88 



Monthly Theatrical Report. 



[JAN. 



let" and " Othello" are already enshrined. 

 Criticism and comparison have nothing to do 

 with them ; yet even they may be seen too 

 often. But one exception may be made 

 Charles Kemble's Fahtaff in the First 

 Part of Henry the Fourth. It is incompa- 

 rably the best that we have seen, after seeing 

 all the humourists in succession, and seeing 

 them all with pleasure. Mathews conceived 

 the part with the spirit of the author ; but his 

 figure was against him, and all the pillows 

 of the earth could not make the spectator be- 

 lieve that he was the fat knight. Dowton's 

 pleasantry was excellent ; but his figure was 

 too much undersized, and the illusion was de- 

 stroyed. Charles Kemble looks the living 

 man ; and his humour is even more fitted 

 for Falstaffthan the dexterous form of Ma- 

 thews, or the rich drollery of Dowton. Fal- 

 staff is not so much a merry man as a hu- 

 mourist ; and the pleasantry of the part arises 

 in no trivial degree from the gravity of the 

 individual. He is perpetually the but of 

 others, who rate him unmercifully ; and the 

 amusement of the audience arises chiefly from 

 the audacious and indefatigable assurance 

 with which he attempts to outface charges 

 and detections which he thoroughly dislikes. 

 His character is sly evasion, or bold lying. He 

 outwits no one but Master Shallow, and 

 tramples on no one but his fiery-faced fol- 

 lower. Even Dame Quickly makes a fair 

 fight with him. Before Prince Harry he 

 is a perpetual fugitive. Kemble personates 

 the fat knight, to all points, in a manner that 

 does great credit to his conception. 



The " Seraglio" has sustained itself at 

 Covent Garden. The admirable beauty of 

 the scenery, and the general skill of the equip- 

 ment, have kept it alive. The music, too, is 

 of course better performed, by repetition ; 

 though we may be fairly justified in express- 

 ing our fear that Wrench, Power, and Pen- 

 son pleasant fellows as they are were never 

 intended by nature for singing Mozart ; and 

 that their being led to do so is nearly as 

 great a surprise to themselves as to their au- 

 dience. 



" Othello," performed with the strength 

 of the house, deserves more than the passing 

 remark that we can give it. Young's lago, 

 Charles Kemble's Cassio, and Kean's Moor 

 are unrivalled, and unrivallable by any thing 

 upon the European stage. It has been thus 

 performed but lately, and will doubtless form 

 one of the principal displays of the theatre 

 during the season. Young's lago is at least 

 equal to any of his performances, and in this 

 we mean to speak highly of it ; for we have 

 a high opinion of the capacity and conception 

 of this very able performer. Charles Kem- 

 ble's showy and unsuspicious drunkard has 

 been long at the head of its class. Nothing 

 in intoxication can be more graphic, yet 

 freer from grossness. His Cassio is the gen- 

 tleman, in the midst of his excess, and pre- 

 serves the respect of the audience in the full 

 swing of folly. 



Kean's Othello was, a few years since, the 

 finest performance on the stage. The part 

 seemed, beyond all others, to have been writ- 

 ten for him. His crabbedness, ferocity, and 

 alternate restraint and bursts of rage, seemed 

 made for the man before our eyes. But cir- 

 cumstances have largely altered since. Ill- 

 health and ill-fortune have relaxed the sinews 

 of this distinguished performer; and his 

 Othello has suffered in the general feebleness 

 of his frame. However, it still contains fine 

 points the early energy starts out from time 

 to time and those electric splendours, which 

 once shone perpetually, if they are now more 

 rare, yet can still flash with a brilliancy that 

 reminds us of their original power. 



At Drury Lane, the altered opera of the 

 " Pirates" continues its popularity. Braham 

 sings with the indefatigable spirit and skill 

 that have long made him the Prince of Eng- 

 lish singers ; and Mrs. Glossop who still 

 absurdly determines not to be an English- 

 woman, thinks that Madame has witchery in 

 the sound, and is content to throw a slur on 

 her reputation, by resuming her unmarried 

 name goes on singing with the same defects 

 and merits as usual. Her voice is wiry, and 

 she sings with distressing effort ; but her 

 execution is admirable, and her style brilliant. 

 A new opera ought to be found for her ; for 

 the world will soon grow tired of excellence 

 in the same shape for ever ; and the adaptor 

 of the " Pirates" ought to be set to work. 

 The " Haunted Tower" has enough of Sto- 

 race to build a little of our modern melodies 

 upon, and enough of Cobb, to allow of the 

 engrafting of a little of Dimond. We by no 

 means coincide in the opinion expressed of 

 this adaptor's want of skill. On the contrary, 

 we think that he has done as much with the 

 " Seraglio" and the " Pirates" as could 

 fairly be expected. His task was difficult. 

 Both operas were worn out. The dialogue 

 and plot in both were meagre beyond endu- 

 rance ; and now, if neither plot or dialogue 

 are quite worthy of Sheridan, nor likely to 

 eclipse the " Duenna," they are at least quite 

 as ingenious as the general performances of 

 the day. 



Young Kean has played occasionally.. But 

 if his vocation is the stage at all, he must take 

 time, and exercise his powers diligently, be- 

 fore he can take any satisfactory rank on the 

 boards. His voice has the huskiness of his 

 father's, without the force ; and his manner 

 is so close an imitation, that its defects be- 

 come the more striking from the comparison. 



He has obvious intelligence he conceives 

 well but nature has been stern to him ; and 

 nothing but the development of new powers, 

 or the most extraordinary result of unwearied 

 diligence, can make him so far successful as 

 to render productive or prudent his devoting 

 himself to the stage. 



But all tragedy, comedy, opera, and 

 farce may be dismissed. The pantomimes 

 are coming, that will throw them all into 

 shade the pantomimes, that are as exclu- 



