New-York tribune., 1881-12-25
TOPICS IN LONDON.
AIRS LANGTRY; MRS. BANCROFT; THE
TINES: MR. SWINBURNE.

pavmarket Theatre seem TO have convinced
evcrvbodv that she has adopted the stage as pro-
fession But that is not quite so. The most tna'
can be said is that she is making experiments WIN
n view TO acting. At Twickenham she aStohsnou
her audience by her complete self-possesSsoh anu
knowledge of stage business. 1t was her nlSt "p-
nearance in one sense. She had never before taken
part in a strictly theatrical performance yet OF any
thing like stagefright and nervousness there was
no sign. She showed also surprising knowledge
of some other things essential 10 dramatic sue
cess She knew w to move about the stage, how
10 sit down, and how to come in and go Out-aI
these being matters apparently simple but really
difficult to the novice. But Mrs. Langtry has
served an apprenticeship. For some years she as
been one may say, before the public. She has
moved and had her being beneath hercer light
than that which beats upon the stage. In every
drawing room, in the street, IN the PARK, Mrs'
Langtry has been stared at as no woman was ever
stared at before She is always acting. said an Ill
natured rival. There is sense in which the same
NAV be said of any woman who goes into society.
1t involves no reproach. In Mrs. Langtry's case 1t
has been a school for the stage, and she may well
enough have proftcd by it,
The truth, however. about Mrs Langtry's pro-
fessional plans is this She means to adopt Tn
stage as a profession provided she can act. She
will not go before the public merely as beauty to
be looked at and admired. And she will play Miss
Hardcastle, in GoldSmlths comedy, She Stoops to
Conquer" at the Haymarket next Thursday before
a genuine public, in order TO test her capacity.
morning Performance is to be given in aid of the
ROYAL General Theatrical Fund with the Prince
and Princess of Wales as "patrons" Mrs. Langtry
as star. and a number of well-known professionals
10 fill the piece The house has not been packed.
Tickets have been sold to the first conner. OF
course they sold readily. On Monday last ten days
before the performance not place was to be had
anywhere in the house. If the verdict OF this
audience is favorable it is probable enough that
Mrs. Langtry will devote herself seriously to
theatrical studies. She can afford to wait.
Familiar as her name is to the public she is still IN
the early bloom of her beauty. If II be permissible
TO hazard conjecture as to her should say she
might be twenty-five three. There is unhappiy
no school of dramatic art in England such exists
in France and the actors and actresses of every
position on the stage practically seIf-taught.
That means that in the immense majority OF cases
they begin wholly untauSht If Mrs. Langtry en-
tered on her career tomorrow, she would have as
fair start as anybody. But believe she means
to have recourse to such teachers there arc The
rudnents of elocution may he learned, after
fashion, even in England, though there are few
actors who have avaied themselves OF this advan-
tage. Most of them have taught themselves acting
taught themselves at the expense OF their
troops
The regular season at the Haymarket has opened
with something like failure. Mr.. Tcm Taylors
Plot and Passion" is a drama for which the society
comedy company of the BancrOfts has not the re-
quisite capacity Perhaps it would not much
matter if nobody had precisely the gifts needed TO
bring success 10 such piece. But the production
of 1t here was one of those mistakes which the most
al ,,,ola
times; pursued as they are by the passion for
novelty The house all but riotOus on the first
night. The critics were in a merciiul mood and
softened down the failure as much as justice would
permits but failure 1t was. - Lesson OIL the
ether hand proved triumph for Mrs Bancroft
1t must not he supposed that her LOloHe is the
LolOtie of Madame Chaumont, any more than the
{" Lesson OF Mr. Burnand resembles the LOlutte
of-really | forget who wrote the French original.
Mrs. Bancroft and Nine. Chaumont have not much
in common.
The most remarkable thing about the production
of this trie is the CONSERVATION it produces among
some of Mrs Bancrofts admirers. 1t is the fashion
TO speak of this lady mistress OF all he secrets OF
comedy, and she has been put upon pedestal which
she must at times find TO be OF an awkward eieVA-
ton. clever actress she certainly ls-more
piquant original. and lighter in style than one
often sees on the English stage. But the depths OF
Philistinism in art have never yet been sounded,
and the Philstine mas just reappeared from fresh
plunge with fresh discovery. MI. Bancroft. he
cries out breathlessy is degrading herself by dane
ing igor whatever it be. How can an actress
of her rank and position far forget herself! Aud
there are dark hints that she in danger of remind
ing the pubc of those early days when she trod the
stage in tights and gauze. Mrs. Bancroft was, IN
fact. believe, ballet-dancer; and considering
what she is now the fact is not discredtabe to her.
but creditable. A good ballet-dancer must be
good actress a great one stands far higher in her
profession than moderately good actress. Mrs.
Bancroft has the good to disregard these weak
shrieks and goes dancing whatever her part re-
auires her TO dance which certaiuly cannot be any
thing of the ballet kind.
Some of the London papers are amusing them
selves by pointing out the more astonishing OF the
mistakes for which The Times has managed to create
itself a reputation. Their exposures take a wide
ranpe-mistakes in prOOfreadng. mistakes of pure
ignorance, mistakes of mere careessDess, mistakes
due to bad information and many more. They are
only too numerous and they are sometimes of
kind winch, in a journal of such a reputation,
every journalist must regret to A newspaper
is not bound to know every hing but is bound 10
know whether it knows or not, and not TO say it
knows when it does not know. Perhaps nothing
ever more startled the little world Of journalists
than the announcement of The Times on that mem
orable 18th of October last. touching the Cabinet
Council of the day before. No decision had been
taken with respect to Ireland, we were told Within
an hour or two London was ringing with the n"ws
of Mr. Parnel's arrest I he Cabinet had simply
taken the most important decision of the year Mr
Delane would never have made mistake OF that
kind. lie might or might not have known what
had taken place at the Council, but he would have
known whether ne knew or not. Last week The
Times announced in its most conspicuous place and
type that Parliament would meet in January. 1t
was prorogued that day till February. Not many
DAYS later came another conspicuous piece of mis-
information as TO the date of Prince Leopolds mar