The Press. — 1854-02-25 (London, England)

PRINCESS'S. IT has seldom been our lot to attend a more dreary performance than the revival of Cibber's Richard the Third at this theatre on Monday last. During three mortal hours and a half we wended our way through murders, processions, and battles, to the final catastrophe ; and we honestly confess that the grim satisfaction which we felt on witnessing the tyrant's death was more owing to the relief thereby afforded to the tedious splendour which had for so long a time op pressed our senses than to the well-merited punishment of heinous and appalling crimes. Yet for this result we do not blame the manager. Having taken upon himself the arduous task of always keeping in stock what is termed a legitimate play, he has not acted unwisely in reproducing Richard the Third, which has been so popular with the English public; and it would be unjust to hold him responsible for defects which it is not in his power to cure. True it is that he has presented us with Cibber's not Shakspeare's version, and has apologised at some length for doing so ; yet we much doubt, even if the original text had been restored, whether the audience would have returned from the fray one whit the gainers. Cibber's hotchpotch is dull enough in all conscience ; but in thes:e days, when a historical play of this kind succeeds more by tradition than actual merit, a pure Shaksperian version, denuded of " So much for Buckingham !" "Richard's himself again !" dm. &c., would fail to raise even a shadow of enthusiasm, no matter how great the talent of the actors. Mr. Kean's Ricliard is quite on a level with the rest of his Shalespearian impersonations. In those parts of the tragedy where he spoke quietly, and in his natural voice, he was at times very effective; but his unmeaning violence and incorrigible faults of emphasis prevail so greatly over the unquestionable merits be possesses that his performance could not be otherwise than painful to a reflecting and well-instructed spectator. The audience on Monday night, however, were by no means of this opinion : they applauded tie play throughout, and clamoured for the her at the close, after a fashion which showed that old, honest., thoroughgoing rant can be as well appreciated and relished ate Prin ce • s's as in a suburban theaTe or a provirffal barn. With the exception of King Henry the Sixth (very indifferently performed by Mr. Graham), there is scarcely another character in the tragedy of any interest. It is but justice, however, to say that Miss Heath, who is a young lady of considerable ability, performed Lady Anne in a highly-satisfactory manner. The play is put upon the stage with an attention to detail and a magnificence of spectacle which render the acting quite of secondary importance. The armour, dresses, ttc. are as perfect as the records of antiquity and the skill of artists can make them—the scenery is a great improvement upon that painted for the pantomime—and, generally speaking, the stage arrangement is judicious and extremely effective. While on this subject we would entreat Mr. Kean not to allow the actors and actresses who address him on the stage to turn their hacks to the audience. This practice, so inveterate in all plays in which Mr. and Mrs. Kean act, is not only meet injurious to the harmony of the general picture, but disposes the sterner critics to suspect (unjustly, no doubt) that the manager thinks more of himself than his brother actors.  ortiga art, yiteraturt, &c.  Exhaustion of space and exergy obliges us to postpone our criticism upon Mr. Gustavus Brooke's per formance, as a rival Richard, at