The Hamlet of Mr. Charles Kean, with which he recreated
the Court on Thursday and the Haymarket public on Monday, exhibits him to more ad- vantage than any character which he has acted since the production of the Wife's Secret. As some prime donne pay especial attention to their Norma, or some other "crack part," and raise it to a point to which they do not even attempt to elevate their other characters, so does the Hamlet of Mr. Kean give evidence of a thorough study, which we do not find elsewhere, and hence a certain artistical finish marks it out from the rest of his impersona- tions. In several respects he is a far better actor than when he played in Lon- don prior to his last visit to America. He has learned to subdue those vio- lences of voice and gesture which occasionally approached the ludicrous with- out sacrificing any favourite point. The Gertrude of Mrs. Warner is well known to all habitues. Mrs. Warner is engaged, we believe, to play this part only; having also acted it at "the Rubens Room." If a few more of the lead- ing performers had been engaged in a similar manner, we might have beard less of the grumblings, which are said to be rife among the members of a somewhat irritable profession. Mrs. Charles Kean steps out of her usual path to play Ophelia; and does the part so nicely, the ballad-singing included, that none will regret the deviation. The wits of the day raise their voices about the omission of the grave-scene at the Palace. A Shaksperian war-whoop will always be popular; nevertheless, it would have been a difficult and disagreeable scene to manage in a drawingroom. At the Haymarket it is, of course, restored; and Keeley is inimitable as the Gravedigger.
Previous page
