THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1356, 19 June 1878, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

Although the judgment of the management is questionable in placing so exacting a play as “ Hamlet ” on the stage last night, still, upon the whole, the performance was more satisfactory than might have been expected. Mr Dillon, in undertaking so arduous a character as the Prince of Denmark, of necessity challenges comparison with other artists who have preceded him, and he has no reasonable cause of complaint if his performance is judged by this standard. He takes the conventional reading of the character, the keynote of which js the assumed madness of Hamlet, the “antic disposition” put on for the purpose of revenging his father’s murder. Without entering upon the question of the accuracy of this conception which, with the majority of Shakspearian critics, is the favorite one, we are free to admit that Mr Dillon fairly succeeded in giving an intelligent, and in many respects effective, rendering of the character. His performance, though unequal, gave evidence of study, but the general effect was injured by the same peculiarities of intonation which we have before remarked. It would seem that when Mr Dillon has to deliver blank verse he loses mastery over his voice, and the effect he would otherwise undoubtedly produce is diminished accordingly. In the torrent of passion this mannerism disappears, and then he legitimately succeeds in bringing forth the spontaneous plaudits of the audience. Hence the declamatory portions of the text left nothing to be desired, but the more thoughtful soliloquies, and notably the famous advice to the players, fell flat upon the ear, and failed to satisfy the expectations he had previously raised. The closet scene was the most successful in the play, in which Mr Dillon was ably seconded by Miss Tilly Andrews as the Queen, this lady sustaining the character throughout with judgment and ability. Miss Pender gave a poetic rendering of Ophelia, the famous mad scene being full of pathos. As the ghost, Mr Hoskins furnished a valuable lesson in elocution to all young actors, at the same his masterly performance served as a damaging foil to the incompetent efforts of moat of the subordinate characters. Mr Hill was out of his line in character of Polonius, succeeding much better as the gravedigger, which he assumed in the place of Mr J. P. Hydes, who, though announced for the part, did not appear. Mr Tom Burton, when he has a more intimate acquaintance with the text, may possibly succeed in giving a respectable rendering of the Majesty of Denmark, but certainly his performance last night could not be regarded as in any way satisfactory. Mr Graham played well as Laertes, and, if he does not suffer his ambition to flag, has a bright future before him. Of the remainder of the characters, the most charitable disposal would be in the words of Hamlet, “the rest is silence.”

“ lugomar ” and “ 111 Treated Trovatore ” will constitute the bill this evening.