The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-30
THE LONDON STAGE.


THE LONDON STAGE.
Irish Drnmns in Great Demand-The Break
fist to the French Actors-Thc Onenbneh
Malay DE the Observation-Disclosures, Phelps,
Sothern, Mrs. scott-Siddons and thc Infant
Phenomenon.
LONDON, July Is, 1871.
1t is worthy OF remark that whereas the taste for
Irish novels to have entirely died out the love
OF Irish plays appears to stronger year by year.
Such stories as those to which Ban1m. Griffin, Car
leton Lover and Maxwell their literary laurels
no longer find favor with Mr. Muhie who still bears
supreme sway in the circulating libraries. The
realm of pictorial literature is parcelled out
among two or three ladies and gentlemen, OF whom
the most conspicuous are Miss Braddon,
Miss A. r. Edwards. Mr.. Anthony Trolope and
Mr. Wllkie Collins Meanwhile the Irish novelist Is,
in sporting phrase nowhere" He has disappeared
as completely as though he had never existed, or
as If he had never SUCH" to use the words Of
the gravedigger IN Hamlet" Yet strange to say,
the Irish dramatst nourishes like bay tree by the
running waters, and never was there greater rage
for Hlbernian melodramas than at the present mo-
ment.
The immense success OF Mr.. f. Falconer's play Of
"Eneen Oge, at the Princess Theatre Is the most
! recent Illustration OF fact whereof we have had
many memorable examples during Tie past lew
years. Plays such as the "Colleen Bawn," 'Arrah-
| na-Pogue,n '"The Peep o. Day" and "Eileen Oge"
have money in them" as the managers say, and
draw the town, while Shakespeare and Sheridan are
either altogether sheved or performed to miserable
houses. Indeed, the very evening before the
production OF Mr.. Falconer's drama Mr..
Phelps played Macbeth at the Princess
to house in which Zimmerman might
have written another Essay upon Solitude" The
dress circle presented beggary account OF empty
boxes; the gods had vanished from the galleries,
and as for the pit you might have played cricket
in it.
Rari apparen, sedente, in gurgite vasto.
Next night came out eileen Oge," tissue OF
breakneck adventures and wild Celtic drolle:ieS
strongly seasoned with sensatlonalism, and the
theatre is crowded from moor to roof tier. Orders
are now out OF the question; the free list is sus-
pended, and instead OF the dismal prospect Of what
is known in theatrical pariance as "a clerical
housen $50 called in compliment to the parsons who
60 altogether upon the gratuitous system and would
fain get everything for notnngl the managers eyes
are regaled nightly with the bssful vision Of
theatre crammed with people VINO have paid for
admission. What adds to the peculiarly OF the
present state OF things is that good Irish actors
were never so scarce upon the London stage as
at the present moment Mr. Dion Boucicauls, the
best of them, rarely acts ana there is no other
most joyous, wayward and amusing in the Miiesian
character. We have no longer any Irish comedian
worthy OF comparison with the JOhnstOnes and
Powers OF former generations In an Irish play OF
the class in vogue the performers act and talk
like true-born cockneys. Yet the play goes down
like Jelly the audience, who in appauding the
players appear to do so upon the generous principle
recommended by the Prince OF Denmark-''the less
their deser, the greater merit in your bounty, But
onfa mo Trio mia
wright Is unquestionably master OF the situation,
and has it all his own way, like a bull in china
shop. lie mot the bull, but the playwright must
take care however TO walk In the beaten track
otherwise he may come to grief "Vta rttd, Utd
tutd.o
day. which prosperous and prosaic but rather that
OF by-gone times, when Erin was che Nlobe OF
nations with smile on her lip and tear In her eye,
and when her sons and daughters were the laughing
victims OF sectarian strife. landlord tyranny and
political oppression. Above all things ne must bear
in mind 10 fill his play with fairs patterns, merry
makings duets, facuon fights, fierce conflicts between
police and peasantry, and In a word, all sorts or
drollerIes and devrles. Jigs and jokes must be OF
constant recurrence, and the must and anon
be darkened with the peltng OF sods OF turf and the
brandlsning Of shillelahs Let the dramatsts stick
TO these charming revela ions OF life az 1t was in
Ireland half century ago and, with the aid OF scene
painter and stage carpenter, he VIII make pot OF
the present ne must limit himself exclusively 70 the
picturesque and rocKing adventures OF the past.
Mr. FacOner mas done SO III the present. instance ana
hence his success.
There was mighty ado the other day at the
Crystal Palace, where number OF "swells' OF vari
Gus patterns and proportions OF social and literary
humor assembled 70 do hor n to the artists OF the
Comedie FraDcalse, Lord DG1erlD, the final syllable
OF whose name supernuous albeit he Is a capital
fellow, presided, and vast deal OF bad French was
OF the French stage and the actors who thereon.
Cigars were smoked coffee slpped and Strawberries
and cream handed smilingly around beneath the
radiant roof OF the Tropical Department, a place
whose name was in happy accordance with the
genial warmth OF the occasion. In fact all went
merry that "weddIng bell, u which, since 1t
first chimed out IN "Don JuaD,n has become an in
dlspensable metaphor TO image forth the gladness
and gayety at all festive gatherings Lord Gran
| vile, In the course OF long speech, praised the
| Gallo guests TO the seventh heavens. and would
have IL that there is no actng in The world half
| good as thelrs-whicn there isn't.
He argued high, he argued low,
He also argued round about him,
and was evidently listened TO with awe and admra.
ton by the subjects OF MS jealous commentator,
and particularly by M. Got, who, the penny-a-
liners say returned thanks 'ln neat and appropriate
terms" The banquet over, the company dispersed;
but II remains 10 point the moral, which IS that
II may be said OF the Coincide Franchise IN London
truly as IL was or virtue In ancient Rome, Ldudd-
JtI 81 dt0eL IL Is praised and pines. "Flne words
butter no parsnpsn says The homey Old proverb;
and the parsnips or the French players have re.
NAMED unbuitercd save by the metaphorical OIL OF
aduiation They are so well bred, these Parlsian
have not been so. They have had everything except
patronage. why didn't you marry the woman for
love OF whom you went mad ri asked Tom Brown OF
poor Bedlamite Two hundred years ago. ppm mad
enough, IN all conscience but not 80 mad as that
comes ton was the pregnant reply. And so 1t might
have been said or the sweils al the Crystal Palace
There was limit TO their lunaoy. They would DO
any mad thing for the French actors except them
act During the greater part OF their sojourn
among us the matchess actors OF the Coincide
FRANCHISE were playing, If not exactly to empty