The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-07-11 00:00:00

MUSIC AND THE DRAMA

AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, the French comedians have,
during the week, being continuing to minister to the
delight of intelligent, though we regret to add rather
more select than numerous, audiences. The performances
have been in excess of the originally stipulated series,
and the three nights on which they took place were de-
voted to benefits for the leading members of the company.
On Wednesday, Mad'lle St. Georges and Mad'lle Roque-
vile made their appeal, which was fairly responded to by
an enthusiastic auditory. The pieces selected on the
occasion were, " Jobin et Manette, ' followed by " Brutus
Lache Cesar," and the amusement concluded with Scribe's
comedy, " iataille de Dames." All the pieces were ad-
mirably performed, and the peculiar and varied talents
of the ladies found good scope for their development in
the complicated situations arising out of the different
plots. If the poet's wish, " Fit audience let me find,
tho' few," could afford gratification, those ladies had
much reason to be satisfied. Their efforts were cordially,
though not boisterously, recognised, and the plaudits they
met with bore evidence of sincerity as well as of good
taste and judgment. How much the value of those plaudits
and the accuracy of that judgment might have been
enhanced by the addition of vulgar pelf, it is hardly within
our province to inquire ; but we cannot shut our eyes to
the fact, that " the labourer is worthy of his hire," and
that none but an ungenerous individual will consent to
- Be pleased,
. - - "

Yet starve the author of the pleasure:"
On Friday, M. Lafont took his benefit, and on that
occasion, also, the attendance was good, but not overflow-
ing. He had selected from the repertoire, "La Joie fait
Peur," "Le Hochet d'une Coquette," and "Le Gamin de
Paris ;" in the two last named of which M. Lafont ap-
peared to great advantage. The peculiar beauty of the
performances of this company is the admirable keeping by
which all the representations are characterised, making
the spectator forget that he is witnessing the performance
of a play, and feel satisfied that he is introduced as a
spectator of real events ; an illusion greatly aided by the
admirable and unobtrusive bye-play which forms so pleas-
ing a distinction of the French drama. On Friday even-
ing, at the conclusion of the second piece, M. Lafont,
having, with M. Leon and Mad'lle Roqueville, been called
before the curtain, proceeded to address the audience, in
a brief and well delivered French speech, in which, after
adverting to the favourable reception accorded by the
public of Liverpool last year to him and the members of
his corps, and declaring the grateful feelings by which
all of them were penetrated by the remembrance of that
reception, he expressed his regret that, in a pecuniary
sense, the present visit had not realised the expectations
they had felt justified in entertaining. He next said that,
in point of comfort and elegance, no theatre in London or
Paris could boast of superiority to that of Liverpool, and,
with an admirable combination of pleasantry united with
regret, alluded to the forlorn condition and deserted aspect
of the " pretty stalls" which they had so often contem-
plated with regret. He then alluded to the complaint
which had found utterance, in several forms, as to the
rates of admission, and intimated that, as a stranger, he
was at all times ready to yield as far as possible to pre-
vailing opinion, and had determined to try the result of
five performances at the usual prices. The sentiments of
respect and gratitude he had given utterance to, he
assured the audience, were not confined to himself alone,
but were fully participated in by all the ladies and gentle-
men of the company. The address, which was delivered
with much grace, and accompanied by a fine gentleman-
like bearing, was well received and frequently applauded.
AT THB ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE, the veteran Vanden-
hoff and his accomplished daughter have been performing
a round of their favourite characters to applauding audi-
ences, including the representation of several of our most
popular dramas. In the list has been Young's tragedy of
" The Revenge," Miss Vandenhoff's fine play, " Woman's
Heart," Shakspere's " Merchant of Venice," Cuniberland's
" Wheel of Fortune," and Bulwer's historical play of
" Richelieu," the father and daughter sustaining the lead-
ing parts in each. The Isoline of Miss Vandenhoff, in
her own play of " Woman's Heart," is tender, chaste, and
beautiful, and her father's performance of Albruzzi was
con amore and effective ; the Angelo of Mr. Lorraine
would have been more natural, if it had been less noisy;
more telling, and more pleasing, if the acting and the de-
clamation had been more subdued. How much it is to be
regretted that the noble sentiments breathed in expressive
language should be wedded to so much that is gross and
foul as is to be met with in Shakspere's " Merchant of
Venice." This play was well sustained on Thursday even-
ing, Vandenhoff playing Shylock with all his pristine
vigour, united to the culture imparted by experience. His
elocution was finishedly expressive, and his action well
suited to the scene. Portia found a sweet and capable
representative in Miss Vandenhoff, whose performance,
particularly in the trial scene, was admirable. Mr. Moore-
house as Basanio, and Mr. Villiers as Gratiano, were both
more than respectable ; and Mr. Honey's Launcelot Gobbo
was clever, as well as creditable, to his histrionic capabili-
ties. Of the Richelieu and Julia of Mr. and Miss Van-
denhoff we have already spokan, and can only add that
their performance on Saturday last fully justified our pre-
vious conviction. This week, Mr. and Miss Fanny Baker
and Mr. T. Lyons make their appearance in a series of
favourite comedies.