Covent-Garden Theatre.
A ir. J. Russell, who omne years back was engaged as an actor of low comedy at this theatre. re-appeared last night as RliShc i; the play of The Merchant of Flcafce. n hat principle this change of views has suggested it- s rmind, we cannot guess; but eertainly it by no meaBOnolowSs, becue a man plays P.epzg Torn ill, that he xshould be eminent in Jllfchard. The character of Shydlok, if let alone, wil almost always play it- self. John Bannister used to go through it very smoothly; and every body knows what sort o a tea- gediai he was. In fact, the Jew's case, in despite of all the malice that deforms it, is so strong, and it is argued for him in such plin strahtforward terms, that a.,a mere pleading, delivered with reasnable emphasis and dicre- tion, it could not fail to produce very considerable effect. A quality like this about a first part cannot fail, under any circumstancesj to be very valuable to an actor; and it wan perhaps little else than the assistance derived from it which, enabled Mr. Russell to get a hearing through lasit night, for 1he .realy has not a single requisite for the kind of performance which he has attempted. In the first plce, his voice is very harsh and bad, and his enunciation quite detestable. His utterance is as | hard and stccao as the notes of a wooden harmonicon out ot'tune; aud he hasan catch in his delivery of some extra. I ordinary kind, as thiough he made al effort to recover every Iwor back as fast as he pronounced it. And again, althougg I the beard and gabrerdie may paliate, up te a certain point, want of exeailence in an actor's figure and deportment, yet sti}l Slylock should have that degree of gracefulness an style about him wvhich attaches to the possesSion of mnind. and couragein every iht3ation. Mr. Russll's chief defect, asfar as we can remembar, in bis comedy acting, was I a certain faculty of coarseness, which he could not get rid of, and which is generally an insurmountable obstatle to successt in a fi:st-rate-4 theatre. He used to sing well, and what he did was frequentlv clever; but it was always unlplcasing: (there is a lady wvhom we groan under at the Rfamarket ThReatre very constantly, who possesses the same quany n a vcry ruagi Oegre.)U u ibIzolm- regards tie,higher-quaties necessary to the performaance of tragedy, Mr. Russell has no command at all of them. l*is conception seems to be generally common-plaee, and his passion is perfectly weak and ineffeetive. MIL Sloman, the new actress, Paad PortMz respectably. Mr. Yates, ill Gratiano, wanted joyousness of spirit. Mr. -eadows did Lancelot Ghho very soso; Keeley would, in. all probability, have been a great deal better in the part. The remainder of the performers were. in general sufficiently good for the chEracters allotted to them; bat, as regards Mr. Russell's Shylock, the play is not likely, we apprehend, to be re. peated. COVENTGLARDEN THEATRE.