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The reopening of the Princess's Theatre, signalized by the revival, with peculiar force, of The Merry Wives of Windsor, suggests matter for
reflection. In the first place, when we see how carefully every part in a
long list of dramatis personal is filled, how complete are all the decorative details, and how the exertions of the managers are rewarded by the con- stant sympathies of their audiences, we perceive the advantage of bring- ing out any piece with a view of doing it well. To some this conclusion may seem too axiomatic to require the premises ; but our playgoing readers will be perfectly aware, that in the minds of many managers the necessity of doing things well is by no means admitted as a matter of course. Sometimes a feverish anxiety to change the bill will induce the
manager suddenly to revive a neglected stock-piece, which he never ex- pects to "run," and on which, therefore, he bestows no pains. Some- times a "star" is engaged, whose line of business is totally incompatible with the ordinary performances of an establishment. In this latter case, a number of persons are pressed into a service for which they have not been trained ; a mediocrity of ensemble is the best result that can be, ex- pected ; and the star, like the luminary from which he takes his name, shines from the midst of darkness. The audience and the critics are goodhumoured enough to look at the star only, and to value the scenes he does not illustrate as things of no moment. Thus, the rank, and file—the prosaic declaimers of verse, the comical tragedians,, and tho tragical come- dians—escape loud censure, for it is well known that they are forced out of their vocation ; but there is a strong implied censure in the frigidity with which the entire drama is received, broken though it be by the plau- dits bestowed on the hero of the evening.
Now, Messrs. Kean and Keeley have most conscientiously avoided the practice of getting up a piece anyhow. They engage no stars ; they col- lect around them a good working company; and they revive an old piece with all the care they would bestow on an original work. Hence, the dramas they bring out are few in number ; there is no change made for the sake of change alone, every piece being put on the stage in the hope that it will attract for a great number of evenings. Opinions may differ as to the performance of individual parts, but such an ensemble as that of The Merry Wives of Windsor must command the respect of an impartial audience.
Another point which is suggested to our consideration on the occasion of this revival, is the difficulty of applying a just standard of criticism to the representation of pieces that have long held possession of the stage.. Two schools, working on different principles, are brought immediately before our eyes. On the one hand, there is Mr. Kean giving the most natural representation of Ford's jealousy, making it just sharp enough to tease, without becoming tragic ; and there is Mr. Wigan treating Dr. Colas not as a buffoon, but as an actual Frenchman. On the other hand, there is Mr. Harley filling out the character of Slender with all sorts of grotesque action, and rendering him as unlike nature as a chancier can possibly be. At first sight it seems easy to decide that Messrs. Kean and Wigan are right and that Mr. Harley is wrong ; but the sweeping condemnation would be most unjust. It is not Mr. Harley's fault that Slender is so odd a crea- tion : he has merely added a little grotesqueness of his own to a re- ceived tradition, which marks certain old characters as standing beyond the sphere of ordinary humanity. A violent reform would abolish isadi- tions altogether, where they are incompatible with the deductions of common sense ; and there is not the slightest doubt that if any footman in a modern farce trotted after his master as John Rugby trots after, Caius, he would be hooted from the boards. But while the principle of tradition is tolerated, its practical results must be tolerated likewise; and, in getting together a strong company like that at the Princess's, it is im- possible to avoid an assemblage of schools inconsistent with each other. While commending Messrs. Kean and Keeley's principle of manage- ment, we must, however' protest against the retention in the bills of such feeble pieces as Town and Country. They are neither fitted for the gene- ral public of the present age nor for the elite of any age at all. A short comedy, on the old idea of making one man sin and, another suffer, has been brought out at this theatre, under the title of Tender Pre- cautions. It is carefully though not brilliantly written; and the acting of Mr. Keeley as the sufferer, and him. Keeley as his jealous wife, wrongly convinced of his infidelity, is in every way' worthy of those dis- tinguished artists.
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