MR. CRESWICK AS KING LEAR.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5634, 21 April 1879, Page 2

MR. CRESWICK AS KING LEAR.

The opening of the dramatic season by the company of Mr. Darrell to-night with the great Shakesperian artist, Mr. Wm Gres wick, as the chief actor in King Lear, and Mies Helen Ashton as “ Cordelia,” will be hailed with delight by all Wellington play-goers. Variety-troupes, negro-minstrels, conjurers, and panoramas sooi income wearisome, audit will a positive relief to have a piece of good acting and. high-class dramatic business offered to the Wellington public once more.' We have reason to believe that critical persons will not be disappointed when they see Mr. Creswick’s rendering of Shakesperian characters ; from many quarters his praises have reached us. In regard to his impersonation of King Lear we extract from the Lyttelton Times the following Such a company is at present in occupation of the boards of the Theatre Royal, and the management have proved this by the manner in which “King Lear” was performed last night. The cast contained all the available talent of the company, and was most judiciously made. Mr. William Creswick played the doting, exacting King with much power, in doing so displaying the excellencies which he showed in By his imprecation upon Gbneril, in the third scene of the .first act, he roused the enthusiasm of the

house to a high pitch, and so he did by his display of emotion as he described the ingratitude of Goneril, at the end of the second act. Again, at the end of the third act, his representation of utter exhaustion was a masterly one. In the fourth act he was specially effective by his rapid enunciation, notably by his delivery of “ Give me aa ounce of civet.” “ Which is the justice, which the thief,” and his mad philosophy generally. His “ I’m a king, my masters; know ye that,” was accompanied by a most telling look. As in “ Virginius,” so in “ King Lear,” Mr. Oreswiclc’s final scenes were even better than his opening ones, their pathos being displayed in the most natural and unforced manner. Ihe last scene of all, in which he hangs over the body of “ Cordelia,” was conceived and rendered to perfection, while his death was a masterpiece of dramatic effect. Mis Helen Ashton impersonated “ Cordelia” in that unaffected but impressive manner which has already been noticed. The admirable manner in which she preserved the appearance of death through the comparatively long space before the final fall of the curtain was particularly noteworthy. Mr. Creswick was called before the curtain after each act, and the same compliment was paid to Miss Helen Ashton, after the fourth and fifth acts. But perhaps the moat genuine compliment of the evening was paid to the great tragedian by the death-like silence with which the audience watched the concluding portion of his performance. ‘