The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-05-31 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL.

The entertainments this evening are for the benefit of
Herrn H. Schreyer, on which occasion the monkeys and
dogs appear for the last time. Young people, and children
of a larger growth, who are above the weakness of affecting
to disown that they too are as much amused with the exhi-
bitions as their juvenile friends, should make a point of
witnessing a sight which say what ill-natured or snarling
people please, is extraordinary. With some it is a habit to
distort and misrepresent facts when forced upon them, and
when their impotent malice can do no more to seek to put
things in a false position for the purpose of prejudice or
detraction. Apart from the dogs and monkeys amusing the
majority that have seen them, there is this to be said in
favour of such exhibitions :—they are to be commended as
demonstrations of the power of man's intellect, in moulding
to his purpose every capacity with which it has pleased the
Creator to endow the brutes and creeping things of this
planet. Every one knows that dogs are sagacious and
exceedingly docile ; and there is nothing new in the statement
that monkeys are susceptible of education, and are gifted
with active powers of imitation. But did any English audi-
ence ever witness such clever exhibitions by such clever dogs ;
and of all clever monkeys, individually or collectively, who
ever saw one to compare with little Jacob. The stage busi-
ness of this " low comedian" is faultless. Our surprise is,
that a venerable contemporary interested in the Elysium of
Animals, has not suggested that Jacob ought to take a
benefit : that so distinguished a foreigner is entitled to one
will be disputed by none who have seen its low comedy.
In our last notice, pledges were made which must now be
redeemed. During the fortnight Miss Smith and Miss Julia
Smith, with Mr. Barker, have appeared to their own advan-
tage and to that of the management. How mellow and
fluent the duets of those sister ladies ! From sisterly feel-
ing and practice like that of two brother fencers, when each
without loss can be the foil to the other, and when the
starred one shall stick fiery off indeed,—so is it with the
harmonious duets of the Misses Smith. Like parties at
whist who play successfully into each others hands, these
sisters of affection sing feelingly into each others voices.
Their notes blend, and the effect is one of the chief ends of
music—harmony. They are decidedly the best duet singers
of the day. Candour, however, compels a public writer not
to suffer gallantry to shut his eyes to faults, especially when
those faults are within easy reach of thorough remedy.
Although, then, the:e be a lady—nay two of them in the
case; to deserved praise, this just objection must not give
place. The exception to the otherwise unconditional praise
of these vocalists is this : imperfection in the words of their
author, and in scenes in which by hitches and awkward
pauses, other performers mixed up with the progress of the
dialogue, suffer undeservedly in the general estimate of the
audience. In more than one piece this imperfect recovery of
the words was observable; but in the musical drama of the
" Slave," it was " open—palpable." Hence this com-
plaint ; and it should give no umbrage to the feelings much
less to the judgment of any one, as the fault is remediable.
Mr. Barker's vocal talent has been favourably noticed by
all of the local press with one infatuated exception, an ex-
ception creditable rather than otherwise, alike to him and to
the subject of the attack. As organs of public opinion, it is
of newspapers as of men. Character, CHARACTER, " cha-
racter!" Yes, character is a mighty leverage as it is a va-
luable and steady ballast to him or her who is befriended by
its companionship, Let the vocalist under notice, and all
others assailed" (?) be of good cheer. There
arc those

Whose censure is praise,
Whose praise is sure to damn.

Of Mr. Barker's appearances during this visit, more had
been said were it necessary. As he is engaged for the season,
abundant opportunities will be afforded for audinces liesurely
estimating his capabilities. But this much may now be said:
he dresses with neatness, is perfect in the words of his part,
and shows a laudable anxiety to please his audience. With
those who prefer the gentlemanly to the pot-house and cyder-
cellar style of singing, Mr. Barker is a favourite. Indeed
his style is so decidedly genteel, that if he means to take pri-
vate pupils his instructions will, on that account, be addi-
tionally valuable. In social company there are few accom-
plishments more envied or desirable than that of being able
to " sing a good song" in an unaffected manner, and with
gentlemanly feeling.
Mr. Vivash must not he overlooked, He is a useful actor,
evidently one of tried experience. His knowledge of busi-
ness is of that thorough kind which cannot fail to recommend
him alike to audience and management. His Captain Copp
told upon the house, and his personation of the old Admiral
in " Sweethearts and Wives" was excellent. If we do not
praise his Polonius, it is for a reason which we need have no
delicacy in naming. Of all the representatives of the part
of Polonius whom we have seen, inclusive of Farren and
Dowton, not one of them—take it all in all—plays it in so
Shaksperian a style as Mr. Baker. We have said so before.
and say so again. Why we entertain so high an opinion of
Baker's Polonius, shall be enlarged upon in its proper place.
Mr. Vivash deserves credit for the pains he takes with little
parts. His first Irishman in " Rosina" is a gem--an
imirald entirely." For a considerable time some one has
been wanted to undertake the line of parts so ably sustained
by Mr. Granby, formerly of this establishment, now of the
royal theatres, London. And of the disengaged talent that
is available, (that is the question,) we know of none more
competent to succeed him than Mr. Vivash.
Mr: Hooper, of the St. James's, has been playing light
and genteel comedy, in the professional absence of Mr. W.
Howard, at Manchester. Mr. Hooper's light comedy is
heavy lightness. However, we are glad of all such changes.
It gives a stock-actor a chance of the audience finding out
his relative inferiority or superiority to others in the same
parts. Mr. Howard has had the the benefit of compari-
sion; and in Tristram Fickle, in the " Weathercock," and
as Young Contrast, in the " Lord of the Manor," Mr.
Hooper's inferiority to Howard, it were ignorance or affecta-
tion to deny. Mr. Howard often plays carelessly. It seems
as if his ambition were in abeyance! He can play better
than well—when he likes.

Their respective friends begin to imagine that the two
new-married lords, Douro and Duncan, have paired of for
two honeymoons instead of one.

We need hardly apprise any of our readers that the new
speaker is the brother of that most nnenviabls functionary,
the poor law commissioner.