The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-16 00:00:00

16, 1849.

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

Hamlet was r,crformed here last evening with the
same cast and'from the SEIM text (with one exception),
as it was pefermed at Windsor Castle before her Ma-
jesty last week ; that exception was the restoration
of the gray e -diggers' scene, which was omitted when the
tragedy was represented -at Windsor, solely because,
from the absence of traps, &c., it was physically impos-
sible to represent it. The part of Hamlet was represented
by Mr. Charles Kean, that 'of Ophelia by Mrs.
Charles Kean, and that of Gertrude by Mrs.
Warner. The Hamlet of Mr. Charles Kean, in
whatever point of view considered is perfect—from
the first scene *to the last it is the great
work of a great artist, and a most remarkable
fact, all the critics are for once' unanimous
in deciding that from the beginning to the end of his
performance he has not left a weak place. Mrs.
Charles Kean has done the cause of the Shaksperian
drama much service by undertaking the part of
Ophelia. Never again will any mere singer be tole-
rated in this part. Mrs. Charles Kean gives the songs
with much sweetness, and with infinitely more pathos.
and truth to nature than we have ever heard them
given by any professed "singing lady," and her act-
ing was surpassingly beautiful. Mrs. Warner's
Gertrude was majestic and queenlike, and Keeley's
Gravedigger quaint and Shaksperian. Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Kean and Mrs. Warner were called before
the curtain at the conclusion. The theatre was
crowded to excess by a delighted and most attentive
audience.

(From the Times.)
Through all the erauge of Shaksperian -characters
there is none which Mr. Charles Kean has made so com-
pletely his own as Hamlet. This is unquestionably his
best part. He has elaborated it from beginning to end,
with the manifest determination of not leaving a weak
place. From the melancholy contemplativeness of the
first scene to the protracted death at the last, the whole
is wrought out with the greatest care. The tone which
lie gives to the character is decidedly the pathetic. The
expression of feeling is his peculiar forte, and when he
can show sorrow fur his father's death, a repining at
the unkindliness of his uncle, an affection for his mother
while he upbraids her, and a tenderness for Ophelia
amid the taunts which he heaps upon her, he is
completely in his element. The compassionate sor-
row which he infuses into the address .1 Go to a nun-
nery, go," makes this speech one of the most effective
in the play. Indeed, the little touches of natural feeling
which Mr. Kean is so often able to introduce when least
expected, are his most powerful means of enlisting the
sympathy of the public. On the other hand, the reflec-
tive speeches have been thoroughly studied, and are deli-
vered with the most sedulous attention to every phrase.
AS a specimen of his by-play we have the whole of the
play-scene, in which he gives the greatest possible effect
to the anxious watching of the King's countenance.
Last night was the first occasion of his playing Hamlet
in public for many years, and altogether he produced an
impression which he has not made in any other part.
Mrs. Warner's Gertrude is in every way worthy of that
accomplished actress. Thoroughly entering into the
character with all its solicitudes and pangs of con-
science, she ever renders apparent the internal in-
fluences to which she is subjected, but does every-
thing as quiet'y as possible. She prefers en
indication to an obstruction of the dominant feelings.
Ophelia gains an unusual value with such an actress as
Mrs. Charles Keen to sustain the part. The first ques-
tion will naturally be, " How did she get on with the
bongs?" It may le • answered; that though she did not
sing like a professed vocalist, they were given in a clear
mellifluous tone, and with a perfection of dramatic ex-
pression that made theta exquisitely beautiful. It is
long indeed since the madness of Ophelia, with its
transitions from mournfulness to wild hilarity, has been
rendered with such finish and with such marked variety
as by Mrs. Kean. Mr. Keeley's Gravedigger, shrewd,
sophistical, and rejoicing in his own acuteness, may be
added to the admirable comedian's list of Shaksperian
triumphs. The theatre was crowded to excess, and the
tragedy went off with the most decided applause. We
need scarcely add, that it was a repetition of the per-
formance at Windsor on Thursday last, with the ex-
ception of the Gravedigger whose scene was omitted at
the Castle, as unsuited to a private theatre.
(From the Chronicle.)
Hamlet was revived at this theatre last evening—the
cast being, so far as the Haymarket actors are concerned,
the same as that with which it was represented the other
night at Windsor. The part of Hamlet is one to which
Mr. Charles Kean has devoted long and deep study, and
one on which he lavishes a great amount of artistic skill.
The character is, indeed, indentified with the most bril-
liant triumphs of his professional career. It was in
Hamlet that Mr. Kean first appeared before a London
audience, with results so remarkable as to be in one
respect unprecedented in dramatic annals. After his
first appearance in January, 1838, he acted Hamlet—if
we remember well—twelve nights in succession, and
afterward's twice a week—alternating it with Richat d
the Third, until twenty-one nights of Hamlet had been
completed, a run unparalleled in the known his-
tory of the tragedy. During the period in ques-
tion the enthusiasm created in the play-going world
was such, that making due allowance for the difference
of prices, the monetary returns at Drury-lane Theatre
were very little under those realised balthe early triumphs
of the elder Kean. Since his debut at Drury-lane, Mr.
Charles Kean has played the part at the Haymarket in
the years 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842, and last night a
crowded and brilliant audience assembled to see him re-
peat the arduous character in which he won his early
laurels. With one or two exceptions, Mr. Kean's Hamlet
is not one of " points." In a just and thoughtful con-
ception of the character, and in en interpretation full of
poetic tenderness and refined artistic skill, lie the great
and striking merits of the performance. Without
losing one jot of the passion, Mr. Kean flings over his
whole impersonation a dreamy grace which is re-
markable in his first entrance, and which is pre-
served with a thoughtful consistency throughout.
The scene in which Horatio announces the appear-
ance of the Ghost Mr. Kean manages with great
effect. He is conversational in his tone, without being
prosaic—startled, hurried, and shocked, without for a
moment falling from the lofty poetical vein which runs
through the character. In the satirical dialogue with
Polonius, the despairing exclamation which closes it—
" Except my life—except my life—except my life !" was
given by Mr. Kean with fine purpose and feeling—re-
calling the audience, as it were, to the mental key-note
of the man who utters it. The first interview with the
players was also
_exceedingly nicely managed. The
representation of the efforts of memory to recall the
half-forgotten speech about Pyrrhus, being, indeed, in
its way; quite a masterpiece of art. The third act, how-
ever, was, of course, Mr. Kean's great triumph. In his
interview with Ophelia, he allowed a deep and tender
pathos to struggle by fits and starts through the rugged
surface of his assumed dislike, so as skilfully to give
the clue to the hidden passion. of love which Hamlet
is striving ta control. In the play scene Mr. Kean bore
himself with a picturesque intensity of purpose, and
started from the ground in a burst of triumphant feel-
ing, which fairly roused the audience, and served well
tO lead up to the passionate energy, and the repeated
bursts of filial affection and anguish, which mark the
scene with the Queen. The usual " point," " Is it the
King ?" was made with true artistic feeling. In the last
scene, Mr. Kean's fine fencing produced its usual effect.
He handles the foils with as much grace as skill, show-
ing in this merely physical portion of the performance
1 the same polished, easy, and gentlemanly bearing which
distinguishes the entire impersonation. Mrs. Kean
made a fascinating Ophelia, full of gentle beauties
throughout. tier attitudes, when not speaking,
were models of timid grace ; and in the mad scene
she gave full effect to the various currents of
thought which flow disturbedly through the
darkened mind, keeping up all the time the fixed, yet
intelligent stare which is a symptom of the ma•
lady; even while crouching upon the ground, she sings
her snatches of songs to herself. Mrs. Warner made
her first appearance at the Haymarket for four year as
the Queen, and played the part with all her accustomed
energy and truth. Mrs. Warner's performance is marked
throughout with sweet womanly touches of maternal
tenderness towards Hamlet; and her exit after the second
appearance of the Ghost is so managed as to be signi-
ficant and impressive in the extreme. Tilbury was a
reasonably good Felonious, making up for the part with
great skill; and Keeley gave the Gravedigger with all
the hearty unction which he loves to bestow upon
humourous Shaksperian " bits." Mr. Howe played
Horatio carefully and intelligently; and Mr. Wigan
gave colour to the little part of Osric. At the fall of the
curtain. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean, and afterwards
Mrs. Warner, were summoned by the audience.
_, , ~.
(From the Post.)
The throng of fashion which last night visited this
theatre was naturally attracted by the circumstance of a
tragedy having been selected to which a few evenings
before the intellect and the majesty of the land had been
the delighted auditors within the circle of domestic pri-
vacy. The tragedy has been placed upon the stage by
Mr. Webster with even more completeness than accom-
panied its representation at Windsor Castle, for the cele-
brated scene of the gravediggers was, as a matter of
course, restored. The omission at the Palace arose from
purely mechanical causes, as the flooring. of the Reu-
ben's room did not admit of the construction of traps,
and hence the scenic effect would have been destroyed,
.__
and the consequent continuity of interest brokenxe•
_,,Zs
distribution of the characters of the tragedy vvssame excellent
comprising Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean as is mist and
Ophelia; Mrs. Warner,, who has been engaged P
enact the Queen; and Mr. Keeley as thetiravedigger. The
rest of the parts were well filled by tuheamg
Lute ri
sa I
be
yo mmp aannyy,
and the ensemble was excellent.
degrees the finest effort of Mr. Charles araletisbgKeenafn; h e has
studied a s
studied it deeply, and imparts to
it
d in-
scholar-
ship which in nowise detracts from
tensity. It is by turns greatthong
cru d ehmt
oef ur
merit,
li
tiai
therennda the
l i p
tai
esi
sss ramatic
.i on noTa
st
hee
ee,
ka nind
text,
g
what we esteem as a very
for strained readings or f
is rendered with clearness, orce, and elegance, and there
is no exaggeration to catch the eyes or the ears of the
„
groundliegs.
It is throughout essentially graceful
inconsistency; "
and consistent in its and there is an
abiding tenderness and touching pathos that never suffer
the feelings of the audience to wander from the sorrows
and the ruling intention of the poet. The filial love is
the predominant sentiment, rather than
e vengeance
for the murder of his father, and the mental oscillation
seems to away him to and fro—the brow now crimsoned
with the full desire of a bloody sacrifice—the
eye now melting with sorrow for the committed
crime. The scene with Ophelia (which was wont to
repel, from the insane cruelty hurled upon the loving
girl) was last night infinitely touching in its grief—the
sympathy is thus fairly divided between the brain-be-
wildered Prince and the heart-crushed maiden of his
love. The conventional ruffianism has been wisely aban
doped, and thus, what seemed a gratuitous cruelty is
skilfully changed to an affecting incident. Amongst the

many striking features which elicited onthusiasm may
be cited, the conclusion of the " play scene," in which the
conscience of the King is caught; the return from behind
the arms upon the slaying pt the eaves-dropping Polo-
nius, in which Hamlet exclaims—

" Is it the
and the death-scene, which terminates the tragedy. Mrs.
Charles Kean was a charming Ophelia, and fully realised
Dr. Johnson's summing up of the character. She was
" the beautiful, the' harmless, - and the pious." The
singing of the snatches of melodies was gentle as-the
sighs of music—not a thought was missed, and the tears
of the audience were the rich guerdon won by the truth-
ful and graceful artiste. Mrs. Warner's Gertrude is un.
rivalled—it is perfectly regal. The majestic form "and
dignified demeahour perfects the dramatic illusion, and
her acting in th? famous interview with Hamlet is full
of dramatic genius. Keeley was quaint and thoroughly
Shakesperian. ,Mr. Tilbury was less grotesque than
usual as Polonitis—indeed, on the parting with Laertes
in the Ifirst act, be threw a touch of nature into his acting
that we were unprepared for. Mr. Wigan's Osric is the
stereotyped Osric of the stage. The scenery is pictu-
resque, and the costumes rich and appropriate. At the
termination of the play, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean
were summoned before the curtain; a similar honour
was deservedly conferred upon Mrs. Warner.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
OPENING OF THE OPERA COMIQUE.
Mr. Mitchell commenced his season of French
performances here last evening. Having successively
introduced to us all the celebrities of the Theatre
Francais, the Gymnase, the Vaudeville, the
Varietes, and the Porte St. Martin. Mr.
Mitchell has now engaged the notabilities of the
Opera Comique; and during the ensuing season we
are promised a series of the chefs d'oeuvres of Auber,
Boieldieu, Gretry, Adam, Peer, Caraffa, &c., &c,,
produced in a style of perfection which equals (to
say the least), if it does not surpass, the Opera
Comique even in its best days. The orchestra is com-
posed of the elite of our orchestral musicians—
Tolbecque, Bourotte, Deloffre, Pilet, Remusat,
Lazarus, Baumann, and Harper, are numbered among
its members, and Mr. Charles Hanssens, the con-
ductor of he Brussels Opera, whose marvellous
powers as a conductor were the delight and admira-
tion of all who witnessed the performances of the
Brussels troupe at Drury lane, in 1846, presides over
the orchestral arrangements. The manner in which
the music was given last night by the orchestra was
perfect. It went like one large instrument. The manner
of Mr. Charles Hanssens in the orchestra is admirable ;
there is no grimacing, no attitudinising, but all is
quiet, unassuming, and, therefore, most efficient. The
pieces performed last evening were Paer's operetta,
Le Maitre de Chapelle, and Auber's opera comique
(and the perfection of opera comique it is), Le
Domino Noir. The operas were well chosen as
specimens of the various styles of music which
have at different times ruled the French school. In
the music of Peer, whose style is a combination of
that of Cimarosa and Gluck, there are few cadences,
the movements are generally speaking sostenuto, and
the stringed instruments predominate. Softness
rather than brilliancy is the prevailing characteristic.
The music of Auber, on the contrary, is full of
sparkling brilliancy ; his great effects are almost
always produced by cadences, and the wind instru-
meats greatly predominate. The contrast between
these different styles was admirably brought out last
evening, and the performance was delightful, not
only on account of its own absolute excellence,
but as affording an admirable opportunity for
comparing the music of the past age with that of the
present. The Maitre de Chapelle is well known in
this country from its having been performed at Drury-
lane in 1846 by the Brussels company. The prin-
cipal characters were sustained by Mademoiselle
Guichard, a young lady who is already favourably
known in this country, and whose performance last
night was full of grace and espieglerie, and more
than sustained her already high reputation, and by
M. Beauce, from the Opera Comique. M. Beauce
was the Maitre de Chapelle, his voice is a fine and
flexible bass ; he is an accomplished musician, and
admirable buffo actor; his rehearsal of his opera
and his music lesson were admirably given.
Both M. Beauce and Mademoiselle Guichard
were called for at the conclusion of the operetta.
The National Anthem was sung by the company,
the solo parts being given by Miss Rebecca Isaacs.
The Domino Noir followed, and never have we seen
this delightful opera more delightfully performed.
The overture was brilliantly given—it was perfect.
The cast was excellent, M. Couderc, the best " acting
singer," and the best tenor of which the Paris Opera
Comique can boast, appeared in his original part of
Horace, and sung and acted with a gentlemanly ease
which left nothing to be desired. His voice is a fine
tenor of great sweetness and compass, and he is in
every sense of the word a most accomplished artiste.
The part of Angele, the Domino Noir, was sustained
by Mdlle. Charton, who,made a favourable impression
on the English musical public some years ago, when
she appeared as a member of the Brussels company,
who was afterwards engaged at the Opera Comique
at Paris, and who last night achieved a veritable tri-
umph. Her voice is a rich mellow gushing soprano,
which has greatly improved in quality, in power, and
in compass since she left us. She sings with the
most exquisite taste, and the most correct intonation,
and never have we seen a more delightful or a more
fascinating representative of Angelo than Mdlle
Charton's. She' threw an air of sentiment into the
part which was very effective. She created quite a
furore in the celebrated cavatina " Amour o toi
dont le nom," and its repetition was rap-
turously demanded. Mdlle. Charton is in short,
what Madame Cinti Damoreau was thirty years since,
the most charming soprano singer of the French stage.
M. Breguet, who sustained the part of Gil Perez, is
an admirable comic actor, full.ef unctions quaintness
—a sort of French Keeley. The other characters
were excellently sustained. The principal artistes
were called for at the conclusion. We congratulate
Mr. Mitchell on the success of this first attempt at
naturalising among us one of the most delightful
amusements of the French capital. The success of
the experiment of last night was complete ; what was
better still, it was fairly earned and well deserved,
and therefore it is but the first-fruits of many future
successes. The House was crowded in every part.
Amongst the company we noticed the Prince and
Princess of Parma and suite, the Conde de Monte-
'Bolin and his Royal Highness the Infante Don Fer-
nando of Spain, his Excellency the Russian Minister,
the Baroness Brillion-, and Mdlle. Olga de Lechner ;
his Excellency the Turkish Minister and suite, his
Excellency the Sardinian Minister, the Countess
Dowager of Norbury, the Earl. and Countess of
Norbury, and Lady Emily Toler; the Earl of Mun-
ster, the Earl' Granville, Viscount Somerton, Lord
and Lady Aylmer, Lord Ossulston, Viscount Clifden,
Sir John and Lady Burgoyne and Misses Burgoyne,
Sir Henry WTebb, Mrs. Freemantle, Mrs. Charles
Freemantle, Miss Gyles, Mrs. Dennistoun, the Che-
valier Pinot de Perioto, M. Eugene de Gurlache, M.
Suastopol, the Misses Beauclerc, Lady Quentin, Sir
Wm. Fraser, Hon. F. Leveson Gower, Mr. William
Delafield, Hon. Stuart Wortley, Mr. Hardwicke, Mrs.
Ruddell Todd, Sir William Ball, &c.