laura Addison, 133.i111
an interesting Virginia; and Mr. Davenport is It 1117„r0
and impassioned Icilius. The remainder of the eharsey;,
are filled in a common, provincial manner, and eat
' complimentary remark.