The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-08 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

It is with the greatest pleasure we record the
triumphant success of Dr. Westland Marston's new
and origivaldrama, "Life for Life," whin was pro-
duced on Saturday last at the Lyceum The tire.
The utmost gratification the acs;thaplished author
of " the Patrician's Daughter" can feel at the
lavish praise best° wed on his latest work has been
well and honourabiy achieved ; and we feel certain
the wish will he general with the admirers of high
dramatic talent that Dr. Marston will contribute
tuore frequently than he has hitherto done
to the stage. The talented author needs no
recourse to " the French" for a plot, he has
genius sufficient to invent one, and ability enough
to work it out—a. talent now of the utmost rarety
—when „French or German dramas are cut and
workedjup by many of our successful authors, and
" new" plays manufactured out of the patchwork.
But without occupying further space by way of
exordium—oft times "extracted" at the British
Museutn—a practice by the way that seems to
be growing so rapidly that it bads fair soon to oc-
cupy the place of dramatic criticism altogether, we
pass at once to the plot of the new drama, which,
briefly related, is as follows :—The scene is laid
in the Highlands, early in the fifteenth cen-
tury, where Oscar, brother of Murdoch, chief
of the clan Mackane, falls in love with Lilian,
daughter of Angus, chief of the Clan Macrouald.
The two clans have long entertained hostile feelings
towards each other, and frequent encounters be-
tween the partisans result in consequence. Angus
has been slain in one of these battles, and Keneltn.
Murdoch's son, taken prisoner in the fray. Al-
though she has sworn to avenge her father's
death, Lilian, in a moment of mercy, protects the
boy from the fury of the clansmen, and he is ac-
cordingly allowed to remain a hostage with the
Macronald, first promising never to attempt to
make himself or his whereabouts knewn to his
father. Oscar, but just returned from a long
sojourn in France, immediately upon his reunion
to his clan, informs Murdock of his attachtnent to
Lilian, and of their proposed union. A deadly
quarrel now takes place between the brothers, and
Murdoch is deprived of the chieftainship of the
clan. Murdoch, whose great hatred is borne to the
Macronalds on account of the supposed death 'of
his son Kenelm at their hands, determines to ac-
complish by stratagau what he failed to do by force,
and prevent the marriage between Lilian and Oscar
taking place. Disguised as a minstrel he gains en-
trance to the stronghold of the Macronalds, and
being left alone with Lilian, is about gratify his
revenge by killing her, whey in her supplicatious
she informs him that his sou lives. Reunited to
Kendal, and learning from hi 3 lips that it was
Lilian who protected him, he assents to the union
of 'the clans and her marriage with Oscar.
The play, which is brilliantly written from first
to last, is, to ail intents and purpos s, a lady's piece,
the principal character being that of Lilian,
daughter of the dead chieftain, Angus ..qacronald,
and on Miss Neiisatt devolved the important task of
giving vitality to the poetic inspirations of Dr.
Marston. By the performance Miss Neilson has
completely surprised many who hitherto regarded
her merely as an actress of ordinary talent, but her
conception and pourtrayal of the character of Lilian
gives her a clear and unquestioned right to take
the position of the leading lady on the English
stage. We know of no actress living who
could have so finely performed the part. Her
elocution was of the highest order, her
acting was everything that the greatest admirer
of true dramatic genius could desire. In the earlier
scenes of the play her acting was remarkable for
tenderness and feeling, whilst in the latter, where
courage and determination are called for, it rosy to
absolute perfection, or at least as near perfection
as it is possible to arrive. The applause she
reeived throughout was genuine ani immense,
and we cordially congratulate Miss Neilson on the
great triumph she has achieved. Next in im-
portance to the part of Lilian was that of Mur-
doch, chief of the clan Mackane, which was con-
fided to the artistic care of Mr. Herman
Vezin ; and certainly here again no better
actor at present graces the boards of the English
stage. In the hands of so perfect an artiste the
highest expectations might fairly be entertained,
and although the character does not appear until
the third act, yet there was sufficient opportunity
for Mr. Vezin to exhibit one of those fine and
finished specimens of high dramatic art for which
he is so remarkable. None could see the old
rugged Highland chief drooping at the supposed
loss of his only child without feeling how true
the actor was to nature; and then again when in-
formed by his brother of his intended marriage with
the daughter of one of his bitterest foes, the acting
of Mr. Vezin was of surpassing excellence ; in fact,
the house "rose at him," and fairly re-echoed again
and again with undiminished applause. Mr. Jordan
gave a very excellent rendering of the old clans-
man Roderick, and Miss Minnie Sydney secured
high honours for her spirited acting of the part of
the boy Kenelm Mackane.
The hohse was crowded in every part by a most
distinguished audience, and at the fall of the cur-
tain the author, Miss Neilson, Mr. Vezin, and Mr
E. T. Smith had to bow their thanks.