The National Register. — London, England, 1811-04-28 00:00:00

the situations into which the more important personages of the drama arc thrown, but in themselves they form a just subject of complaint. They ought to have been more connected with the main busines of the piece, or they ought not to have been brought so forward as they are. The play would have been much richer, if the labour thrown away on the inferior charac ter had been bestowed, where the author wished attention prin cipally to rest. The attempt to render the minor characters respectable is very injudicious. It serves but to swell out insig nificance and make it proposterously conspicuous. This, while it detracts from the importance of the leading characters, has not the effect desired by the author, as after all the parts thus labour ed "are never worthy the talents of peformers of merit. This, I ant sure naust be clearly seen in Sir Harry Asper, and the acting of Mr. JONES. Throughout the comedy we are frequently reminded of some of our old stage favourites. " Love in a Village"—" The Man or the World"—" The Care for the Heart Arhc," &c. &c. fre quently dance before our eyes. The same thing may be said of the characters ; they are, however, so well disposed of that we f)rget to complain of their not being new. It is indeed but justice to Mr. Ho to" say that in almost every instance where lie has taken a hint from others he has improved on it. This does not often occur in dramatic literature, and if It did pia garisms would soon become respectable. Several well worked up equivoques occur in the course of the piece which go off with uncommon spirit. The situations these produce, are highly comic, and the scope they afford the talents of the actors contributes greatly to the success of the piece.— The interest excited, is not very strong. " The Extraordinary Ga%ette" does not barrow up our feelings With apprehension to delight us by dissipating our fears, but the embarrassments which arise make the audience look forward to theeclairissemnit, not with trembling anxiety, but with pleasing impatience. We frequently laugh as we proceed towards the end, and we have the satisfaction of feeling our mirth is rational, as it is never excited at the expence of morality. With respect to the language, if it is not all that could be wished, it is far from being so contemptible as it might he con sistently with the spirit in which many of the dramatic produc tions of the present &I are written. It is never disgraced by stale jokes and wretched puns ; but in many parts it boasts more than common point. The sentiments are good, and fre quently adorned with images of a very pleasing nature, express ed with great felicity. Yet there is, I must observe, a want of variety in them, particularly in the first act. lam half inclined to suppose Mr. 'Hot MA N wrote this hart of his work in a garden ; as to characterise his ideas in his own way, they all seem to owe their existence to hu4bantkil, to spring from the same root, and derive nourishment from the same sqi/. Matured by the same inn, though the branches expand in various directions, the leaves which adorn them are in appearance nearly the same, and the fruit which they bear knows no difference of ftivour ; yet I must do him the justice to say its nature is such, that it does not ap pear as if it came from, or was destined for the nursery. The characters were very ably sustained. FAwci. r - r, in a Bustling Doctor, was excellent. MUNDEN, in a good-natured old gentleman, display( d infinite humour, and convulsed the House with laughter, without having recourse to bulfu' ni ry.— JuNr.s and YOUNG, deserve great prai , e ; and all the female parts were exceedingly well played, although we have great fault to find with Mrs WES ro N, who appeared in the character of a Dowager, but could not find in her heart to make herself look like an old woman. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. LYCEUM. A etinz, called a Comic Opera, was last night performed at this theatre, under the title of " The ilry,ricans." it is the worst thing, even of the khd, that has been pro. .ictd for some time, and it was most coniplerely, and, certainly, most descry edly damned. This piece is understood to be the production of MR. ARNOLD. If this be the case, it will probably be again performed. The Manager's orders may keep it going for some time, but I am very much mistaken if any thing can ever make it go alone. The Music, by KING and BRANAss, deserves praise, but the condemnation of the piece altogether was so de cisive, that I shall be almost surprised, if the bills if Monday state it to have been received " with the most unbounded ap.- plause," as is common in cases somewhat similar. Productions of this kind we have long been told ought only to b,‘ regarded as vehicles for musk. I must, however, observe, that if some improvement be not made in these vehicles the regular stage will be likely to break down. HAYMARKET THEATRE. Pizarro was performed here on Monday for the benefit of a Mrs. RIVERS. The part of Rolla was sustained by a Mr. SYD.• NEY, a gentleman well known in the theatrical world as an antatear who has acted with great SUCCISS at several of the pro vincial theatres. His conception of this arduous character is clear and strong, and his delineation of it, if not all that could he wished, was in many parts striking and in some it approach ed excellence. The celebrated address to the Peruvian soldiers was delivered with peculiar animation, and the effect was such as might be expected at the present awful crisis, when every heart glows with detestation of the cruelties cormnittcd by that power to which Rolla's expressions are intended to apply, and with admiration of the patriotism and energy displayed by that gallant nation, whose sufferings and exertions are hardly paral lele•d in the annals of the world. In the scene where Rolla con veys to Cora the last wish of Alonzo, Mr. SYDNEY was emi nently happy, but where he begs the life of the Child, and sub sequently snatches it from the soldiers he was every thing that could be desired, and hardly second to Mr. Klause' in the same character. This Gentleman, though entitled to much praise, has, never theless, considerable defects as an actor. These however, I must in justice obsr,rvc., appear to me to be such as time and atttotion may obliterate altogether. Nature has been very liberal to I 'm, as, in addition to a good figure, he boasts a voice strong, rA flexible and capable of expressing all, or nearly all, the various passions with more than common felicity. He would, in my opinion. do well to avoid throwing his head about with a sort of vapouring air, as he did in some of the scenes. This may result from cxcessive feeling, but it has, in some measure, the appear ance of affectation. Where the action of a performer is unne cessarily violent, it seems like feeling travestied. This hint, as it is thrown out in perfect good nature, will, I hope, not be thrown away ; and, I trust, the good sense of Mr. SrDNzv will enable him to repres; such extravagance for the time to come. The characters of Pizarro and Alonzo were very indifferently sustained. The physical parts of each of the parties who appear ed in them were overtasked, and the consequence was each made himself the laughing-stock of the House, though ;n a dif ferent way. The former was actively, the latter passively ridi• culo us. Several of the minor parts we e exceedingly well supported. Las Carus deserves particular notice. All his speeches were delivered with great judgment and feeling, and ii do not remem-. her ever tkeing the character made more prnmhtent. !'he female parts were most deservedly admired. I how ever could have wished Elvira to be more hauylity. Cora wa4 sustained by the young lady who performed Lady Elizabeth ou Mr. Pu PE . night. The character was never in better Li: hands. With such attractions the play, notwithstanding the faults of Pizarro and Alarm, went off tolerably well. Th • entertain ment was less successful. After several abortive efforts to get through with it, the curtain fell in the middle of The Critic, amidat the hisses of the audience.