The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-14 00:00:00

NEW ADELPHI.

Mr. Tom Taylor's new drama, " The House, or the
Home ?" still proves the great attraction at this theatre,
and it was only thought necessary to mark Whit-Monday
by the production of an apropos sketch by Mr. Edward
Stirling, called " The Rifle Volunteers." When it is said
that the point of the piece lies in a certain number of the
corps de ballet appearing in the costume of riflemen, and
going through a series of military evolutions, a host of
farces of a similar description will at once recur to the
minds of the playgoer. The dialogue of the sketch is brim-
ful of patriotism ; every other line contains something
about the defence of our island home, Britons never shall
be slaves, and Britannia's the bride of the ocean, all of
which sentiments were received with the applause which
their truthfulness sq richly deserve. Mr. Selby, as the
father, was a humorous embodiment of a valorous British
merchant; Mrs. Alfred Mellon was pleasant and lively as
the daughter, and soldierly yet slightly rhapsodical as the
rifleman ; and Miss Kate Kelly, as she always does, makes
a great part of an extremely small one. The female rifle-
men (I) were excellently drilled.

SURREY THEATRE.
Last evening an overflowing audience assembled in this
favourite theatre to witness the debut of Mr. and Mrs.
Hermann Vezin in Shakspeare's tragedy of " Macbeth."
It has been said that London managers search high and
low, far and near, for novelty; yet we begin to doubt that
assertion when we find artists of such eminent abilities as
Mr. and Mrs. Vezin starring it in the provinces, while the
legitimate drama is fast sinking in London owing to the
want of actors, in the true sense of the term, capable of
embodying the conceptions of the immortal Shakspeare.
To the lot of Mr. Charles Calvert has it fallen to introduce
to our notice the best Shakspearian actor we have seen for
the last 20 years, and one which, if we mistake not, will fill
up the void left by the great Edmund Kean. On making his
appearance in the third scene of the tragedy, Mr. Vezin
was most cordially received, and before he had been on the
stage many minutes the audience seemed to feel that a
great actor stood before them. In personal appearance he
is of the middle height, with fine expressive features, a
graceful figure, and melodious voice. The first difficulty
in the tragedy to be surmounted is the celebrated dagger
soliloquy. Never have we heard it more finely given ; the
elocution was perfect ; it was succeeded by tremendous ap •
plause ; and from this point the rest of the play was one
continued *series of triumphs. The banquet scene was mag-

nificently acted, so also was Macbeth's second interview
with the wierd sisters. The fifth act was given with fine
effect. There was no rant, no straining after effect ;.,all
was real—all was true to nature.

That we possess a great actor in the person of Mr. Vezin
there cannot be a doubt, and we congratulate him on his
arrival in the metropolis, where he has suddenly estab-

fished a reputation he may well be proud of.
Mrs. Vezin's Lady Macbeth was well conceived and
well acted, although it was painfully evident she was suffer-
ing from indisposition and severe hoarseness. She has had
the courage to depart from the conventional Lady Macbeth
of the London stage, and last night she gave us what we
imagine to be a true and correct reading of the part. Her
sleep-walking scene was a fine piece of acting, and richly
merited the applause it elicited.
At the fall of the curtain there were loud and
vehement calls for Mr. and Mrs. Vezin, and on ap-
pearing before the audience they each received a perfect
ovation. Mr. B. PottePsustained the part of Macduff, and
Mr. C. Cooper that of Banquo, very efficiently; but we
should have liked the former gentleman's performance much
better had he exhibited a little loss energy.
The tragedy was put upon the stage in a very tastefu 1
and creditable manner.

(From the .Morning Chronicle.)
With respect to the opening piece, Shakspeare's "Mac-
beth," we must be more particular. The novelty here, as
we have already intimated, was the appearance of Mr. and
Mrs. Hermann Vezin. We have long been weary of " stars,"
and especially of American stars. We went to the Surrey
last evening prepared to see a " star" of the usual—that is
the very smallest--magnitude. Not to mince matters, we
were prepared to see a muff," if our readers will excuse the
use of a slang term. We had seen so much of quotations
from the Transatlantic press, there had been so much flour-
ishing of trumpets, that we had grave apprehensions as to
the quality of the wine which seemed to require such an in-
ordinate quantity of "bush." We are free to admit that we
are disappointed, and we are pleased to acknowledge that
the disappointment was agreeable. Mr. Vezin is a " star"
who does not need puffing. He has real merit, and that in
no ordinary degree. He is a true actor, who never for an
instant permits his acting to degenerate into rant, and never
allows himself, fur the sake of gaining a round of applause,
to sacrifice that truthfulness which he knows will secure him
the approval of the just and temperate critic. His reading
throughout is true to the intention of the author. Always
avoiding undue vehemence, he yet knows how to be forcible
where force is needed. While his general tone is quiet and
equable, we find that wherever passion has to be por-
trayed, he is intense to a degree that more vehement ,
actors cannot approach. In one word, his Macbeth is the
Macbeth par excellence. In this part he stands alone, un-
equalled and unrivalled.,, It is impossible to judge of the
merits of an actor from seeing him in one part. What Mr.
Vezin may be in other parts we shall wait to see. In this
part he has the field to himself. We congratulate My.
Vezin on his appearance in London. He has now his
European reputation to make. Let him
taste continue
mar ed
o
with the same conscientiousness and good as
his
c r beside the e
performanceesi
to
)therr debut in
As regards (tFheronmewtheca/odridn
ainteg
sAvidhvoermti
asedre.
the tragedy of " Macbeth," we are bound to say that the
eulogiums passed upon their acting, both by American and
provincial journals, are well deserved; indeed, we can,
Without hesitation, state that Mr. Vezin is in every respect
an actor of undoubted ability ; and Mrs. Vezin, in many
of the scenes of the tragedy, displayed powers of no ordi-
nary kind. Her sleep scene was played with great care,
and with an intensity of feeling that was highly
appreciated by the audience. She is possessed of a
good figure, and is lady-like in her appearance, and eve
have no doubt that when she becomes more accus-
tomed to the London stage she will fully justify all that
has been said of her as an actress of great merit.
Mr. Vezin is an actor in every sense of the word. He
has a slight but graceful figure, a rich and varied voice,
and a highly expressive countenance, all of which attri-
butes he used with advantage in his delineation of the
character of the Thane of, Cawdor last evening. Nothing
could be finer than his conception of the character of Mac-
beth, and his interpretation of the several celebrated passages
in the part evinced careful study, while his delivery of themwas marked by great energy without the smallest approxi-
mation to rant. Nothing could be better than the mannerl
in which he gave the dagger soliloquy. It waso.
and chaste specimen of elocution.
d in the fifth
banquet scene was all that could bileisdaecreT
equally effective in the incantation scenp,
1 anontrolled, that
act his bursts of passion were so happi too ognr ien
wast b be
too,
of Hamlet's advice to the players. Hisreloasing
the nicest criticism could not detect the imeallestsevearneia, tion
.anird
pbroonugthhet
in the contest with Macduff topped teheaucznexe,
down the enthusiastic plitudits of th
whole, we are bound, to say
last evening was a great success,
ed, those manifested
thatanMdrw. we
eazrien'etts atpispfieedaratnhcaet
lon the occasi
his future effoortnsjuwsilt lreerrarle,diftno.ot excee

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
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mreatnkrops
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deservedly arno
This lon g - snt agbslti sht
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unalloyed with institutions, and has ever been the favourite resort of
those who seek for rational enjoyment
any-
thing that could offend the eye or the ear of the purest or
most fastidious-minded person. The entertainments se-
lected for -Whit-Monday (and to be continued during the
week), commenced with the great national military drama,
entitled " The Battle of Waterloo," "revived for 12 nights
only," as the bills informed us, with new costumes, scenery,
appointments, appropriate music, and an additional band.
The evening's entertainments concluded with the laughable
piece de circonstance, called " The Volunteers; or, The
Ladies' Rifle Brigade." It is full of pleasantry, and kept
the audience throughout in a most cachinnatory humour.