Punch: Punch (100.1891)

April 25, 1891.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 197

Australian cousins. My "Co." says that "the Bride" is"a par-
ticularly pleasant young person, thanks to her youth, good heart,
and beauty. However, it is questionable—taking her as a sample—
whether her "people" would, "pan out" quite so satisfactorily.
On _ the whole it would seem that Australians who have '' made
their pile'_' by buying and selling land are better at a distance—say
as Aborigines!

It is also the opinion of my faithful "Co." that the Clarendon
Press series of Rulers of India, has never contained a better volume
than the Life of Mayo, a work recently contributed by the Editor,
Sir William Wilson Hunter. Admirably written, the book gives
in the pleasantest form imaginable, a most eventful chapter in the
History of Hindostan. But more, the pages have a pathetic personal
interest, as the subject of the memoir was for many years misunder-
stood, and consequently, misrepresented. Even the London Charivari
was unfair to the great Earl, but as Sir William; hastens to say, " at
his death'stood first in its generous acknowledgment of his real dessert,
as it had led the dropping fire of raillery three years before." The
author has, by publishing this most welcome addition to a capitally
edited series, added yet another item to the long list of services he
has rendered to our Empire in the distant East.

Since Miss Florence Warden's House on the Marsh, says the
Baron, I have not read a more exciting tale than the same authoress's
Pretty Miss Smith. It should be swallowed right off at a sitting,
for if your interest in it is allowed to cool during an interval, you
may find it a little difficult to get up the steam to the high-pressure
point necessary for the real enjoyment of a sensational story.

The Baeon de Book-Worms.

SILENT SHAKSPEARE.
Dear Mr. Editor,

The great success that has attended the production of
L1 Enfant Prodigue at the Prince of Wales's Theatre has encouraged
me to make a suggestion in the cause of English Art. Why not
Shaespeare in dumb show ? The Bard himself introduced it in "The
Play Scene." Allow me to suggest it thus :—

Scene—A more remote part of the Platform in Elsinore Castle.
Enter Ghost ; then Hamlet.

Hamlet {in dumb show). "Where wilt thou lead me? Speak!"
{In dumb show.) " I '11 go no further."

Ghost, by kissing his hand towards the horizon, shows that his hour
is almost come, when he is bound to render himself to sulphurous and
tormenting flames. The latter part of his description is composed of
his shrinking about the stage, as if suffering from intense heat.

Hamlet buries his face %n his hands, and sobs pitifully, expressing
"Alas, poor Ghost!"

Ghost repudiates compassion by turning up his nose, and throwing
forward his hands; and then, by pointing from his mouth to his ear,
demands Hamlet's serious attention.

Hamlet touches his own lips, points to Ghost, slaps his heart, and
bows, intimating that the Ghost is to "Speak!" and he is "bound
to hear."

Ghost explains that he is his father's spirit by stroking Hamlet's
face, and then his own, and then shrinks about the s'.age to iceird
music, descriptive of his prison-house. He concludes by appealing to
Hamlet's love for him by pressing his clasped hands to his own
heart, and then pointing towards the left-hand side of his son.

Hamlet jerks his hands passionately upwards, as if saying, "Oh
Heaven!"

Ghost then asks for revenge by touching his dagger, and pointing
towards the sky. He acts the murder in the garden, showing the
serpent who stung him by gliding about the stage on his chest, like
the boneless man. lie shows his murderer to be of his own blood
by walking up and down as himself, and then in the same way,
but with a slight limp, as if he were his brother,

Hamlet might here exhibit " Zadkiel's Almanack" as "prophetic,"
and slap the sole of his shoe for " soul; " for "my Uncle" it would
be sufficient to produce a pawnbroker's ticket:—"Oh my prophetic
soul! Mine Uncle 1 "

Then the Ghost in great detail acts the murder in the orchard,
imitating the apples and the singing birds, the setting sun, 8fC, 8fC.
He shows the composition of the poison after its plucking from a
bush, and its arrival in the laboratory. He represents the actual
pouring of the poison in his ear. He hints too {by suggesting the
action of the bell-ringer) that he was never really mourned, and
concludes a most spirited Ballet d'Action by a rapid sketch of the
paling of the ineffectual fires of the glow-worm. As he leaves to the
music of "Then you'll Remember Me," Hamlet imitates cock-
crow, which brings the entertainment to an appropriate termination.

Surely this would be an improvement upon the conventional read-
ing ? In this case where speech ia silvern, silence would be golden.
Trusting some Manager will take the matter up,

I remain, always yours sincerely, A Dumb Waiter.

OPERATIC NOTES.

Monday.—Faust and Foremost. Miss Eames better even than
she was last week. Ned de Reszke not so diabolical a Mephis-
topheles as M. Maurel.

Neddy Reszk(j
Not so gobluieske,

and a stouter sort of demon, but of course a " bon diable."

Wednesday. — Romeo et Julietia. Jack and Ned de Reszke
Romeo and The Friar, Why the waltz alone, which ought to be
on every organ besides Miss Eames's, but which, strange to say,

Cards held by Druriolanus Operaticus.

isn't thoroughly popular, should be enough to make an Opera; but it's
like the proportion of one swallow in the composition of a summer,
and, however well sung, it does not do everything. It's a dull
Opera.

Thursday.—Carmen again. House not immense. Persons "of
note " chiefly on the stage. Julia same as before ; therefore refer
to previous notice. Cab and carriage service after the theatres
everywhere wants reforming altogether. We may not be worse off
than in any other capital of Europe, but we ought to be far ahead
of them.

Somebody or other complained of my writing " Gluck" instead of
" Gluck." He didn't like the two dots; one too many for the poor
chap already in his dotage; so to relieve him and soothe him, I '11
write it " Gluck," and then he can go to the proprietor of "David-
son's Libretto Books " and ask him to take the dotlets off the "tj"
in Gluck. I wonder if my strongly-spectacle'd fault-finder writes
the name of Handel correctly ? I dare say so correct a person never
falls into any sort of error ; or if he does, never admits it. I like it
done down to dots, as "Handel," myself; it looks so uncommonly
learned.

Saturday.—Tannhduser. Full and appreciative house to welcome
the rentree of Madame Albani, who was simply perfection and the
perfection of simplicity as the self-sacrificing heroine Elizabeth.
From a certain Wagnerian-moral point of view, no better imper-
sonator,—dramatically at least, if not operatically,—of the sensual
Falstaffian Knight could be found than Signor Perotti ; and, from
every point of view, no finer representation of the Cyprian Venus
than Mile. Sofia Ravogli. M. Maprel was admirable in every
way as the moral Wolframo, and Signor Abramofe the gravest of
Landgraves. The full title of this Opera should be Tannhduser; or,
The Story of a Bard who sang a questionable kind of Song in the
highest Society, and what came of it.

Fine effect at end of First Act, when prancing steeds, with second-
hand park-hack saddles, at quite half-a-crown an hour, are brought
in, and, on a striking tableau of bold but impecunious warriors re-
fusing to mount, the Curtain descends.

Then what pleasure to see Albani-Elizabeth receiving the guests
in Act II., varying the courtesies with an affectionate embrace when-
ever a particular friend among the ladies-of-the-court-chorus came
in view. My Lord Chamberlain, viewing the scene from his private
box, must have picked up many a hint for Court etiquette from
studying this remarkable scene. Then how familiar to us all ia the
arrangement of the bards all in a row, like our old friends the
Christy Minstrels, Tannhduser being the Tambourine, and Wolfram
the Bones! Charming. Great success. Repeat it by all means.