The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-09-08 00:00:00

HA} MARKET THEATRE.

The Tragedy of Venice Preserved was repeated on
Thursday evening, and the new Belvidere again under-
took the personation of that arduous character. We do
not hesitate to pronounce the fair delis:um as one of the
most promising actresses on the British stage. The clia-
recto. selected for her first essay,is one of extreme difficul-
ty, requiring the display of different and almost opposite 'I
emotions, and rendered still more arduous, by the recol-
lection (which it could not fail to awaken) that this was
the character in which Mrs. SIDDONS shone, and in
which Miss O'NEIL first rose to eminence and reputation.
With disadvantages then so various and accumulated, it
is surely no slight evidence of the talent of the actress,
when we can say, that her performance of Belvidere
wanted little to render her equal to those celebrated
actresses, to whose names' we have just alluded. Its
chief excellence consists in the uniformity of good act-
ing, which we observed throughout ; there were un-
doubtedly passages of particular beauty, but at no period
did the exertions of the actress flag, or the interest of
the audience decline. if, indeed, public applause or pub-
lic Interest may be considered as a criterion of talent,
the fair debutante may consider herself successful in the
extreme; for we never witnessed an audience, whose atten-
tion seemed more powerfully rivetted, or whose applause
was more fervent or more sincere. If we were required to
point out the scenes in which we thought her most ensi-
neatly successful, we should say, that tenderness is her
forte, and that her triumph was most complete in those
SWIM which required thedisplay of softness and conjugal
Lion. But her acting is not deficient in energy,
which was happily exhibited in that scene, in which
Belvidere recounts to Jailer the unworthy treatment
which she had received from Renault. Perhaps the
most interesting part of her performance was the
manner in which she replied to Jafter, when he asks
her " whether Cato's daughter would have betrayed
Brutes." Her reply, " No, for he trusted her," was
-given in a manner which displayed at once reproach
and tenderness. The scene throughout was listened to
with breathless munition and was bailed, at its conclu-
sion, with applause, as loud and fervent as it was judi-
cious and well deserved. Upon the whole. we regard
this young actress as a great acquisition to the stage.
She possesses talents of -a very superior order, and has,
evidently, devoted much time and attention to prepare
herself for the profession which she has adopted. Her
bye play was, at times, admirable. Her person is slight,
and rather above the middle stature, and her coon-
tenance is interesting and expressive. Her enunciation
is distinct, and her voice well suited to the Haymarket'
Theatre, though, we much doubt. whether it would be'
bead sufficiently powerful for a theatre of larger com-
pass. Conway, as Jailer, was respectable. It hair,'
somehow or other, been the fashion to decry this gee-
Bananas merits as an actor, as much as it has been to ad-
sire his fair countenance and commanding person; as
if nature could not be expected to endow him with a
Zoe corresponding to an exterior for which she bad
so mach. His performance of Idler, however,
was chaste and impressive; and displayed great feeling
and good taste. Tunas was Pierre, and performed a
diameter differing so' much from his usual lip of act-
ing with great success. The gunner is which he deli-
vered his sarcasms was extremely' effective. tie other
performers were respectable, and the play. altoother
;
went of the ntostaatisfaf tory manner. Nothing ha
been wanting en the part of the Manager, wo eater.
dew have WWI UISWINIfied, and we are to say,
crowned with•tho approbation of the public.