The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-28 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL AS7LEY'S.

An unprecedented event has occurred in the
hitherto traditional ani unquestioned home of
equestrianism. Shakspere has been transplanted
to Astley's Amphitheatre. Rejected from the legiti-
mate boards of Old Drury in favour of realistic
Boucicaultism, it has found a home in the trans-
pontine marshes of Lambeth, and the result is un-
equivocal success. Mr. E. T. Smith, with his usual
enterprise, has succeeded in securing the valuable
services of Mr. Phelps, Mr. and Mrs. Hermann
Vezin, Mr. C. Harcourt, and Miss F. Iluddart, and
hip first production has been Shakspere's " Othello."
Mr. Phelps, to our thinking, not his happiest tragic
impersonation, represented the noble Moorof Venica
with alritispristine vigour ancl masterly elocution. But
the great triumph of the evening WaS Mr. Hermann
Vezin's lago—the most successful representation of
the part since ere clays of the celebrated Charles
Young. Mr. Vezin's rendering is not the monoto-
nous, common-place melodramatic villain to') often
given in these degenerate days, but a manly,
vigorous, and -mslnolarly interpretation, wholly
unc.)mentional and entirely original. Mr. Dailey
would have been a fair Brabar.tio had he in-
dulgA a little less in the spasmodic and gut-
ter:d. A. worse attempt at the part of
Roderigo (Mr. FlJtcher) has seldom been seen ; it
was his first appearance int ondon, and it ought to
have been his last. Mr. C. Harcourt was a gentle-
manly Cassie, but rather tame. Mrs. Hermann
Veziu's Desdemona was all that could be desired,
arriving, as it did, as near as possible to perfection.
Miss F. Huddart gave a finished and energetic read-
ing of Emilia. .The house was crowded, Mr.
Phelps and Mr. and Mrs H. Vezin being frequently
recalled to receive an enthusiastic ovation.

A.GRICULTURAL BALL.

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On Saturday evening a new entertainment was
produced here. It was a representation of the
national amusement of Spain, viz., a Spanish bull
fight. Mr. Holland has succeeded in engaging
Don Pablo Mersa and his troupe of matadores and
trained bulls, and having made the necessary alte-
rations in the interior of the hall, the lessee, as we
have already said, 'gave his first representation on
Saturday last. The matadores are attired ac-
cording to the regular Spanish fashion, in silk
stockings, spangled breeches and jackets of
showy colours, and black hats ; and they all
carry full-sized chignons attached to the
little plaited tails which, in the • streets of
Madrid, are the distinctive mark of a bull-
fighter. All the four classes, espadas, ban-
derilleros, chulos, and picadores are represented
more or less satisfactorily; but the horses are wicker
work steeds constructed after the fashion of those
by means of which pantomimic tournaments are
conducted. The bulls, which are from Navarre,
are small, but hardy looking animals, lean, and very
active on their legs, and, with one or two exceptions,
they showed good sport on Saturday night, although
they had only recently arrived in London, and
had probably not entirely recovered from the fatigue
of their long journey. The " corrida" was opened
with all due formalities, and conducted according
to the strict rules of tauromachia. The matadores,
like the gladiators of old, enter the arena,
and approaching the principal range of seats bow
with much grace. They then take up their several
stations, the den is opened, and forth rushes a
bull, a small wiry little fellow, who, perfectly
trained in his part, looks round with no wild red
eye, but, on the contrary, with a wink of recogni-
tion upon the several matadores. This preliminary
over, he makes a full charge at one of them, who,
holding up his cloak as a shield, leaps with a pre-
cision which seems extraordinary from beneath
its corner the moment the horns of the animal
come in contact with it, whilst he, carried for-
ward;with the impetus of the charge, is unable to
tura round upon his foe. The other performers
then take up the play, provoking and tantalising
the little brute in turn, until, having became com-
pletely fatigued, he is sent back to his den decorated
with rosettes, each of which, glued on to his hide,
is intended to represent a lance received in the
combat. Five bulls went through this game on
Saturday evening. Two of them were very dull,
and woul I only now and then make a rush. They
confined their hostility to the red cloak—the green
one never provoked their auger. The other three,
however, wera noble, nimble little fellows, and
their play elicited considerable applause. There
was a very large attendance.