The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-23 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

At the hasty summons, we should conceive, of
Mr. PRICE, who must have been seriously distressed
for a Romeo, Mr. KEAN, jun., hurried up from the
North, in -erder to attempt that character here last
night. The attempt, we are delighted to add, was
successful, full of fire, energy, and sometimes, but
not often, of profonnd sensibility. Mr. KEAN, jun.
is decidedly a young man of very considerable talent,
with his full share of -the usual faults of youth.--
He has a good conception of character, great readi-
ness and tact, with a mannerism and abruptness of
action that time alone can check. In this last re-
spect, however, he is considerably improved since
last season ; and if he will only lay aside that servile
spirit of imitation, in which, like most young men,
ho is but • too apt to indulge, we see no
reason why he should not in due time,
and by paying strict attention to the best models,
attain the eery highest honours of his art. His
Romeo, last night, does him infinite credit. His
earlier scenes (especially that wherein he first espies
Julie!) were marked by tempered ease and discrimi-
nation ; and, had not the unfortunate quality of his
voice ne►itralised the effect of that delicious line
" How silver sweet sound lovers' tongues by night,"
he would have left us little to object to his pleadings
beneath Alict's balcony. His parting with Miss
PHILLIPS, where, in answer to her fond en-
treaties that he would remain, he observes,
that it is already day-break, and that therefore he
must perforce depart, was not quite so effective.
Ho delivered the line, " it is the lark, the herald
of the dawn,"—not in that tone of fond regret,
which the words would seem to imply, but with an
easy indifference that Was any thing but cha-
racteristic. His recitation also of " Alack !
there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty
of their swords," vs tame where it should have
been fervent—Blurred over where it should have
been dwelt upon, and common-place where it should
have been arch and complimentary. From first to
last, Romeo, though a lover, is anything but trite
or indifferent. Shakspeare has invested his every
word and action with a meaning; nor do we know
any other character in the drama that will more
richly repay a deep and repeated study. Mr. KEAN
gives the energy of the part well enough. His ex-
clamation in particular, on hearing of Mercutio's
death, "alive in triumph, encl./Fere:di° slain," and his
indignant rencontre with Tybalt, are of their kind
admirable ; but it is not enough that his Romeo
should be fiery or impassioned, he should abound
also in those deep, quiet, fervent touches of tender-
ness which strike without exertion to the heart,
provided they be adequately rendered. Mr.
KLAN's defects of last night were those of
negligence, not incapacity ; he has the germ
of dramatic talent in and if he will only rely
more oh his own, and_ less on his father's peculiari-
ties, and; titioi.e all, lay aside that intolerable rolling
of Ole r, as in his delivery of " Dry sorrow drink
thy blood," which was given in a way absolutely
grotesque, he will no doubt become a favourite.—
One word more, and we:have done with him for the
present.' In the fifth act, where just previous to
his visit to the apothecary he exclaims " My bo-
som's bold sits lightly on :its throne," he is far
too dull and unimpassioned. These few words
are terse, but full of expression. They convey the
idea of a light buoyant elasticity, that should be
seen in the eye, the face, the manner; and more
particularly be felt in the salient and springing into-
nations of the voice. But enough :—verbum sap.
Of Miss PHILLIPS—what praise can we give ade-
quate to her deserts? In a word, she is tile
most promising female tragedian of the day.
Her voice is rich; mellow, various—her face
lovely--her form perfect—her demeanour the im-
personation of grace and modesty. Whatever
she does, she does apparently without an
effort; there is no affectation, no hankering after
effect; it seems as natural for her to express the lan-
guage of Juliet, and realize the mind's fondest vi-
. sion of female loveliness and innocence, as for the
nightingale to sing by moonlight. Jorllis' Mcrculio
was, as might be expected, characterized by tact
and observation; a little more elasticity would have
made it perfect. The other characters, especially
Mr. BENNETT's Apothecary, who looked as sorrow-
ful as if he had swallowed his own physic, or had
been visited by the ghosts of his patients—were
sustained with their wonted respectability. The
house was crowded.