The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-28 00:00:00

THE THEATRES.

DRURY-LANE.

Old Drury is itself again—is once more what it ought
never to have ceased to be—a national theatre. The
legitimate drama has resumed its reign on these boards
wader the auspices of Mr. Macready, who ha; added
immensely to the heavy debt of gratitude which is
already owing to him from every lover of our national
drama. Our readers are already aware that Mr.
Macready has taken Drury-Lane theatre, that he has
engaged a powerful tragic and operatic company, and in
our impression of yesterday, we gave a detailed account
of the alterations and improvements in the fittings up,
&c., of the theatre. The house opened for the
dramatic season last evening, with Shakespeare's
play of The Merchant of Venice, and " the
New Grand Epicurean and Gastronomical Comic
Christmas Pantomime, called Harlequin and Duke Hum-
phrey's Dinner; or, Jack Cade, Lord of London Stone."
Long before the rising of the curtain, boxes,Tit, and gal-
leries, were all crowded; not even standing room could

be obtained in any part of the house, and—the audience
was most noisy ani unruly even for Boxing-night. At
seven o'clock the curtain rose, and " God Save the
Queen" was sung by the whole operatic corps. Dunn
the performance of the National Anthem the gods well
. .

comparatively quiet, but on the rising of the curtain f 717
the commencement of the play, they Itept " such dreadful
pother o'er our heads," that not a syllable thrt was
uttered on the stage could be heard, and before the first
scene was concluded the curtain fell. This was the signal
for increased uproar, mingled with loud cries for Macready
Again the curtain rose, and again did Salarino and So-
lanio go through their parts in dumb show. Anderson,
the stage manager, came forward, and attempted to address
the audience : in vain ; they were determined to have
Macready ; and, after a short time, he made his appears
anee. Never before did actor or manager meet with such
a reception. Pit, boxes, and gallery, as by a simultaneous
movement, rose to greet him ; bouquets were thrown of

•
the stage ; and, amidst a general waving of hats and
handkerchiefs, he bowed his acknowledgments ; at his
exit the audience gave him three distinct rounds of
cheering. We had hoped that the play would have then
been suffered to proceed quietly ; but the gods willed:it
other Wise ; the clamour continued until the entrance ef
Shylock and Bassanio. After waiting a few minutes for
• the uproar to subside, Macready addressed the audience;
we could not catch even the purport of what
he said, but it had the effect of lulling the storm for a
time. The uproar, however, was frequently renewed, so
that very little of the play was audible until the scene
between Shylock and Tubal in the third act. In this
.scene Macready achieved one of the greatest triumphs
ever achieved by any artist. By the force and energy of
his acting he so rivetted the attention of the house that
all uproar ceased; every eye was fixed on the actor; every •
mind was intent on the business of the stage ; and the
most noisy of audiences was, as if by magic, at once con-
verted into the Most attentive—as if by magic, did we
say? It was by magic—
" The magic of the mind."
The manner in which, when informed of Antonio's
losses, he gave the words " I thank God," was perfectly
sublime. It was the thanksgiving of a fiend, and yet
proceeding from " the heart of hearts." • The audience
continued quiet and attentive to the end of the play, so
that,the magnificent trial scene was given in all its
grandeur. We had seen Macready some years since in
Shylock, and from what we saw of him we went to-
night anticipating a failure. We were agreeably sur-
prised—instead of a failure it was a triumph. A most
marked and decided improvement has taken place in his
acting this character within the last two years.
He has evidently studied Shylock attentively, and
completely understands him. His conception of
the character is that of a scholar and a man of
genius, and he develops it with all the tact of the ac-
complished artist. With the exception of Richelieu, we
know no character in which he exhibits less mannerism
than in Shylock. Mrs. Warner, as Portia, gave the
celebrated mercy speech with great pathos and beauty ;
and Mrs. Keeley, in her old character of Nerissa, proved
that the Jack Sheppards and Mephistopheleses of the
minor theatres have not spoiled the clever and espiegle
soubrette of bygone times. Mr. Hudson, from the Dublin
Theatre, made his first appearance in London as Gra-
tiano. He is a lively, bustling actor, and will
no doubt prove an acquisition. We cannot, in
justice, omit noticing the tasteful manner in which
the beautiful duet, " Tell me where is fancy
bred," was executed by Miss Poole and Miss Gould ;
it was one of the few passages, during the earlier scenes
of the play, to which the gods vouchsafed attentive au-
dience. We are glad to see our old friend Compton has
joined the Drury corps ; his Launcelot Gobbo last even-
ing was exceedingly unctuous—in parts approaching to
Listonian. The play was given from the uninterpolated
text of Shakspeare ; and the adjuncts of scenery, costume,
Scc., were all most classically correct. At the conclusion
Anderson announced the play for repetition on Wednes-
day amidst loud applause. The pantomime followed ;
and an excellent pantomime it is, albeit it bath neither
diorama nor panorama to recommend it. It is what a
pantomime ought to be—a running commentary on the
follies of the preceding year—and accordingly here we
have the more prominent of them. First of all we have
the promenade concerts; a band of fiddles entering bodily,
each playing upon itself, a Mons. Jullien (excellently
hit off) directing, and ultimately the whole squad ejected
by Goodcheer, a merry Christmas sprite, who tells the
fiddles—

" To cut their sticks,
As much more proper-a,
And be off at once to the English Opera."
Then there were sundry useless wooden blocks, removed
from Parliament-street, transformed into most sapient
and block-looking heads; a photographic drawing appa-
ratus, from which came out a little harlequin, columbine,
pantaloon, and clown, who capered about in emulation of
their larger prototypes ; and a ruinous inn haunted by
the ghosts of innumerable ostlers who had ceased to be,
in consequence of the march of railroads. These and
many other hits were all received with shouts of laughter
and applause. The harlequinade was well supported
by Mr. C. .J. Smith,- as Harlequin, Miss Froode, as
Columbine, and Mr. Montgomery as Clown. Our old
friend Howell has resigned the Harlequin's wand, and
appeared last night as Pantaloon, and good as he is as
Harlequin, his. Pantaloon is better; he reminded us not
unfrequently of poor old Barnes. Mr. Stilt also took a
most active part in the Pantomime as Jack -a-Dandy, a
sort of tiger to Harlequin, and by his marvellous pos-
turing contributed essentially to the success of the Pan-
tomime. This gentleman's joints must be made of India
rubber, no mere lin-mei-It could ever 'stand the wear and
tear. since the days of Parsloe his equal has not been
seen. The Pantomime was announced for repetition
every evening by Montgomery, amidst loud applause.
We hear of divers revivals of good old sterling dramas
and operas at this theatre, and never, of late years, have
the prospects of Old Drury been so promising. Cordially
thanking Mr. Macready for the chivalrous manner in
which he has again stepped forward to save another of
our national theatres from degradation, we heartily wish
him success in his arduous undertaking, and warmly
congratulate him on his triumph of last evening.