KING LEAR.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5635, 22 April 1879, Page 3

KING LEAR.

A very largo audience braved the cold and stormy weather last night to attend the Imperial Opera House, in order to witness the excellent representation of .-ihakspere’s “ King Lear” presented to the public by the company which bus been brought hero by Hr. George Darrell. We saw many veteran playgoers present who always make a point of patronising any representation of the legitimate drama in the hope that something will bn placed before them which may equal or excel their recollections of by-gone days, peopled by memories of Keane or Macready. We honestly believe that most, if not all of them went away convinced that the chief actor, Mr. William Creswick, is an artist of consummate talent, with the true dramatic fire and enthusiasm moving him throughout his representation. During the whole performance it would be difficult to pick .a serious .fault ; the careful study and finish which has been bestowed by the actor on the role of King Lear was apparent 'from the opening scene. The power of pathos betrayed in the, many moving scenes of this somewhat mournful tragedy was 'such as is seldom equalled, and more than once deeply affected almost the whole audience. Their attention was kept closely rivetted to the business on the stage during the whole play. In the two concluding acts more especially a breathless interest was displayed. It is well known that the profession value this tribute to their power even more highly than loud and continued applause. It is no doubt true a Wellington audience is never very demonstrative, but a more attentive gathering than the woli-filled Opera House Contained last night could not be desired by the most cxigeant lover of the dramatic aft. The applause was given heartily and, frequently, and both Mr. Creswick and Miss Helen Ashton were repeatedly called beforti the curtain ; but, speaking" with some amateur knowledge of the craft, we venture to say that the boat and sincorest tribute to a dramatist’s power of delineation is the breathless, spell-bound, and absorbing interest, which especially marked the performance last night, | At about ten minutes past eight the curtain | rose '.to the, first ert»o, in which, after the first few linos,of introductory matter, almost all the characters are represented. Thomiseen Heine was simply perfect, and the rich and magnificent dresses Were the subject of general remark ; the scenery also was all that could be desired, and certain it- is that tho ! general effect of tho acting was enhanced by the perfect fitness of'the surroundings. The company as a whole is very strong. The well-contrasted styles of the three sister V daughters of King Lear, helped' to preserve the identity of each one very distinct, and to prevent any contusion arising in the minds of those who were not students of Shakspore. If a grand pioturo by one of tho old masters of an aged king, with benign features, snowy locks and beard, clad in purple robes edged with ermine, wore suddenly to have life infused into it, and, talcing bodily form, were to tread the boards of our Opera House, instinct with dignity and lifa, and looking "every inch a king,” the apparition would not bo a more perfect embodiment of the part than Mr. Creswick presents. With a fine bodily presence he combines a voice of, much pompass, depth, and richness, blended with a quality so rare and so desirable that his great power of pleasing must be held to he largely due to it. It is this—when his voice is raised to tho higher notes called forth by anger or emotion, while equally full of expression, it certainly gains in tone and timbre just at the point where most other voices either fail cr become harsh and strained. The fine character of tho benevolent old King who, when spurned and contemned by his ungrateful'daughters, is more inclined to weep over their sin than to upbraid, is too well known to hear description. When, at last, moved to just anger, he vents his wrath in a curse so dreadful and appalling as To make' one’s flesh creep with horror, the wicked ingratitude which has called it forth makes one forgive tho bitter animosity of the speaker. The curse of sterility, on his daughter, which is demanded, seems a fit punishment for the ingratitude of one who has forgotten her filial "Boncl.**--’ Solemn ’ invective Is seldom heard in English nowadays, but if any person desires to hear one of the most awful -and Bout-thrilling curses in the mother tongue, delivered with all the force and correctness which training and study can impart 1 to the : words, he cannot do better than go ; to hear Mr. Creswick’s rendering of the passage in the fourth scene of the first act of “ King Lear,” which concludes:— ,

U iho must teem, Create her child of spleen ; that it may live, Ami be a thwart disuatur’d torment to her 1 Lot it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;. ■ V.’Uh cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks ; Turn ali her mother’s pains and benefits, To laughter and contempt; that she may _ Tell how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child 1 There were many other points which we had marked ■ for special notice if time and space had. permitted, but we find it impossible to make anything like an exhaustive critique upon a first notice. Mr. Creswick was wonderfully pathetic in those scenes in the fourth act in which he appeared as a man bereft of reason, but with a brain harassed by mournful recollections, and capable of giving vent at times to strange disjointed scraps of wisdom, born of the' troubles which upset the balance of a noble mind. Miss Helen Adi tun as Cordelia, appears but seldom in the play, nevertheless it forms one of the most touching and calmly beautiful of all Shakspere’s female characters, In the first scene her part it’ hardly » gracious’oco, and the way in which sho is slighted by King Lear, but heartily championed by the Earl of Kent, to some extent distracts the attention of the beholder from the finished beauty of her acting. But in the closing scenes of the tragedy when Lear with a mind restored first recognises tho worth and affection of the daughter to whom ho had formerly bequeathed “ her truth ” as her sole dower, Miss Ashton’s acting realises all that we have heard of it. In the final scene her simulation of death is painfully real, and the character is faithfully and tastefully pourtrayed. Tho whole cast was most remarkably strong.' Miss S. Navaro as Goneril, and Miss Bessie Yivian as Began, acted well und with much judgment. Mr. Charles Burford.as Edmund, the illegitimate son, and Mr. H. H. Vincent as Edgar, tho legitimate son of tho Earl of Gloster—Mr. Sterling White as Kent, and Mr. Harry Power as Oswald, were those whoso merits struck us’ most. But we have no desire to withhold praise from others to whom on a first appearance wo could not devote any special attention. Everyone was pleased, and many were loud in their praises. If asked what we desired to note as faults wo should be inclined to press for a shortening of the time, if possible. The play began at 10 minutes after 8, and lasted till 11.30 ; on tho first night things do not work very smooth, but we trust the time may bo considerably shortened. The stage fighting at tho commencement of act 11, between the two brothers was a perfect farce, but in tho duel in act V. it was much better. The pursuit of Edgar by two supers, without swords was laughable, and the audience' appreciated the joke, which was none tho less out of place. So good an actor as Mr. Creswick, worthily supported as ho is by a really excellent cast, well trained, and evidently playing with the full benefit of careful rehearsal, will, we hope, receive such open-handed patronage, as Englishmen ought freely to accord to those who undertake.the arduous task of representing the noblest plays of our greatest bard.