The New York herald., 1874-11-23
THE LONDON THEATRES.
The New Hamiet-Complete Success OF
Mr.. Henry Irving-Great Excitement
In the Theatrtc World.

Mr. henry 1rvlnS-GreoI EXcAtemohs
in the Theatrical World.
MONDAY, Nov. 2, 1874.
On Saturday night "Bamlet" which has been
for some time in preparation, and the production
OF which has for months been looked forward to
with the greatest anxiety was brought out at
the Lyceum Theatre, with Mr.. Henry Irving IN the
principal character. The desire to obtain seats
was something extraordinary. The box office and
the libraries where stalls are to be obtained had
been besieged for weeks beforehand, but the In
variable answer was that "nothing was to be
had.n Mr.. Bateman, the American gentleman
who manages the Lyceum, is snrewd and long
headed man, and ne knew perfectly well that as
1t would be considered the correct thing" to be
present on such an occasion the stalls and boxes
would possibly be filled by crowd Of
.ashionables, who would not understand the
performance and would probably talk to each
other while 1t was gong on. he determined,
therefore, TO reserve such portions OF the house
for those literary men and artists. those Shake
speare worsnippers, those supporters OF the
drama or the Drain as distinguished from the
drama OF the orotheL whose verdict would carry
conviction throughout the length and breadth OF
the land. IL was q bold step to take, but Mr..
Batemans faith in Mr.. Irving has never waned
Tor an instant; he has always declared that the
highest laurels OF the profession were within Mr..
i
with heartiness and liberallty which have done
him great credit, and which have now reaped their
reward. There were other portions or the house,
however. which could not be reserved. but the
manager was pretty sure Of them. With the reRu.
lar British play-goers who crowd into the pit and
gallery, ana who, after all, form the backbone or
q theatres success Mr.. Irving Is an enormous
favorlte. AS early as halfpast three In the after
noon there was a crowd before the theatre doors;
o crowd which remained patiently for more than
three hours, ana which, on entrance being
granted, rushed in and seized every available
place. Tie denizens OF stalls and boxes, too, ar
rived during the performance OF the preparatory
farce. ana just before the rising OF the curtain
the aspect OF the house was very remarkable. 1t
Is very long since such
CROWD OF CELEBRITIES
was gathered together Within the walls Of q
theatre. Novelists are there galore. In the front
row OF the stalls sits Mr.. Charles Reade bald
headed, bland and genial now and again raising
his hand to his ear to assist his hearing. Within 0
short distance or him Miss Thackeray, Mr.. William
Black, Mr.. G. M. Fem and Mr.. Dutt0n Cook. Mrs.
Caslel Hoey Is at one end OF the back row OF the
stalls anu MISS Braddon at the other, while Mr..
Percy Fitzgerald is In the boxas. Journalists so
numerous that you can scarcely count them, from
the whlte-haired veteran John Oxenford who for
FIVE and thirty years has welded the dramatic
thunder OF the Times to young Mr.. MowDray
Morris, who Is winning his spurs on The same
journal Among them George Augustus Saia, who
Is seldom 10 be found IA guilty creature sitting at
play" ana who only comes on great occasions;
Arthur Locker editor OF the Grdphic), Clement
Scott, Henry Blackburn, Charles Dickens, May,
&c. Among tue dramatists are Frank Marshall
James Aloery, R. Reece, palgrave simpson and A.
REPRESENTATIVES OF AMERICA
were Mr.; and Mrs. G. W. smaley; Mr.. James Nc
With Inc exception or Mrs. Boucicaut and Mr.
Coleman, manager OF the York and Leeds theatres,
did not See one ''proiessl0nal' among the
audience.
Mr.. IRvING's IDEA OF THE CHARACTER
Is wholly new, the outcome OF deep thought ana
tion should rather say, Or there are one or tw o
points IN u which are said TO resemble the view
taken by Garrick. lhe performance Of "Hamlet'
Is so universally acknowledged to be the touch
stone OIL dramatic art the test by which an actor
makes or mars lis iuture career. that every mid
de-aged playgoer must have seen scores OF sucn
attempts. But two, however, remain on my mind
those made by Mr.. Charles kean and Mr. Fecnter.
Nj. kean made Hamlet sulky. dlsagreeaDle
person. who regarded the whole world as inlmical
TO him, and took all opportunities oi letting
every one see now mucn he hated them.
Mr.. Fechter represented Hamlet peevlsn,
petulant person, liable to constant outbreaks or
passion. ur Irving's view differs from Doth OF
tnese and while more effective, IS tar more
natural. In MS rendering the question OF Hamets
Madness Is counterfeited, an "antic manner, Is
put on Tor purpose nothing more. He was
never loud, never blatant, bat rarely passionate.
lie TOOK the view OF William Hazltt, the dramatic
| critic who wrote or Hamlet, HE Is ull or weak
ness and melancholy, but there Is no narshness
| in MS nature; he Is the most amlable OF misan-
tnropes. I" The knowledge tnat he was the chosen
| instrument for vengeance upon the king does not
man until lie unmasSs their Ireacnery he treats
Rosencrantz and Gulidenstern with the frank,
ates a OF oa ola days tue
delivered without any rudeness OF manner.
The ever-present sense OF inexorabie impending
| duty Is shown, not by rant or raving, but
| by strange unrest, by the imposslbilty OF ever
being able to fix his attention thoroughly on
augnt else. lie changes his position constantly
now sltting, now standing; MS hand Is forever
wandering over his lace. now pucKlng AZ his
most most unnatural nuruer'' has to be avenged, ana
until tnat vengeance Is accomplished MS brain eX
eudes every other thought.
The average actor will tell you that the charac.
ter OF Hamlet Is un OF wnat are technically called
knows nothiag OF ms art. Such, for instance, are
the soli.oquy beginning, "Oh, what rogue and
4 ough al the top OF ones BREATH anu ended
In wnlrlwind OF passion tue question, .ls II the
kingr after the Killing Of Poionus, IN the closet
scene; the Get thee TO q nuDnery" which Is gen.
ernliy beloved at poor Opnelia as though sne
were a drunken street walker. and the advice to
the players" wnlcn - usually delivered ore ro-
tundO, AS though the Prince ot denmark were
prolessed eocutlonst giving lesson Mr.
Irving's whole performance seemed TO be Il studied
reversal o the Old traditions and Il total apncga-
ton OF points. Ii was as II ue had formed his
pre,slons rom the thunghtiul essay oi tile alorc
named William uazlitt VINO says tnat "ihere
should De as much OF the gentleman and scholar
as possible Unused INTO the part and as little Of
the ACTOR" IL IS nard IN 50 remarkable per-
iormance to make selection out three Things
struck me as oeing so eNquistey rendered that
cannot avoid referring 10 tnem. The first IS the
iareseli To Ophella, the "Get thee to nunnery,"
wnicn is generally so ranted. Anything like the
expression OF his long pent-up agony IN this scene
do not recollect-the deep love and passion for
tue girl the aching fear that she has been 'augnt
to belooi MN the knowledge that her father and
the King are In hiding oenind tae arras 10 spy
upon niin. all these feelings found vent IN the
coug Generation OF soft, eXpostulatory and
reproacniul tones, In whicn the speech
was spoken. The second Is the 'advlce
to the players,n whieA was given with
the exact KIND ol dgniaed familiarity which
one would expect trom prince. There vas
staggering assumption either OF social position
or or tne knowledge OF art, the Suggestions were