The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-20 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The play of William Tell was brought out at this
theatre last night. It has undergone some alterations, the
chief of which is that it ends with the scene in which
Tell shoots the apple on his boy's head, the catastrophe
being made to follow immediately after that event. The
great-st novelty, however, on this occasion, was the ap-
pearance of the author in the personation of his hero.
We have heard that Mr. KNOWLES has frequently acted
the part in the country, and that be has there been fa-
vourably received ; but we were not prepared to expect so
able a performance as be displayed last night. It is im-
possitle to avoid contrasting him on this occasion with
MACREADY, and, notwithstanding the gr( at differ-
ence in the styles of the two actors, and confining the
comparison to this one part, we must say we think Mr.
KNoyvr.Es's representation is more striking, more natural,
and infinitely more agreeable than that of the first repre-
sentative of William Tell. Mr. MACREADY made the
bold, simple mountaineer sententious, moody, and austere.
The passion which should be prompt and impetuous, he
made sometimes hang fire, and sometimes wild and lunatic.
Mr. KNOWLES, who of course knows best what he meant
to draw, gives a far more satisfactory version of the part.
In avoiding the stilted manner, which was the main de-
fect of the former actor, he occasionally lapsed into the
contrary extreme, and his points lost their force by the
hurried familiar tone in which he gave some of them.
The be-t character of his performance was the frank, na-
tural simplicity which pervaded it. He seemed to aban-
don all attempt at making Tell like the hero of a modern
romance, and tried to represent him as history describes,
and as SCHILLER has made him appear. With his wife
and child he was tender and affectionate, and in the scenes
with Gesler he expre sed the rude dignity which ought
to characterize the mountain-bred freeman with admirable
effect. His figure is extremely well suited to the part, and
his attitudes were remarkably graceful and picturesque.
The parting with his son, just before he is about to shoot,
was one of the happiest touches in his performance. The
enforced cheerfulness, the confidence and ease which he
assumes for the purpose of keeping up the boy's courage,
while his heart is wrung with agony, and his spirit sinks
under the peril of his position, were expressed with great
skill. His voice is the great drawback from the effect of
his performance—it fails him when he wants most to exert
it. His acting, however, take❑ altogether, was extremely
good, and is likely to make the play, which has already
enjoyed great popularity, increase in attraction. The
other principal characters in the play were well acted. By
one of the alterations the part of Emma, Tell's wife, has
been made more important, and therefore more worthy of
Miss TREE, by whom it was admirably played. Miss
POOLE acted the boy with great eff-ct. The play was
warmly and deservedly applauded throughout. At its
conclusion Mr. KNOWLES was called for, and announced
its repetition on Monday. The house was full, and the
galleries as crowded and noisy as if yesterday had been
Easter Monday.