The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-09-27 00:00:00

THE THEATRES.

THE THEATRE ROYAL opened for the season, after a
brief recess, yesterday evening week, introducing to
the Liverpool public three novelties, in the shape
of a talented, beautiful, and charming actress ; a
new joint-stock drama ; and a performer of low comedy.
The ordinary and admitted rule of gallantry claims place
and privilege for the lady ; while impliant duty insists
that the new drama shall be first considered. Were we
to assert that joint authorship in the dramatic line is an
unknown monstrosity in our language, we should, of
course, be effectually silenced by a reference to the plays
of Beaumont and Fletcher ; but we run little risk of con-
tradiction when we state that in English literature the
practice is an unusual one, and we have little fear of con-
sequences to our prophetic status in saying that the new
comedy of " Masks and_ Faces," by Messrs. Reade and
Taylor, will not go far to popularize a division of labour
in the dramatic line. The aim of the play is to show
that a woman who possesses a large share of animal
spirits—a dashing, devil-may-care manner—brilliant ta-
lents—and questionable virtue, may in reality, have
added to those qualifications a feeling and generous heart.
To demonstrate the practical existence of such a union,
the interest and the machinery of the play are concen-
trated in the character of Mrs., better and more fami-
liarly known, as Peg Woffington, an actress of great
stage repute, but questionable character, who was an
especial favourite with the town beaux of George the
Second's reign. She is the heroine of the comedy, and
her adventures and intrigues forms its story and its
plot. A town rake, Sir Charles Pomander, is, after
his own fashion, in love with Peggy, who fully under-
stands and properly despises him ; she is also the object
of a discreditable passion to Mr. Earnest Vane, a mar-
ried country gentleman ' • his connubial engagement, how-
ever, being unknown to Peg. Vane and Mrs. Woffing-
ton exchange warm expressions of reciprocal attachment,
and he invites the lady, with a host of her friends, in-
cluding, of course, Sir Charles Pomander, to an enter-
tainment at his house in town. At this domestic
sanctuary, unknown to her husband, and just at the
opening of the festivities, Mrs. Vane arrives, and
is very unexpectedly made a witness to her husband's
gallantry, and of course becomes much distressed at
the discovery. Piqued at his rival's success with
Mrs. Woffington, Sir Charles Pomander enlarges to
Mrs. Vane upon her husband's perfidy, and endeavours
to avenge himself upon that rival by attempting to seduce
his wife. This, of course, is duly and indignantly resisted
and resented by Mrs. Vane, who, in a somewhat singular
fashion, becomes a suitor to Mrs. Woffington for restitu-
tion of her husband's heart and misplaced affections. The
interview on this subject between the ladies is of a cha-
racter somewhat unusual, even on the stage ; ultimately,
however, virtue triumphs, and Mr. Vane is reconciled to
his wife, who, full of gratitude, assumes Mrs. Woffington
as her adopted sister, and so the play ends. The morality
of the piece may, to some extent, be guessed from the
above outline, which, however, without one additional
stroke, would be incomplete : Mrs. Woffington, when
abjured by one of the dramatis personce to give place to
the better claims of Mrs. Vane upon her husband's love,
and when that lady's breaking heart is represented to the
gay heroine, the latter exclaims " His wife ! Have wives
the only hearts that throb ? Let his wife look to herself."
It is true enough that, besides being a good deal given to
gaiety, Mrs. Woffington is represented as clever, volatile,
generous, and good-hearted. In reference to a somewhat
analogous case, what says M`Macaulay ? " The question is
simply this, whether a man of genius, who constantly and
systematically endeavours to make this sort of character
attractive, by uniting it with beauty, grace, dignity, spirit,
a high social position, popularity, literature, wit, taste,
knowledge of the world, brilliant success in every under-
taking, does or does not make an ill use of his powers.
We own that we are unable to understand how this ques-
tion can be answered in any way but one." The subsi-
diary characters are not of much importance, and, with
the exception of Triplet, a poet, player, and painter, they
have really very little to do with the drama or its plot.
The acting of this quisquis play was, in most respects,
excellent. The Peg Woffington of Mrs. Stirling was,
indeed, a triumph. To brilliant personal attractions the
lady adds, and cleverly displays, melting pathos, con-
trasted with spirited raillery—clashing versatility, and lady-
like dignity. Her acting runs rapidly through each extreme
" from grave to gay, from lively to severe," and in each and
all of these varying moods she carries a resistless witchery
of manner, and an easy and harmonious grace of action.
She is familiar without vulgarity—gay and volatile without
roystering impassioned and pathetic without whining The
character of Triplet, a poor starving and virtuous author,
and artist, with a heart finely alive to gratitude and other
virtuous impulses, met with a feeling and excellent repre-
sentative in Mr. B. Baker. In him, real suffering and
deferred hope having wrought sad havoc ; he clings with
desperate devotion to the patronage and favour of Mrs.
Woffington, to whom, in her youthful days of adversity,
he had shown kindness, which good offices she now repays.
The acting of many portions of this character was ad-
mirable. The strong pleadings of nature warring with
pride, as he endeavours to disguise the penury of his
position, and seeks to beguile the ravening hunger of his
children, were given with a depth and power of effect
highly creditable to both his head and his heart. His
appeals were touchingly eloquent, and his looks in many
instances were more persuasive than words or tears. Of
Miss F. Baker's representation of -Zfrs. Vane it affords
us great pleasure to speak most favourably. It was at
once earnest, simple, and natural. The other characters
were in general well sustained, and the dresses were ex-
cellent. Of the low comedy performer, Mr. Compton, we
have little desire to speak, and no earthly wish to en-
counter him again. His acting is dry and void of humour
—his manner unprepossessing, and altogether we look on
him as a star, if star he be, of a very dull lustre.
AT THE ROYAL AMPUITHEATRE, Mrs. Fitzwilliam
and Mr. Buckstone have terminated a long, and, on the
whole, successful engagement. During the week, they
repeated several of their most celebrated characters, to
numerous and applauding audiences.

ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS.

Rev. J. Aldous, to the Incumbency of Trinity Church, '
Sheffield.

Rev. C. G. T. Barlow, M.A., Vicar of West Cliffe, and
Incumbent of Trinity Church, Dover, to the Rectory of
Ruckinge, Kent.
Rev. R. Bendyahe, 8.A., to the Curacy of Denham, near Eye.
Rev. J. Bush, M.A., to the Vicarage of Ormskirk, Lancashire.
Rev. J. Carson, A. 8., to the Curacy of Tallow, diocese of
Lismore.

Rev. H. Cooper, to the Perpetual Curacy of Stoke Prior.
with-Docklow, Herefordshire.

Rev. G. P. Cosserat, M.A., to the Rectory of Drinkstone,
Suffolk.

Rev. R. Davies, M.A., Rector of Staunton, to an Honorary
Canonry in the Cathedral Church of Gloucester.
Rev. B. C. Dowding, to be Chaplain of the Devizes Union
Workhouse.

Rev. A. Hutton 8.A., to the Incumbency of Highhead, or
Ivegill, Dalston, Cumberland.

Rev: D. L. James, to the Incumbency of St. John the
Evangelist, Pont Robert Ap Oliver, Meivod, Montgomery-
shire.

Rev. T. Jones, M.A., to the Rectory of White Roding, near
Chipping Ongar, Essex.
Rev. W. H. Jones, M.A., Vicar of Mottrarn, in Longden-
dale, to be a Surrogate for the diocese of Chester.
Rev. C. C. Muiloy, to the Stipendiary Curacy of St. Peter's
Church, Newton-in-Mackerfield, Lancashire.
Rev. Sir G. Prevost, Bart., M.A., to an Honorary Canonry
in the Cathedral Church of Gloucester.

Rev. S. Robins, NI.A., late Minister of Christ Church, St.
John's-wood, to the Incumbency of Trinity Church, Dover.
Rev. T. F. Salmon, 8.A., to the Vicarage of Waldershare,
with Whitfield or I3eauxfield annexed.

Rev. C. Seaver, to the Incumbency of the New Church of
St. John's, Belfast.
Rev. W. A. Slipper, 8.A., to Curacy of Thirne, near Acle.
Rev. H. Thompson, to the Vicarage of Chard, Somerset.
Rev. J. E. Vans, to the Curacy of Bredon, Worcestershire.