| Title: | Romeo and Juliet |
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| Description: | Scene from Romeo and Juliet, at the Haymarket Theatre. |
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| Theatre: | Haymarket |
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| Source: | The Illustrated London News, Feb 10, 1855, p. 132 |
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| See Source: | Go to Source Images (9.5 MB) |
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| Review: | The Illustrated London News, Feb 10, 1855, p. 132 |
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"ROMEO AND JULIET" AT THE HAYMARKET THEATRE.
The performance of Romeo by Miss Cushman is one that possesses peculiar
characteristics and in them corresponding advantages. For force and passion,
it exceeds that of any male performer and yet avoids exaggeration; because the utmost
vehemence of action that an actress of taste can throw into the situations is necessarily
less robust than that of an actor. The latter must modify and suppress: Miss Cushman
is enabled to expand and display the signs of emotion. One of the most affecting scenes
in this, the greatest love-play in the world, is the parting one between the lovers.
The necessity of the step overcomes all scruples, but that necessity is better made out in
Arthur Brooke's poem than in Shakspeare's [sic] tragedy. This scene, which has been more
than once pictorially illustrated, derives new interest from the successful début
of a new Juliet. Miss Swanborough, though deficient
in physical
force, has much feeling and grace, and when she becomes more fully acquainted with the
requirements of the stage in general, and of this highly impassioned character in particular,
she will doubtless make a good actress. It has been justly said by histrionic professors
that no actress, however talented,
can know how Juliet should be performed until she is too old to impersonate the part.
We should recollect and make allowance for the difficultly that this authority implies
in judging of the claims of a new actress in Shakspeare's [sic] great love-heroine.
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