Theatre Royal Liverpool Snippets

 

Liverpool Mercury Friday August 9 1833

 

The Merry wives of Windsor got up for Mr Bartley's benefit last Friday afforded nothing worth particular mention, except the earnest and spirited acting of Mr Cooper as Mr Ford; of Mr Andrews as Dr Caius and of Mrs Benwell as Pistol. Both the 'wives' wanted the high finish of the author; and Falstaff fell far short of the rich humour with which the character is drawn. Mr Baker's Slender was too simpering, and evidently conscious of  being a fool. The play went off very well. The new farce of A Nabob for an hour is a simple plot, ingeniously constructed out of a series of very laughable incidents and was receieved as it deserved , with approbation . It is enough to say that the principal characters were admirably sustained by Messrs Bartley, Baker and Mrs Nesbitt. It will doubtless have a good run here- My wife, what wife? is also a highly amusing farce, abounding in the most comical situations of the leading characters, which received full justice at the hands of the above metnioned performers, in addition to Messrs Cooper and Browne

Since the setting of the three 'stars' we have exchanged comedy for tragedy ( excepting the Wife on Monday evening in which Mr Vandenhoff has played several first-rate parts, in his best manner, during the present week. All Sheridan Knowles plays are so full of the exquisite poetry of true natural feeling that we particularly like Mr Vandenhoff's delivery of it , because of his highly refined style of elocution; and for the delicacy with which he discriminates the nicest shades of the author's meaning. His Virginius is in some respects superior to Macready's. Mr V appeared to great advantage as Rolla, the Peruvian leader; and he gave several passages with a commanding energy; while the whole had a keeping of active dignity, which rendered the character strikingly picturesque. We never saw him play Hamlet better than on Wednesday eveningwhen he gave full effect to the many points which he makes in personating that difficult conception of Shakespeare. Mr V's Hamlet is a fine study of nature, it is less bitter and intense than Young's was but more sentimental and melancholy and accordingly more consistent with his continual forebearance towards those around him , whom he knows to be his enemies. The whle character is but a collection of profound truths dug out of human nature with just enough of personality to string them together; and we must confess that never were they delivered with more true taste by any actor Mr Cooke made a very respectable ghost and conducted it's speech and movements with all due solemnity Mr Baker's Polonius was too full of conceit and mannerism; and far more vulgar than we should have expected. Miss Huddart was not above mediocrity as Gertrude, the Queen Mother, she wants self-sustaining dignity in several of the scenes . Miss Semour pleased us as Ophelia.

Virginius will be played tonight, and give a rich treat to the admirers of the author and the actor, as well as to every auditor of sensisbility, directed by good taste

(From a Correspondant)