The New York herald., 1873-10-14
First Appearance Of Mr.. Henry
Irving as Richelieu---Great
Excitement i'm the The
atrical World.
THE CELEBRITIES PRESENT.
Conduct Of London Gallery Audience
Mr. Irving's Performance Good,
but Not Great.
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.
A Single-PaFt ActCr---Mr. RObertS0n'S Comedies
and Mrs. Bancrolt'S Company.

LONDON, Sept. 29 1878.
Among the London actors OF the present day MI.
Henry Irving unquestionably occupies tho most
prominent position. young man-not more tnan
two and thirty-he is not merely an enormous
favorite with the general public, but has his rank
allowed by those who have made the drama
study, and by the leading professors of his art.
This position has not been fortuitously obtained.
1t is the result OF natural talent strengthened and
educated by hard provincial training. dozen
years ago Mr.. Irving came to London with the idea
that, having as very young man been successful
in such small parts he had been entrusted with
in the Edinburgh theatre. he was bound to make
metropolitan success He played o small
part in bold adaptation OF French
drama, such part as man OF experience
might have elevated into recognition. The
young man had had no experience, and the part
was overlooked. The actor did not fail; he was
ignored. With great wisdom and selfdenial Mr..
Irving Immediately returned to the provinces and
reoined the ranks from which he had attempted
to emerge. Six seven years. hard labor brought
him his reward. He came to London, and his per-
formance Rawdon Scudamore, IN Bouccault's
play OF Hunted Down." showed that we had
valuable addition to our miseraby small corps Of
artistic actors. Since then Mr.. Irvings career has
been slowly but surely progressive. His acting in
"Uncle Dicks Darling,' at the Gayetv, and "The
Two Roses" at the Vaudeville, showed a keen
conception OF character and good powers OF
portrayal-showed a man not content with
speaking the language provided by the author
and d0nning the clothes provided by the cos.
tuner, but with sufficient mental power to vlvify
tho black and make every sentence tell. 1t was
not, however, until about twelve months since
that Mr.. Irving strobe out from the foremost line
Of average actors and took up a position by HIM
SELF At the Lyceum Theatre, under the manage
ment Of well known American gentleman, in
piece called "The Bells, ingeniously adapted from
MN. Erckmann-Chatrian's dramatic sketch LIE Jatir
F0tonats, he played wild, weird character,
which he invested with such intensity. with such
ftful CLEANS Of lurid light and Jagged angles OF
shade, with such extraordinary energy and such
rapt force, as TO create sensation unequaled for
many years. 1t was his success In 'The Bellsn
which lifted Mr.. Irving to the pinnacle which he
stands 1t win, i M mistake take not, be the influence
have to contend against, with all the power at his
command, to prevent his being topped over.
CHARLES THE FIRST AND EUGENE ARAM.
Mr.. Irvings next appearance was in 'Charles
the First quasi historical play In which nistor
pose Of wntewasHnS Se King it had been
shrewdy surmised that 1t was Mr.. Irving IS per-
sonal appearance which ilrst suggested to hls In.
Mr.. Wills. one OF those rising geniuses who very
seldom Goat into To- to prepare blank verse
the hero. There some pretty writing in this
play. and Mr.. Iryng's acting was delicate and
certain declamatory bursts against Cromwell and
his comrades, rising into the region Of high art
were invested. Not SO much could be said
ior Eugene Aram," which was was decidedly I,cn
Mr. W was Desperately aui and @ tedloa
and Mr.: lrving's acting was void Of interest and
his performance in "The Bells" lacked light and
shade, and that there was not suhcient contrast
m aUiued had DESTROYED all evidences
OF his guilt and the period of ais detection. 1t mad
been objected also that lin IN the same @ character MS
unlntelliglble rawlings. II these faults had been
noticeable in Tne Bells. they were revived IN
ance painful in the highest degree, and from which
one came away without pleasant remembrance.
1t was well known in theatrical circles, be opened
with .Rcheieu," and the event was anticipated
with the greatest curiosity.
ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE OF "RIcHELIEu.n
'RicheIieu. was originally produced at Covent
isse its author SIR Edward B1iwer @ who d died LORD
Lytton having been created baronet during the
previous year. II was his second dramatic work,
his first and most lastingy successful play, ''The
Lady OF Lyons,n having been produced few
months previously. The cast Of ''RicheIieu" COM
cready then in the zenith of his fame, was the
Cardinal; Mr.. James Anderson, a veteran who is
even now upon the London boards and who then
was the embodiment OF manly grace, was the Chew
alier de Mauprat; Mr.. Warde-if mistake not an
American-was the cunning Baradas; Miss Helen
Fauclt, now MRS Theodore Martin, was Julie,
and Mr. Phelps, who for many years past has
the smni hut mnortant nart Of gesenh the .ar.
dnaps attendant monk Since Mr.. Macreadys re-
tirement from the stage Mr.. Phelps has beenooked
upon his Legitimate successor, and has con.
stanty played kcneleu with very great success.
The play, though often acted in the provinces, is
rarely revived in London, 1t being honestly con-
iessed that the principal character is quite out
OF the range Of ordinary nisrionlc ability and that
to win or lose 1t all.n
ASPECT OF THE AUDIENCE.
1t is not surprising, therefore, that on such m
occasion every seat in the house was occupied.
who usually attend first night representations are
or ought to be- still away from London, the stalls
faces pa In addition to the proiessonal m crtic
noticed Miss Braddon Mrs. Boucicault, Sir Bruce
Seton, Mr.. Hodgson, X. A., Mr.. Charles Dickens, Mr.
the Old Bailey; Mr.. James Whistler, whose clever
eccentricties in art SO bewder the lrequenters OF
Is about to be the subject Of an action or libel pub
lished in the Horned, of which he is proprietor;
Mr.. Hollingshead, the manager OF the Gaiety, and
host OF actors and actresses The pit was packed,
and the gallery crammed by mob which, quiet at
and at one time threatened to put stop TO the
performance. IL has been my lot 10 be present at
many exhibitions OF feeling on the occasion OF the
atrcal represen tations, but do not think was
ever before deafened by such O whirl OF yelling,
shr1Ie,sing. 1 whisting, catcaling. and.clapping
and footstamplng as that which followed the inter-
val between the fall OF the curtain on the drst
and and its rise on the second act. The occa-
named Howard who by his tremendous
voice and exaggerated gestures had pleased them
ereatly. Mr.. Howard, doubtless, was changing his
costume and could not come but no apology was
maue lor nln1, and, apparently under the pres
dency VI young man without his coat and with
his shirt sleeves tucked up the mob continued TO
roar on, utterly unmndiul OF Mr.. Robert Stoepe
ana MS lnstrumentals who were endeavoring 10
propitiate IT, l am afraid that this mob interlered
very much with the real pleasure OF the evening
III asserted Itself perpetually, and was I'm the Wild
est extremes as regards both its applause and its
disapprobatlon; only so far as the applause was
concerned, II unfortunately always bestowed n in
the wrong place.
MR. IRvING'S PERFORMANCE
Has Mr.. Irving made progressive step I'm his
procession by his performance or RicheeuY /
should say that he had though ut the same time
10 would be absurd To aver that he fulfilled the ex.
pectations OF the most critical among his audience
- Ga4A d q