The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-04 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

During this week a.round .of stock tragedies have been per-
formed,. but to most wretched, houses. .We understand this is 1
to be expected in the week preceeding the benefits ;_ but we, ito-
agine the cause to be the reeent departure of Mr. and Mrs.
Wood, whose attraction caused for several weeks a continued
full house; this may now reasonably be expected to have an
opposite effect for a short time on the play going public. gx-
eitetuent having produced a temporary theatrical mania, the ab-
sence of the exciting cause is naturally followed by a correspon-
dent depression in proportion to the previous excitement. This
is invariably the result of the system of "starring." If the
pungent appetite created in the public, is not supplied with a
continuity of suitable food, it sickens and refuses altogether
that wholesome and natural diet which . before it eras satisfied
with. Unless the excitement is kept up by a continuous sue,
cession of " stars," the theatre is empty. We do not complain
of this, nor do we find fault with the public for preferring, or
with the management for offering increased attractions,—but the
theatrical establishment have, we think, much cause so to do: by
it their best exertions are thrown into the shade, and high merit, is
sometimes totally overlooked for exotic productions of no superior
worth. We have during the week regretted much to see the
high talents of Stuart exhibited in his personations of Macbeth,
Richard the Third, Brutus, and ROIPCO (in all its cheerless
reality) "wasted on the desert air." Several of his readings of
these characters have betrayed much genius both in originality
and truth of conception. His Lucius Junius Brutus Of 'Wednes-
day evening was a splendid portraiture of the affectionate father
and the inflexible patriot. The last scene especially, where, in
the agonized strivings between the feelings of a father and the
duties of the consul, he gives the death signal of his son as.a
traitor V. his country, was portrayed with a powerful truth to
nature, and irresistibly worked up the feelings to intense inter-
est. In the afterpiece of the " Wreck Ashore," Baker played
with great humour as Martnaduice Magog, but felt far shtirt of
the inimitable John Reeve in this character. We perceive that
Baker has fixed Monday next for his benefit, and has published
a most excellent bill of fare. \Ve trust that the house will be a
bumper. We know of no actor more deserving of public pa-
tronage from his great and varied talents, and from his charac-
ter as n individual. Stuart's benefit will also shortly occur:
he has been working hard the whole of the season, and his pre-
vious well-earned popularity has been decidedly on the increase.
Last season he had the very best first benefit ever known, and
we doubt not but that his friends and the public will again rally
round him, and testify their sense of his merits when the time
shall arrive. It is by the profit derived from the benefit that
the provincial actor is remunerated; stars carry away the heavy
salaries; and it is but justice that the public should support
those individuals who exert themselves the whole season in
their service.