8 THE THEATRE. 



both ; but the latter is evidently her forte ; and her Jtiliet the 

 best character which she has performed here. Mrs. Horsman is 

 not a stranger to a Plymouth audience, and is known as an actress 

 of much ability ; her Fenella, in Masaniello, was a judicious and 

 pathetic piece of acting. 



Miss Jarman is decidedly the best singer that ever yet apj)eared 

 on our stage as one of the company ; she has brilliant execution, 

 admirable articulation in running passages, perfect intonation, 

 and a great deal of feeling. 



Miss Hempel, has a powerful and sweet voice, combined with 

 much feeling; and, in process of time, will acquire taste, articu- 

 lation, and accuracy of tone — great allowance ought to be made 

 for her at present, on account of her youth and inexperience, as 

 she has been but a few months on the stage. Critics have 

 dealt hardly with her, but she has borne their severity with much 

 good humour; and still does her best. From her vivacity and 

 feeling she will certainly make a good performer in light, lively 

 characters. 



On Monday, December 29th, Mr. Kean made his appearance 

 as Richard III. : it would be almost supererogatory in us to 

 attempt any critical remarks upon his performance, since his 

 abilities have been so often and so justly treated by much more 

 cjipable pens. It is evident that he has studied this part with 

 great care, and fully understands the character which Shakspeare 

 conceived. In every gesture, and word, and apparently in every 

 thought, he was the fiendish tyrant — the remorseless murderer — 

 the incarnate devil — Richard, Duke of Glo'ster. 



Perhaps no incident in the whole performance better displayed 

 the talent of Kean in embodying Shakspeare's idea than that part 

 of the scene subsequent to his murder of King Henry VI.; in 

 which he says of his uplifted weapon — still hot with blood — 



** How my sword weeps," Sec. Ike. 



He made a beautiful point also in the tent scene. 0'ei*worn 

 by his horrid dream, and unnerved by the shadows of the mur- 

 dered victims of his ambition ; wearied with watching, and torn 

 by contending passions — his physical frame seems bowed down 

 apparently beyond the power of exertion — an approaching foot- 

 step is heard near his tent, and, with wonderful energy, like the 

 quick convulsive n:iovement of a dying man, he gathers up his 

 faculties, strong as a giant, to meet the enemy : Sir William 

 Catesby enters — a friend — Nature, overpowered by her superhu- 

 man excitem.ent, is paralysed to the weakness of a child. 



We would gladly go iaitlier, did our space admit, into the de- 

 tails of this performance, which stam).s Mr. Kean as an actor of 

 the highest promise : time, experience, and his own judgment will 

 do all for him all that is needful to place him at the acme of his 

 profession. It might appear invidious and fool-hardy to compare • 

 him with his father; but how much soever he may now rank be- 

 low him — on the whole — as an actor, it is certain that he has 

 avoided many of his faults, and is in some instances superior to him. 



