The National Register. — London, England, 1811-08-04 00:00:00

r 4 - 0 :~ 'TIE NATIONAL REGISTER.. DRAMATIC REGISTER. LYCEUM. lit i rher. SRF.RIDAN first produced his " Rivals," it was about twice as long a; a play ought to be, and in consequence was completely' danthed. It was afterwards much curtailed, and tllus altered, was received with the most unbounded applause, an il. retrains to this day (to the credit of the public taste) one of the r adoiN•d com'dies on the st2ge. I maid think, from the singular fate of this piece, that the stritti . 6 Of the pr-sent day are ambitious of treading the same p4tt to Line. Unless actlatecl by some such motive, I cattnr.t concs.iv- how it is that all their productions are so tborninahly long. Perhaps they think that by spinning them ot:t to sti.h an evravagant length, they furnish an excuse for failure m case . nf th.: worst, and that after the opinion of an audi..i , ce has been expressAl, it wiii at any time be easy to do as Siik:AIDAN did with his play, " throw away the worser part of it, And Vv.: the httter with the other half." Be the cause what it may, the fact of most of the pieces, re cently produced, twirl much too long cannot be denied. This ircumstance, ir the present hot weather, is of itself enough to make acrltic peevish, and he would probably soon find himself in a very bad way,.if happily tile per..ormane es on which be Las to sit in judgm.nt, were not of such a nature as to afford him a timely opportunity of discharging his splecn. The new piece, (w Licit was played sante years ago) from the pen of Mr. LEWIS is of this description. The curtain did not fall till near half past eleven. Mr. RAYMOND then came forward and informed the audience, that this new piece, which the author had thought proper to capand, would be compressed before it was repeated. This intelligc:-.ce, it is unnecessary to say, was recAved with great demons:rations of joy, and I must say, tho transport of the audience on this occasion appeared to me as rational as since re. It i 3 quite unnecessary to go into the plot of this drama, which "professes to he but a second edition of the " /Vow/ Ikrnton".-- Why Mr. I.r.wis thought it advisable to thin that extravagant entertainment into a first piece, I am quite at a loss to coujec titre. I never heard it complained of in its original state as he lug too N.'tort. I feel not a little alarm at the precfdent it fur nishes, and tremble lest other writers of afterpieces, should turn their farce, into plays. Whatever it he that has induced Lxwis to make a play of the " d Dermon," it is one of the most impudent innovations that ever called forth the reprobation of an indignant public. In giving this monstrous abortion of a decayed imagination, a distracted fancy, and a racked invention, the place whirls ought to be held by something approaching a resemblance of life, or a picture of what mi,drt exist, the mana ger.: of this theatre have committed an outrage upon taste and upon common sense, which will neveri e he exceeded (even by them), thaigh they should produce a Harlequinade in live acts. Of the merits of this piece I shall say but little; and however I might feel disposed co deal in panegyric, it would be impossi ble. to tia y much. I might, nevertheless, still make this a tole rably I .ng article, HI thought it worth while to &Nell on its defevs. Tu do this ev, of opini.m, would he a loss of time, as it were billy to suggest any correction Of that which ought to be thr,,wn a=ide altogether. Before 1 lay down my pen 11 ma' t botwithstandi : Hg, compliment the author on the pretty tnarner,i.: svhich cOttduds his second act. During the per fcemance a rr3tid ballet, the Devil makes his appearance. Ttt: Krignt very civilly cleires him to walk up ivirs. and vr.)xycises follow him. He keeps his word, and ham , I sopp..,e, a very anUnAted conference with the Daemon on the landing-place. 11e presently returns tictth his drawn sword in cmcht,nd,. a-ad beating the tune of I)..Lldy Mammy" on his icir...:hrad :with the other. Hardilotwe seizes.Leo/J,!, and the is thin seen a4c:nding in the air on the back of a " grin 'zing Dragon.' A variety of fire-works are let off on the occa sion, so that the effect of the whole is similar to that produced annually on the fifth of November, by boys firing the effigy of Guy Fauxovith squibs and crackers pinned to his breech. It may be very classical to exhibit the fiend in this way ; but I would submit it to Mr. Lewis if the spectacle would not be made more awfully sublime by introducing him in the form of a dog, with a tin kettle tied to his tail. In the third act, Hardiknute having accepted the situation of purveyor to the Devil on the 6th of August (the day after oyster day), is obliged the supply the Devil with the flesh of a human being (and oyster-sauce I suppose). He, therefore, purposes to seize Leolyn in the night, iu order to make him the victim. Unable, aware of this, determines to pass the night with the child, and re solves not to close her eyes. Leolyn offers to play on the guitar, and she gives him leave, as while " it amuses him it will keep her awake." The boy plays, and immediately, to show the sirength qflacr resolution, and at the same time to give us a high idea of her taste for music, she composes herself to sleep. Hoetlikeate carries the child away before her face (she awakes in time to see it), and instead of attempting to save him, she very naturally amuses herself in kicking up a riot. Una now comes to suck Leolyn's prison, but cannot find the secret spring ss•hich opens the passage to it. From this embarrassment she is relieved by a couple of Spectres who arc exhibited on each side of the staKe, like the wonderful baboon, and the laughing hyena, front the Gulph of Florida, at Bartholomew fair. They paint out where the spring is to be found, bow, curtsey, and vanish by drawing their curtains. This has a very fine effect, but as this p;et-e is brought forward as an English Opera, I think they ot_;llt to Five a little singing here. A very pretty trio might be furnislied by the Ghosts and Una. I expected something like the following to make the thing complete; which, by the bye, is very much at Mr. Lewis's service. Mr. Ghost.—" Lady Grim, how do you do ?" (Kissing hit Maw' to the jintale spectre.) s. GA.)st.—" I'm so so ? but how are you ?" (Curtseying to the mule spectre.) Una.—Ah ! Good Heavens! what is here ?—(Seeing the Mak Ghost.) Mr. G/iost.—Don't be frighten'd pray, my dear. Una.—Heavenly powers! What is there ? 41:rs. Gkost.—l won't hurt you I declare. Mr. Glius.t.—Pray Miss, don't you want a spring Una.—Yes, I'm seekiug such a thing. Gllo.l:.—Here it is—du'st see it ? This—(Pointing to the epriag.) Una.—Lord have mercy on me ! Yes—(B 11 rings.)—`What does that gad ~ varning say ? Mr. Ghost.-1)--n it, we must go away.—(Ghosts ranish— Tlyouler and lightning—Gong sounds—Drums and trumpets.— Fidalcs plag " Here UT go up up up"—crit Una.) I have bet n insensitly led by vo4y anxiety to describe the beau:ies of this piece to give, what I did not intend, a sketch of itA plot. After what has been said ev:ry one must see it furnishes the lovers of the preposterous with a most delectable treat. The: admirers of Moo NTFOR D'S Deed an d D octor F aits _ ties wi 1 here see something like a revival of that piece, and Mr. may with justice arrogate to himself the merit of being the first dramatic Scarecrow of the day. VAUXHALL GARDENS. Continti to be most numerously and fashionably attended. As if tl:e !mural beauties of this place of public resort were not sufficient a ded by the beauties of art, so liberally supi.lied by the proprietor, 'lox beauties are constantly seen promenading its delightful walks is end;ess succession. A greater display of beauty and of fashion than they boasted within the last week, we never remember to have seen; and even this it is expected, will, if possible, be surpassed to-morrow. • II • • .~ ~~l IMF