HERRBANDMANN IN "MONTE CRISTO."

Evening Star, Issue 5591, 8 February 1881, Page 2

HERRBANDMANN IN "MONTE CRISTO."

At the Queen Theatre laat evening was produced the drama founded on that extraordinary work of fiotion " Monto Cristo," a book which haa been read with absorbing interest by almost everyone at an early pariod of life, and the plot of which is therefore very generally kuown. The work itself is a very bulky one, and the aetioa has therefore been greatly condensed to enable the drama to come within the limits c f an evening's performance; still, the main features of the romantio story are retained, and are indeed presented in a connected and Interesting form, The piece was well put on the stage, 60 far as ecanery and mechanical effects are concerned ; but perhaps too much attention has been devoted, to those latter, for wo can only ascribe the wearisome inteivals between the acts to the arrangement of the different effects which are to follow. The management ought to recognise the faot that during the hot weafhor now prevalent an audienca would infinitely ! prefer a few thortcominga in tho &ce«iery to being kept stewing In their seats during intervals varying in length from twenty to twenty-five minutes each. Another evil of these long intervals hj that a piece alwayß seema to drag under such circumstances, and bo it was with tho earlier pari of "Monte Cristo" last evening ; the last two acta, however, aomewhab made amends, Concerning the manner in which the various characters v.c-re played, wc, as ! a matter of course, first iouoh upon JEterr 1 Bindmann, who filled that of tho sailor, j Edmond Dantes, who subsequently be- ! comes Count of Moiate Christo. In the f fir&t portion of the hero's eventful career ! Herr B.itdmann wai not eucoca.-ful; he did I not orliat the sympathies cf tho audience to j the slightest <x : ent by his representation of j the sailor-lover of Mercedea, makirjg him too much l-.ke a blubbering overgrown schoolj boy instead of a be Id and ekilfui rover of tho ' seas, Tho scene in which he escapes from ■ prison was, however, effectively worked up, andiriir', llavo been sufficiently realistic to i please anyooe. With Edmond'e acquisition ! oflwealth and his consequent change in con- : diti' n come scenes end situations more suited' i to Herr Bandmann's great power*, and in the latter portionof the dramaho did the character i anl himself mora juatice. The terrible deteri mination, almost tmounting to ferocity, | with which he carries out h's plan tor rtvdDge on those enemies who had caused [ him to spend in prison fourteen of the best | years of his life was visible in every look ■ and movement; while it contrasted well with his change of bearing when his vengeance is at last natiated by the extermination of all his victims. Miss Louise Beaudet, as Mercedes, played with ease and grace throughout, and even mounted to considerable "power in tho Ecene with K<moad after {Heir long {separation, Mr Oathoart tilled the double fart of the Albe" Faria and the Corsicau Jacopo two entirely opposite characters—very well indeed, tho blind devotion of tho latter to his master being very strongly Mr Walter Reynolds oily half pleased us as the drunken tailor and ionkeiper, Caderousso. Oeoaounally he showed signs of having a correct cone-ption of the character, but tfeeso were almost immediately hidden beneath his usual pourings-out of ridiculou3 and unsuitable gag. Why Mr Reynolds should imagine himself capable of improving the works of cramatio authors from Shakespeare and Schiller downwards wo are totaUy at a loss to understand, especially after liiteninp to many of lis interpolations. M';3s Crawford was sufficiently repulsive as Caderoußse's hag of a wife, and the parts of Danglars, Fernaud, and Villefort were very fairly played by Messrs C. Hall, A. Tasman, and J. H, Nunn respectively. " Monte Cristo " r will be repeated this evening.