Theatre Royal.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2986, 10 September 1878, Page 2

Theatre Royal.

" Hamlet," as produced, at the, above ': heajre last night, was, if anything, a more pronounced success than "Mac beth 'f on Saturday night. In the reception of such a play a great deal may be pothered from the temper of the audience, whioh was last night expressed'in unquali-' t^d approval. Some genuinely honest criticism may often be heard in the street from: people hastening Lome/from /' tbe play; " last night we heard not a'word which did, hot express complete satisfaction. Everyi no seemed, pleased, .and, the .season so au-.piciously, commenced .will, ,we; hope, bring forth even greater successes. Mr (<. V. Chaplin played Hamlet in a most ii'i'slied manner, and itJs due to.the company to-say "'that he wasf-well'supported. LL'hcre Las not been seen _ on. the Thames plage any thing'to equal last' night's per. formance, for years; and' netfer Iwas it 5-urjjcis ;ed. From first to last the sublime fva»c\iy was enacted, with consummate pkil), and tbenndiencewere >amed away with the acting. Mr Chaplin's rendition oi' iiumlet, tbe melancholy Dane, as he is sometimes called, represents the Prince of Denmark as a man' of 1-intense feeling, nearly distraught in the earlier scenes at; his mother's indelicacy in marrying her husband's brother so''soon''after the foimer's death.'- Suspicions "of foul play, fcperatina; on a sensitive mind,"give a waywardness to, his fancy that betokens symptoms of madness, and ronders him an object of "distrust. . But,withal, as Polohius remarks,' there is a> methpd, .in bis madness. The disclosures of. the "spirit of his murdered father confirm the suspicions previously entertained, 'impel him to forego his iove and 'brood upon one thought—revenge! ..We perceived no rei 1 madness in Mr ChapliVsJ'impersonatiun—no simulated madness.; but a highly wrought nature struggling . with]a .deep giief and a determined purpose. The subtleties of the character were brought out in a most finished manner; and the real, or what we take to be the real character of Hamlet, was embodied in a life-like entity; rib erratic departures from the conception, no spasmodic bursts of mad ness-with intervals of sanity; but the brooding of a loving and sensitive nature over a grievous wrong which could be satisfied with nothing short; of- full and complete retribution. Not to attempt any, detail of Mr Chaplin's impersonation, we may say that it is deserving of the highest • commendation, and we feel assured that this will be the universal verdict:l Mrs Walter 'H ill played the Queen in the way '. that slii/ always plays, conscientiously. She-looked !every mcL a! queen, and in the closet scene she was remarkably good, by which it may be inferred that in the less important situations she sustained the character as became a thoroughly capable actress. Miss Lizzie Morgan, as Ophelia, realised what one could conceive of an unhappy maiden bereft of her father and disappointed in her love. Mr J. B. Steele was'as good in the part of Laertes as any, we .ha,ve seen, and his real meats as an actor were, nevermore ably displayed here. Whether as Laerles or first player, he had arduous duties to perform, and he was equal to the occasion. Mr Burford was King and 'the •Ghost. In the latter character he was conventional, and we liked him. ''As King he was at times "even,- 1 and apparently conscientious, though o.pinions may differ as to his correctness,in, the rendering of the soliloquy commencing—! '■.''-

" O, lnveffonce is rank, it smells to heaven 1; "■ Would remorse for. murder and fratricide express ilself so forcibly? Mr Burford may be right, and many of the audience 'seemed to think so, for they vigorously applauded. Mr Musgrave as I'olonius was very good, but'in his .resurrection as the first gravedigger he was belter. Of the minor characters, on . whicL depend so much of the general success of a play like " Hamlet," we can speak favorably ; though differing in merit, (hey deserve recignition, but the confusion of names in _ the cast prevents us'from particularising them. In brief, we* may r'repeat that the performance was in the nature of a revival, and we feel grateful to Mr De Lias for affording such a treat'; to Mr Chaplin for his representation, and to the other members of the company for their excellent support and.generally creditable' impersonations. Tonight a drama founded on Tennyson's pathetic poem, "Enoch Arden," will be presented; and to-morrow I night Mr Chaplin appears in comedy. The intelligence and appreciation of the Thames, community could not better be displayed than in their patrouage of the .company now amongßt us.