Glasgow Courier. — 1847-03-02 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

ADELPRI THEATRE—MR. MACREADY AS "MACBETH?, On Saturday night Mr. Macready appeared at this theatre as Macbeth, Mrs. Warner enacting Lady Macbeth, and Mr. Cooper Macduff Scarcely any one of the pieces in which these performers had previously appeared afforded so advantageous an opportunity for the exercise of their combined efforts; and the occasion is highly worthy of notice as having exemplified perhaps the richest display of talent in the performance of this noble -needy that the public of Glasgow have been enabled to witness many years past... It is, therefore, with no small gratification that we state the house was filled to an extent commensurate with the surpassing interest and attraction of the occasion, being literally crowded in every part. Commentary upon " Macbeth,as a dramatic production, is very apt at the present day to assume a character of triteness, and might well be spared were it not that the characteristics of a performance like that of Mr. Macready almost of necessity involves some consideration of the intrinsic merits of the piece. We shall merely observe, that amongst the whole of Shahspeare's works there is perhaps no one which presents more clear and unequivocal internal evidence than this tragedy of the fact that the great dramatist's powers were exercised, not—as it was the custom of the dull school of criticism of a former day to fancy—in subserv:ence to a blind and unguided impulse of inspiration, but in accordance with high philosophic principles most skilfully applied with the view of evolving a deeply impressive moral lesson. The web of crime which enmeshes Macbeth, rather from yielding weakness of principle than inherent villany, is woven around him by the author with transcendent skill. It is, however, marked by distinctly successive stages of complication; and Mr. Macready's skill is signally exhibited in assigning to each of these their due predominance in the progressive development of the action. The scenes in which the Thane is lured to enter upon a career of treasonable and murderous ambition by the incitements of his wife—that terrible incarnation of feminine thirst for worldly grandeur and distinction, stimulated by cruelty of disposition— gave room for the display of the most truthful ad impressive acting on the part of both Mrs. Warner and Mr. Macready. The air-drawn dagger" scene presented a remarkable specimen of highly-wrought passion mingled with discriminative skill. When at length the murder of Duncan has been perpetrated, the painful effort of dissimulation which Mr. Macready exhibits by his thickened breathing and quivering muscles, when surrounded by the alarmed inmates of the castle, exemplified the profoundest skill of the actor in the delineation of remorse contending with the fear of detection. Our limits, however, will not permit us to trace the varied excellencies of this matchless performance—to comment upon the power and pathos with which Mr. Macready represents the alternate swayings of hope and fear, as his faith in the efficacy of preternatural aid begins to waver—until at length lie grows "aweary of the sun," and pity for his forlorn condition mingles with detestation of his crimes. Of Mrs. Warner's Lady Macbeth we can only afford room to say it was a performance which might stand a comparison with the efforts of the best tragic actresses who have ever essayed the character. Mr. Cooper's Macduff was also an extremely striking and artistic performance.—Last night Mr. Macready appeared as James V. in "the Ring of the Commons," being for his benefit, on which occasion he was greeted by a well-filled house.—We believe that this eminent actor enters to-night upon a short engagement at Greenock.