12 NOVEMBER 1842, Page 11

THE THEATRES.

The Tempest is again produced at Covent Garden, with increased splen- dour of scenic effect and ingenuity of mechanical contrivance, and, what is of greater importance, a more complete restoration of the text than before. It is now performed as written by SHAKSPERE, with one or two trifling omissions, which should not, because they need not,have been made. The opening-scene, which in Mr. MACREADY'S restoration was cut out-a scenic representation of the " tempest " and the dispersion of the fleet being substituted for the scene on shipboard-is now per- formed ; and the dialogue as written by the author is spoken by the characters on the ship's deck. The curtain rising, displays a gallant vessel, completely rigged and carrying a numerous crew, tossing on a mimic ocean of no small expanse : the seamen climb the masts and furl the sails ; the passengers hurry to and fro in consternation ; and the hoarse voice and whistle of the boatswain are heard above the fury of the storm ; amid the pauses of which the dialogue goes on. 'I he vessel is of the ancient build, with lanterns on the high poop, and painted more gaily than is the fashion now : she rolls and pitches, tacks about, and finally founders ; and had the hull been a trifle less gay, and the sails been an imitation of wet and wind-swollen canvass, instead of being new, dry, and undistended, there would have been nothing to desire. In order to represent the play completely, a ship was needed ; and it certainly is a very good ship, and performs its part, as do the waves, admirably. The scenery of the island is of a different character from that formerly represented, and more tastefully executed. The scene in the first act-a rocky dell forming the bed of a mountain-stream, over- hung with trees, and bright with the rich hues of Tropical flowers-is finely imagined, and most beautifully painted, with the sobriety, force, and refinement of pictorial art: so perfect is the illusion, that it is diffi- cult to determine whether the relief is produced by painting or by mecha- nical means ; nor is the effect diminished by viewing it through a pow-

erful glass. The succeeding scenes are scarcely inferior : the introduc- tion of Tropical plants gives remoteness and luxuriant beauty to the views; and the volcano in eruption, though not an illusion, serves to indicate the nature of the island. A marked distinction is made between the earthly and the visionary scenes. The enchantments of Prospero have a fairy-like lustre and brilliancy, denoting their preternatural cha- racter: the ship with her painted sails set, the sea-shore with its ar- cades of rock, and the pageant of Tritons and Nereids, with Ariel rising in a shell car decked with coral, contrast with the representations of ac- tual nature. The pageant of Ceres and Juno is of too substantial ma- terials: the car of Ceres too obviously needs the track-handle to draw it ; and the colossal proportions of the peacock reduce Juno to a dwarf-though its tail is so resplendent as the golden plumes wave to and fro, that one can scarcely object to it : the golden sickles of the reapers, and the sheaves (or rather wisps) of corn bound with red, are too fine even for an enchanter's work. Not so the tables blazing with cloth of gold, that support the banquet with which Prospero mocks the famish- ing King and courtiers : this is proper regal splendour. The apparition of Ariel as a harpy in this scene is another omission of the former version effectively supplied ; and the rebuke of the " men of sin," before spoken by Prospero, is now uttered by the " foul bird," as SHARSPERE in- tended. Prospero should neither be heard nor seen by the King and his courtiers till the last-for the obvious reason that he would be re- cognized by them as Duke of Milan.

Of the performers little need be said, and that not in the way of comparison : now, as before, they do their best, and give no cause for objection. Mr. and Miss VANDENHOFF, as Prospero and Miranda, be- come the characters well, and speak the poetry with propriety ; though Mr. VANDENHOFF appears to take pains to display the deep tones of his voice, sometimes to the detriment of the sense. Miss RAINFORTH is a " delicate " Arid, and sings very nicely ; but the arch glee of the mischief-loving sprite is foreign to her nature. The most remarkable personation is that of Caliban ; whom BLAND rightly makes a human- ized monster of brute form, with forehead " villanous low," an object of pity rather than aversion : his roaring voice and uncouth action might be subdued a little with advantage. Mr. Parr is a passable Fer- dinand; but his melodramatic training peeps out here and there, and glaringly where he is palsied by Prospero's wand : he writhes as if his sword-arm were afflicted with rheumatism, instead of being merely un- nerved. HARLEY and BARTLEY are the Trinculo and Stephano, as be- fore, and equally amusing : but BARTLEY'S respectable head wants some disguise of hair and complexion to suit the character.

The representation was applauded throughout, and the Tempest just evoked bids fair to be as attractive as the former one. At the same time, we cannot refrain from expressing our opinion that managers would find better account in a rivalry of emulation than one of' imita- tion. Of the thousands who saw The Tempest a few seasons back, but a small proportion will be curious to see in what consists the difference : that interest in the doings of players which prevailed formerly, when theatres were the fashion, is passed away, or at most is confined to a small knot of quidnuncs and partisans. The public require novelty, and care little who supplies it, so that it be good.

The last remarks are applicable likewise to the recent performances, at the Haymarket, of Mrs. FITZWILLTAM, Mrs. HONEY, and Mr. Boca- STONE. These once, perhaps still favourite performers, to judge from their manner and style of acting, appear to think that it is not the cha- racters they assume, but themselves, that people come to see • nor have the half-empty houses that awaited their first appearances, after a long absence in America, helped to dispel this delusion. They will find out their mistake eventually, through the medium of the manager's expe- rience; but it would be better not to wait for so convincing an argument to prove a truth that stares them in the face nightly. The public in the first instance is undoubtedly to blame, for applauding favourite performers indiscriminately, whether they personate a character properly or step from out the assumed part-beyond the line of demarcation that should separate the stage as an ideal world from the audience-and thrust the accomplishments, buffooneries, at'd conscious airs of the individuals, on public notice. It was this " petting " that degraded JOHN REEVE from a humorous personator to a mere buffoon, by allowing 'licence to vio- late consistency of character, and even to outrage decency. We in- stance poor REEVE, because he is passed from the stage of life, a victim to the adulation of sottish satellites, whose rank breath dimmed the lustre of his talents. Many actors, of different degrees of merit, will occur to the recollection of playgoers, sonic of whom owe a sort of slang celebrity to this personal recognition, while others exchange fix it a real reputation : there are some, on the contrary, whose sterling merits, though less obtrusively, are not less generally recognized. Something too much of this. Mrs. FITZWELIIAM'S affectation of juve- nility and vivacity in My LiUle Adopted was not of a kind to incite our curiosity to witness her personation of six different characters in

the m000potylogue written for her by Mr. BacasTonz, entitled the Belle of the Hotel, or American sketches; and the accounts given of the piece ant the performance have not been such as to cause any regret at

the loss. Those who admire such exhibitions-which it is needless to say are very different from MATTHEWS'S " At Domes "-will not need either our recommendation or dissuasion.

The Adelpbi has produced two successful drolleries this week, that recal old times. One is an amusing trifle from the French, called Anthony and Cleopatra, in which two masqueraders, personated by Miss MURRAY and Mr. WRIGHT, living in adjoining attics, make love through the wainscot in a most diverting manner : a dance with the partition between them, and a transfer of moveables at the approach of the

police, elicit shouts of laughter. The other is a clever burlesque of Alma, got up with great splendour : in which Mr. BEDFORD as the Fire-

King, in a red hot suit with flaming cheeks, is grotesque and vocal ; WIELAND, as the imp, out-does PERROT in feats of agility ; and Madame PROCHE GIUBELEI, as Alma, dances at the head of a good corps de bal- let, in a style that would not disgrace the Italian Opera.