The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-15 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

The production of Macbeth last evening at this theatre
has proved the most striking and magnificent of Mr.
Charles Kean's managerial triumphs. It was presented
with a splendour and scenic effect which gave to this tragic
masterpiece all the charms and attractions of novelty, and
which cannot fail to attract the attendance of the play-
going community in an extraordinary degree. As regards
the performers, the Macbeth of Mr. Kean is a most careful
and finished histrionic effort. Macbeth is generally and
erroneously represented as a mere bloodthirsty and guilt-
hardened monster, whereas Shakespeare evidently meant
to exhibit a great, but weak and ambitious man, yielding
to hellish temptation, and plunging into guilt, to carry
out, as he believes, his own over-ruling destiny. Mr. Kean
has seen, and throughout avoids this fault. It is Macbeth's
first interview with the witches which prostrates his virtue,
energy, and self-reliance. By Mr. Kean the moral dark-
ness which then slowly seems to cloud the former serenity
of the chieftain's mind was exquisitely given. In his suc-
ceeding interview with Lady Macbeth he was equally felici-
tous. The cold and subtle ingenuity with which Lady
Macbeth imparts a meritricious brilliancy to her scheme of
murder, and draws to its accomplishment the weak but
guilty nature of her consort, is a splendid tragic situation
to which Mr. and Mrs. Kean did the amplest justice. But
the scene of Duncan's murder, the masterpiece of tragic
composition, was the great effort of the evening. The usual
rule of laying this in an apartment of Macbeth's castle has
been departed from in the present instance. The scene
'takes place in the court-yard of the castle, the dark and
gloomy towers of which form an appropriate background in
keeping with the horrors of the scene. All the minutiae
connected with this part have been admirably contrived to
create and sustain a foreboding impression of evil, which
is heightened to the utmost by the slow and stealthy
movements of Macbeth. Every word of this scene seems•
to have been long and carefully studied by Mr. Kean, and
he gave to it according a solemn and touching effect which
was very fine. The audience were hushed and mute until
the discovery of the murder, when the appalling alarm
which Macduff gives—the sullen ringing of the huge
alarm bell—the hurried gathering of startled thanes—
the rushing to and fro of a crowd of menials and soldiers
with lighted torches in their hands—so perfectly repre-
sented the poet's idea of horror, fright, and wild con-
fusion, that the whole house burst out into a unanimous
shout of applause. In the third act Macbeth's beau-
tiful soliloquies were given with care and judgment,
and the bolder villany which the character displays after
Duncan's murder was truly rendered. The fine tragic
points of the banqiiet scene was done full justice to by
all concerned in it. The whole of the scene, as far as
regarded its antique decorations, was perfect, and com-
pletely realised the description of best authorities upon
the dress and architecture of the days of Edward the
Confessor. Banquo hitherto has been but slightly distin-
guiihable from the rest of the party into which he in-
truded, but here he also becomes a means of producing
new effects. Now he rises behind the table, and a strong
light thrown on his pallid countenance makes him the
focus to the entire picture; now a pillar becomes trans-
parent in order to show his menacing form within. In
the fourth act the hardihood of Macbeth has reached its
climax. His confident belief in an overruling destiny-
more potent than self-will impells him forward, and sup-
plies the place of caution and reflection. His will becomes
more bold, his conduct more unscrupulous, and he is bent
"to know by the worst means the worst." A most power-
ful and excellently drilled chorus has been brought toge-
ther for the purpose of giving full effect to the scene of the
witches' incantation. The apparitions also are managed
with a care and view to dramatic effect which greatly aid
their portentous appearance ; and the vanishing of all,
when Macbeth seeks to know more, was very admirably
contrived. The whole of the celebrated scene was repre-
sented with a gloomy and wild grandeur which deserves
the highest praise. Macbeth's character in the fifth act is
_

the most difficult of all to portray with tragic fidelity, yet
Mr. Kean proved himself competent to tho arduous task.
Now furious—now peevish—now repentant and calm—he
displayed with unrivalled skill, in all its varied lights and
shades, the heroic inconsistencies of the northern usurper.
He faithfully portrayed throughout that desperate courage
which survives the loss of friends and fortune, name and
fame, and which attracts fis to the character in despite of
its crimes. The whole of Mr. Kean's part shows long study,
and a most accurate appreciation of all those delicate
touches of nature which makes its representation truly
masterly. The Lady Macbeth of Mrs. Kean is deserving
of exceeding praise. The masculine spirit with which she
moulds Macbeth's weaker nature to the fulfilment of her
bloody will, was acted with a stern truth, .which seemed to
move the whole audience. Throughout she faithfully ex-
pressed the hard, unfeeling disposition which enables her
to rule her consort, except when his great bursts of passion
bear her down before it, her hardihood arising from a mere
absence of feeling and sensibility. Her somnambulism and
the picture of mental agony—a punishment so suited to her
guilt, which it there displays—was acted with painful
fidelity ; and at this, her last appearance in the piece, the
whole house echoed with applause. It is certainly no
small credit to the versatile abilities of Mrs. Kean, as an
actress, to say that she can on one night command the en-
core of the public in portraying the rustic coquetry and
innocent gaiety of Dorothy Budd, and on the next
awe it into silence by her fine delineation of a tragic cha-
racter so opposite as Lady Macbeth. The applause which
she elicited in the course of the piece was loud and
general, and a perfect storm welcomed her at its close.
The Macduff of Mr. Ryder was a truly noble and masterly
portraiture. In costume and bearing he was foremost of
the entire, and his acting was worthy of the unequalled
personator of Hubert. In his discovery of Duncan's mur-
der, and raising the alarm, the splendid 'sentences of Shak-
speare were given with feeling and effect ; and the pathetic
outburst of manly sorrow at the news of the massacre of
his wife and children elicited continued applause. Towards
the close of the piece also, when the love of his country and
hatred of the tyrant divide his breast, his acting was
equally commendable, and was warmly acknowledged by
the house. He was very well supported by Mr. Graham,
as Banquo, and Mr. Cathcart, who played more than cre-
ditably as Malcolm. The malignant natures of the three
weird sisters were represented in all their hideous defor-
mity by Messrs. Addison, Meadows, and Saker, all of whom
were dressed for the characters to perfection. The parts of
the singing witches were ably sustained by Miss Poole,
and Messrs. Manvers, and Jones, supported by an effective
and numerous chorus. Mr. Drayton sang with more
power than correctness as Hecate. Some of the effects
were most impressive. The witches speak and sing through
thick gauzes, that render them but half real ; and, when
these artificial fogs disperse, their gaunt figures stand out
awfully against the morning sky. Their cave is no com-
mon cave, but the " Pit of Acheron"—a hollow cone,
lighted from the top, with a reddish lustre, in the midst of
which they perform effective orgies. The scenery was per-
fectly beautiful; but the greatest effect of all was, in our
opinion, produced by the chorus of witches at the end of
the second act—it was absolutely preternatural.
At the conclusion, a loud and hearty call was raised for
Mr. and Mrs. Kean, and then Mr. Ryder was summoned.
The house was crowded to the ceiling.