The Sun.
London, England, 1816-01-13 00:00:00

TIIE THEATRE'.

DRNIY-LANE.—" .4 New Way to Pay old
Debts." and a way which we imagine will he very
successful et Drury-Lane, was last night revived,
With Mr..K HAN as Sir Gilts Overreach. His per-
fermattee was infinitely superior to any thing we
have e'er seen him achieve, and hail lie been en..."
tirely new to the stage, would probably have pro-
cured him even a more unquestioned reputation
than that which he enjoys as an. Actor of the
highest talents. Sir Oiles Overreach . is. it cha-
racter most potently drawit " bold bait
t»an," full of energetical, and daring villainy.—
There is no form
.which he does not assume to
effect his purposes .; he fawns and cringes to his
superiors, and tyrattizes with the most .brotal fee
tof.ity over those whom Misfartmies-have placed
below or rewiereil dependant upon hint. lie is a
Being of violent crimes awl violent. passions : a
human demon, vull i virtute redeusptuusitself as- we
hope for the tumour cif our nattily. does not exist
in led life. It is nevertheless very effective upon
the stage, and 'afforded the finest scope fur the
full exercise of Mr. KEAt4II peculiar qualifications.
The transitions front deep calculating projects of
aggrandizement, to the conflicts of various mid
active. -enterprise ;- the successive dominion of
stormy emotions, such as all Sir Giles's are,-of ex-
pectancy, of invention of wicked machinery to
accomplish his ends,. of misgiving, of apprehen-
Siolt., of disappointment, of rage, of anguish, and
of despair, was pourtrayest with a degree of force,
rigour and truth which belong only to mastery
in the histrionic. art, AVe shall not refer to
particular parts, or passages, content, with. de-;.
livering an Opinion, the inure valuable -because.
we are wit in the train of this Gentleman's
thiguishing flatterers, that Mr.KEAN's personation
of Sir Giles Overreach jtisilyentitlei hint to take the
highest -rank in his arduous profession. We icarc.iy-
know any.thing we could desire to suggest to his
consideration in repeating it on INlonday. lie
looks, we think, rather too young, and perhaps
uses too much agility ; these arts mere trifles,—
The only point of greeter importance which
curs to us as worthy of entice, is one which ema-
nates from.the very perfection of the performance,
the glowing colouring with .vllich Mr. KF,AN in-
vests it. The contrasts drawn by the Poet are, as
'ye have already „mentioned, extremely Violent ,and
upon the very verge of being unnatural.
stamtnate•skill is therefore wanted in the Actor,to
temper .contrasts, to subdue their tot*;
as-'hunch a 3 pestillile'withota losing sight of their
effect, and melt them harmimioosly iwo each
other. Mr;• KeAN Was throughout so greatly
vehemeut, that this task was to hint rendered
tenfold more difficult thao to a less able
Actor,' with whom' all the parts would he subor-
dinate; and on a lower scale but it' is on that
necount the more worthy of being attempted by
hint.-

Most of the other personages in th;s drama
were ably represented. MUNDEN'S Marrall was
mastt rpiece in his way ; in the first acts a little
too broad, perhaps, hut, like a Flemish picture,
admirable in its very Cxtinvitgance. Mrs. GLOVER
was excellent
.in Cody 4i/worth :, KEAN'S powers
almost Overpowered her itt the last act, which he
certainly wrought np to perfect plirenzy anal
tpair. Mrs. Hoop opened and shut her eyes very
meekly acid prettily; and )varrespectOde
it) „Lord in spite of a trOnblesome cloak
or scarf for which lie could not find etnploymeot.
The only puominerit failure hr the piece was 114 -
Lgv's Wellborn. It is at war with all his quali-
ties, or, in the phrase of the Theatre "quite out
of his line." This cast ought to be amended, if
the Managers wish the plsy to be completely suc-
cessful.' The disgusting Justice Greedy did not
iturrovs'.under the hands of aIRERKY.
, The lionise was well tilled, and will doubtless be
so every night that such a treat. this New Way
to likry Old Debts is presented-to the Public.