The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-24 00:00:00

SUN

LONDON,

SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE.

Shl„kespere's Antony and Cleopatra was produced
here on Monday in a style of gorgeous splendour and
inagnificeece, which, considering it as a spectacle
alone, tar surpasses anything that has ever been done
at this theatre, even in those days when its sole de-
pendance was on spectacle. The spectacle has, how-
ever, been rendered entirely subordinate to the illus-
tration of the poet, and Mr. Phelps has exhibited a
fine classical taste, and a most minute and scholarlike
knowledge of Roman costume and manners in the
way in which he has put Antony and Cleopatra
on the stage. Ile has moreover given us, with reli-
gious care, the text of Shakspere, eschewing the
alterations of Dryden and of Charles Kemble, so that
for the first time probably since the days of Charles
I. the English playgoer has now an opportunity of
seeing Antony and Cleopatra as Shakspere wrote it,
and as it was originally acted. The play was strongly
cast. Mr. Phelps himself was the Antony, and he
fully entered into the character of that most chival-
rous of the Romans, who seems to have been born into
the world 1,300 years before his time. We use the
word chivalrous advisedly, for Marc Antony
was the only Roman who ever appears to have loved
as love was understood in the middle ages. Other
Romans made of women their slaves, or the mere
ministers of their pleasure ; Antony loved Cleopatra
with all the self denying love of the most perfect
mirror of knighthood ; for her he sacrificed himself
and the empire of the world to boot. This love
explains all his seeming inconsistencies ; his
culpable supineness, the tame
.surrender of his
rights at one moment, and his frantic energy
and obstinate resistance at another. He loved,
loved as we understand love; hence those
by whom he was surrounded, and who understood
not love, understood not him, and hence the very
contradictory judgments passed by various historians
on his character. Mr. Phelps developed this chival-
rous view of the character of Antony admirably—
the sigh-aiming, magnanimous, valiant, energetic, but
most love-sick triumvir, was represented to the life.
There was a voluptuous yielding in the scenes with
Cleopatra, which contrasted admirably with the fiery
energy which he exhibits in the camp. The death
scene was beautifully acted, and Mr. Graham, who
acted Eros, the freedman, who stabs himself to set
Antony the example, deserves high commendation
for the unobtrusive yet most effective manner: in
which he acted up to Phelps in this scene. Miss
Glynn, was the Cleopatra; and, although scarcelysuffi-
ciently tender, was yet an admirable representative
of the Egyptian Queen in her more energetic moods.
Decidedly the most perfect performance of the even-
ing (we were about to say, at present on the stage,
but we recollect Caliban) was the (Enobarbus of Mr.
George Bennett. He is the only good declaimer at
present on the stage, and his delivery of the descrip-
tion of Cleopatra's voyage on the Cydnus was one of
the richest and most glowing pieces of declamation
ever listened to. His acting, too, was fine
throughout, it was the acting of a most
accomplished artiste and of a scholar, of one whose
classical studies enabled him thoroughly to compre-
hend the Roman character, while his artistical know-
ledge enabled him perfectly to embody that compre-
hension. We have not for many a long day seen
anything that has gratified us nearly so much as the
lEnobarbus of Mr. George Bennett. The other
characters were all excellently supported, and the
mounting of the play was perfect. The house was
crowded to the ceiling, and the applause at the con-
clusion was enthusiastic.