The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-30 00:00:00

COBURex' THEATRE.

Mr. KEAN performed Othello here last night to a full, but not a
crowded house, for which we suppose the weather was to blame.
As much has been said respecting the decline of this eminent tra-
gedian's faculties, as it has been reported that his physical powers
have almost wholly failed him, andthat his memory has forsaken
him, we feel it our bounden duty to state that, often as we have
witnessed his Othello, we never saw it better performed than last
night. Mr. KEAN gave SHAKSEEARE'S text with remarkable ac-
curacy—with the exception indeed of one or two verbal slips in
the well-known " farewell "—and with regard to his physical
powers, proved that they were as active and as vigorous as
ever. In one respect we think his Othello improved. His
pathos is deeper and purer than it used to be—less startling
in its transitions, less ambitious in its display of passion.
In a word, it is more consonant to truth and nature. There still
remains, however, to perfect the character, a little trickery to
be got rid of. One specimen of clap-trap particularly annoyed
us, thrust in, as it was, in the midst of a scene, studded
with beauties. We allude to Mr. KEAN'S delivery of
the words, " Oh, fool, fool, fool," which he gave with
a familiarity, and even levity, wholly at variance with
nature. A bewildered, heart-broken man would surely indulge
in no levity of voice or manner. Even the " sad Mockery of
woe"—which dandy ball-room poets talk so much of—would be
too great an effort for one whose every hope in life had been
wrenched from him. Othello, in the scene to which we allude,
had heart and spirit for nothing. His very courage had become
emasculated : he had not an atom of energy left. " Man
but a rush against Othello's breast and he retires." This
is the language of absolute, unqualified prostration of mind
and feeling, and is surely inconsistent with the spirit in which
Mr. KEAN delivered the clap-trap to which we have just alluded !
However these are trifles; specks in the sun-beam. Mr. KFAN's
Othello, as we last night witnessed it, is as fine as ever it was--
even in those days when his every other sentence was
interrupted by a tempest of applause from pit, box, and
gallery. Mr. SEALE'S logo was judicious and intelligent
its chief defect was, that it was performed in too learned
a spirit. The points were too painfully elaborated; " the jewel-
lery was overlaid;" the art was too apparent. A little less
effort, a little less ambition, will render SERLE'S logo the
best on the stage. There is no want of comprehension,
no lack of feeling for the more recondite beauty of SHAKSPEARE,
that oracle of wit and wisdom, the only want is an easy indiffe-
rence, or at least the show of it, which is the inspiration of
logo's,
worwit ld ; Mr. SERLE makes him a learned man and a wit, whereas
his and his wisdom were both subordinate, and valued by him
as it is of VOLTAIRE'S, intellect. logo was a man of the
contributed to, thesuccess of his intrigues. Mr. HARE!.
onlysON as,sctahsesjoY was deplorable, both as regards conception and execu-
.thhought worthy, by the Venetian Senate,
tion. We wish this actor would bear in mind that Cassio was a
e oin is command, and not make him rave in
his ups, like a Foal-heaver under the influence of Geneva. In
concluding this hasty notice, we cannot but observe on the very
Drury-lane and Covent-garden ;at the minor theatres, when
..or advantages that minor theatres have over the large ones
.or the legitimate ones as they arrogantly style themselves—in
the performance of tragedy. SHAESPEA RE is all but unintelligible
gentleman
at Dr
adequately represented, he has justice done him.