Covent-Garden Theatre.
The Times, 1824-05-04T00:00:00

The first part of Shakepeare's 7flenry the Foturth was revived at Covent-garden Theatre last night; and Air. Charles Kemble per- formed Falstaef for the first time in London. There was room for this experiment of *' high comedv" actipg in the character. Cooke was harsh and angular; but he played it better than any man who has followed hin. Stephen Kcmble never bad anv pretensions to it bevond those of personal proportion. Mathew's tried it once, and it was very bad indeed; Bartley understands wfhat he is about, but he wants fbrce for a large theatre; Fawcett and Dowton are co- mical, but in a key too lowr to be genuine for Fafdea$ Dowton's is the richest and imost intellectual representation of the character. but even his acting never gives us a suegestion of what Faldsaff has been in his earlier days. The fault of all our " stock" Falstaqjs is, that we laugh too much at them rather than witi them; for the balance of wit, in truth, is all in Fal- staffs favour. Men of all ranks " talce pride to gird" at him; but, Devil or Don, he gives the best of them aS good as thev bring. Touch him wrhere you will, and hia replv is readv. Ne man " speaks daggers" quicker, although he cares to " use none." Rogue, glut- ton, coward, he is still never contemptible for a moment; for there is not a vice, nor a folly, in his whole composition,that he doesnot sce as plainly as we do ourselves, and laugh at as heartilr. He knows the Prince (in snite of blank verse) as well everv bit as the Prince knows him. The lies about the " men in buckram " the analysis of " honour;" the" King's press," and his " misuse" of it! X hv, the inventor of these things alone has philosophy enough in him to endow six colleges! But our low comedv Falstefls_this is what we complain of-seldom get an to this nitch. They are too much "engrossed" to the " sack," and the " unbuttoning" them " after -spper." Thev never leave us in doubt-Elliston now in this point would succeed to a miracle-whether they have not (after all) packed the joke, which is enjoyed at their expense; and still less have thev any ofthe patrician air andsniritwhich ought todistinguish Falstaff, even in his debaucleries and misdoings. " Jack" with the Prince and his companions;" John" with "m ny brothers au,d sisters ;" but " Sir John" with " all Europe." Sir .John is a Knight and a courtier. He has compassed a galliard in his dav-a cross caper, and a coranto. RTe is a soldier-though not "John of4aunt"-andhasmoved among people og certain rank. This is a fact too much apt to be overlooked. And h. it is that the personal attributes of Mir. Kemble, as well as his gJeral style of acting, come in to help him, and might, as it seems to us, take more scope than he at present allows them. His figure carries the necessary bulk, with something like proportion and con- veniency; and his face looks striking and handsome through the fattening: but he hardly gave those advantages fair play last night. He acted-as all our FalstqlT> do-too much as if he had been old from the hour of his birth ; rnt as though he had taken to 'capons" and " sleeping upon benches" about forty. His best scenes were those in the latter part of the plav, and he was warmly applauded throughout; but still he did not succeed in giving that triumphant tone-that high joyous spirit distinct from low comedv humour to tue character-which we had hoped for in seeing it pass to the hands of an actor of his order. The onlv material novelty in the piece besides Mr. Kemble's FaITtaffis Alr. Young's appearance in Hotsptr; and it is not so goodr as the common run of his performances. The " familiar" style is not to be trifled with . it must bet very happy, or it is quite intolerable. lPe doubt whc;her Hotfspur wvould condescend to mimic the " Popinjay" whom 'he so sturdily vituperates. On serious business, too-and in the King'c presence-ix were a jest certainlyasivell avoided. Again,lr. Young's reading of the letter in the scene at Warkwvorth, in the second act, is too passionate altogether and violent for the occasion. We object, also, even to be conversational at the expense of substituting the Scottish " a'" in speech for the pronoun " I," or convertingan " I will" into " I'll," where the blank verse is manifestly destroy- ed by such alterationi. There islittle(asto-ctine)intheremainderof the play which calls fornotice; but the "gettingup" throughoutis ofthe mostcostlyandtasteful description. The Rochesterscene,and the camp near Shrewvsburyv areboth admirably painted; andnothingcan exceed the splendour of the armour and the dre.ses worn even by the minor characters. Two score of gentlemen, whose names one never hears of, are clad in suits which " top tragedians" would not take shame to wear. Mir. Cooper was very bad in Prinjec Henry-5Mr. Jones should have played the part; but on the whole, the piece was well received by a very crowded house, and it was given out for repetition with general applause. COVENTT-GARDEAN THEATRE.