In producing _The Winter's Tale_ at the Lyceum, that most charming young
actress, Miss MARY ANDERSON, deserves well, not only of her country (if
she insists upon calling England "abroad," like some of her
compatriots), but also of our country, which, I presume, was furthermore
the country of her ancestors. If the shade of Master WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE
will pardon the liberty, the play is a very good one. It has an
interesting plot, with plenty of scope for good acting, good music, and
last, and not least, good scenery. Why it should not have been revived
before I cannot imagine, unless it be that London theatres have men and
not ladies to manage them. Had it been produced in the IRVING _regime_,
Miss ELLEN TERRY could have played--and played well--the parts of
_Hermione_ and _Perdita_; but I fail to see where the name of the lessee
would have come in. _Leontes_ is not a very prominent personage, and
even had it been coupled with _Autolycus_, still the demands upon Mr.
IRVING'S talent would have been insufficient, not only to please
himself, but also (which is of equal importance) to satisfy the
audience.
[Illustration: A Picture from the Stone.]
However, when Miss ANDERSON takes the reins of stage management in to
her own fair and shapely hands, the necessity of providing for a
tragedian of the first class disappears. The "leading man" of her
company is Mr. FORBES-ROBERTSON--a most talented person. He can paint
pictures, and play remarkably well in certain characters. His _Captain
Absolute_ was far from bad, and his _Romeo_ more than good. As _Leontes_
he has a part rather out of his line; but, all things considered, he
fills it very well. It may be objected that he is rather effeminate, and
that his costume would have been more becoming had he worn what the
ladies (I believe) term "half sleeves;" but for all that, his reading of
the character was entirely conscientious, if not absolutely right. But
naturally the success of Saturday evening was Miss ANDERSON, who was as
matronly dignified as _Hermione_, as she was deliciously girlish as
_Perdita_. She "looked" both parts to perfection. It may be my fancy,
but I imagine she has greatly improved since we saw her last in London.
The bass notes of her silvery voice have mellowed, and her attitudes,
always graceful, are seemingly now more spontaneous, and consequently
more natural. Charming as _Juliet_, she is more charming as _Hermione_,
and most charming as _Perdita_. Nothing prettier than her dance in the
"Pastoral Scene" has been seen in a London Theatre for many a long
year.
[Illustration: Young and Harpy.]
And my reference to the "Pastoral Scene," (by Mr. HAWES CRAVEN) recalls
the fact to my mind that all the scenery is excellent. The _Palace of
Leontes_ by Mr. W. TELBIN, is only equalled by Mr. W. TELBIN'S _Queen's
Apartment_, and a wonderful cloth of a roadside with a view of a flock
of sheep grazing on the brow of a hill (again by Mr. HAWES CRAVEN, who
seems to have become Artist in Ordinary to Arcadia), is not more
remarkable than Mr. HANN'S Court of Justice. In the last stage-picture
it is possible, but not probable, that the hypercritical might suggest
that the accessories are slightly suggestive of a kitchen, on the score
that the altar is something like a silver grill, and the Court Herald
appears, during a portion of the action of the piece, to be cooking
chops. Personally, I think this idea rather far-fetched, although, of
course, there is some resemblance (no doubt purely accidental) between
the helmets of the soldiers and the brass coal-scuttle of a modern
drawing-room. And I will even go further, and admit that, to a careless
observer, some of the warriors may appear to be wearing the garb of
Harlequin; but when it is hinted that _Leontes_, in his first attitude
on his throne, is not unlike a Guy on the Fifth of November, I feel that
the wish must be father of the thought, and that the resemblance is
purely imaginary.
[Illustration: A Scene on its Metal.]
Leaving the scenery to come to the acting, I may say that the play is
generally well cast. Mr. MACLEAN and Mr. CHARLES COLLETTE are both very
amusing, the first as _Camillo_, and the last as _Autolycus_, and Mr.
GEORGE WARDE is quietly humorous with the baby. When I say quietly
humorous, I do not mean that he trenches in the least on the ground
occupied by either the Clown of Pantomime or the Clown of SHAKSPEARE. He
does not sit upon the infant, or throw it about--no, nor even sing to it
a little comic song. He gets all his effects by merely carrying it
quietly about, and showing it, with an assumption of gravity that is
killing, to Mr. FORBES-ROBERTSON. To turn to the less important
characters of the play, Mr. DAVIES as a gaoler suggests that in "those
days" prison officials were sometimes whatever happened to be the
equivalent of the period to the modern "masher." Miss ZEFFIE TILBURY,
Miss HELENA DACRE, and Miss DESMOND ("1st Lady with a song" and gigantic
lyre) are all equally good, and even the subordinate female parts have
efficient representatives.
Returning to the gentlemen (a difficult task when it entails leaving
such pleasant company) Mr. F. H. MACKLIN as _Polixenes_ is sufficiently
robust in his manly bearing to suggest the necessary contrast with
_Leontes_, and Mr. FULLER MELLISH is picturesque, painstaking and
conscientious as _Florizel_.
[Illustration: An Infant Phenomenon.]
I began with Miss ANDERSON and (much to my regret) I must end with her.
She is equally charming as _Hermione_ and _Perdita_. Her cry of horror
and dead faint in the Hall of Justice on learning of the loss of
_Mamillius_, is one of many points that profoundly impressed the
audience, and in her comedy scene with _Polixenes_ in Act I, in which
she asks him _a propos_ of _Leontes_, "Was not my lord the verier wag o'
the two?" her smiling glance at her sombre lord is simply inimitable. I
can quite fancy that _Leontes_ when he saw _Hermione_, and _Florizel
Perdita_, must have talked of their condition (allowing for the loss of
their hearts) as I describe myself when I assume the signature of