The National Register. — London, England, 1819-01-10 00:00:00

JAN. 10 THE DR3.11.1. DRURY LANE THEATRE. On Monday, after the dramatic romance of Flodden Fi e ld, O'Keeffe's humorous farce of The Prisoner al Lark was performed for the first time at this Theatre. Pobr Mice& ! \Vc never witness the perfininance of one of his productions, without lamenting that he, who • has contributed so much to the amusement of the pub lice—whose Castle of Andalusia, Wild Oats, ilgreea- Mr surprise, Poor &Mier, &c. &c. are so often repeat ed, „load have hews suffered, in the decline of a long protracted life, feebly to combat with penury and dis appointment. If we are not misinformed, " They order thlse things better in France?' There, the Ma nager of every Theatre, metropolitan or provincial, is obliged to keep an account of the receipts eft:net night's portiauance—a portion of which is marked down to the credit of the individual, or of the family of the in dividual, whose play has been performed. Thus the acyceadants of Racine, or of Moliere, if necessity oblige them to crave the boon, may look to the works of their ancestor, as to a fund whence they may derive, if not a competent, at least a respectable, source of subsistence. Had such a principle been adored here, we should not, some few years since, have heard of the distress of Shakspcarc's posterity —nor. should we now have to state, . what we have beets positively assured, that ' O'KeeK has been obliged to have recourse to parochial assistance. The managers of this theatre have kept their promise to the public, by the production of a new pantomime. The title of this bodily amusement is The Silver Ar ran.; or, Harlequin and the Fairy Pari-Banon. It is founded upon a story in the " Arabian Nights' Enter tainments." T 9 give tiny thing like & detailed or con- . fleeted account of the plot of this production front what was represented on the stage would be imptkssible, sn great was the uproar and confusion which prevailed in almost every part of the house from its commencement to the filling of the curtain. Some of the scenes are splendid; particularly the opening one—the Mystic Palace of the Fire King; and the Ise scene—the Celestial Palace. Several of the trick,, are those with which the Ewers of pantomime arc alrea ly well ac quainte I, but some are new, and tolerably well got ' up; others, end we must say the far greater part, were very ill conceived at first, and much worse exe cuted ; but this is a defect which is generally excused on a first representation. We come now to speak of what, from the temper of the audience, seemed to be a far more important business than the merits or de merits of nay pantomime—the dispute between the friends of the late. Clown, Mr. Bradbury. and the pre sent holder or that enviable past, Mr. Hartland. It will be recollected, that from . the offlmee alleged to have hen given by Mr. Bradbury, in the late panto mime, to some of the audience, a formidable party was made against him, and he in consequence lost ilia en gagement. This, after the apology he offered, was considered by many, and was in fact, harsh treatment, and they determined that his successor should not enjoy undisputed possession of his new situation. Mr. Hart land's friends seemed equally zealous, and whet' the curtain drew up, shouts of " No Bradbury," and " No insolent Clown," were raised with a deafening clamour from several parts of the house These were answered in strains equally loud and inharmonious, of" Bradbury Jim ever." aNo oppression." " Den't condemn un heard." Continaiog, with seemly any intermission, till the piece ended. During this scene of' tumult, no way creditable to either party, attempts were made to address the acdience, but the noise was too great to allow a hearing. The pit on this occasion, if we except a part of the dress boxes, was the most orderly part of the house. They buzz uxl, it was true; bus they did not proceed to those disgraceful scenes of personal con test which were exhibited in other parts. The principal contest seemed to be between some well-bred genitor= it' the galleries, and their equally polished hut better thessed antagonists .a the side boxes, Arlo, to do them justice, showed themselves to be perfect adepts in low and vulgar Teat -el. '['hey kooted, hissed, struck the boxes with their canes, used, every species of abusive language, and lestly, began to pelt at the gel:cries with oral!.;‘ , peels. This, it Tilly be supposel, was nut all lost on the go:ls, who thundered ii:rth their indignation in a very palpeble inenner. While t his continued, Mr. Hartlairl—the double object of applause and disappro bation—did more for himself' than the indiscreet zeal of his friends could possibly effect. He showed himself a very good mater of tricks and of that bodily which arc necessary to support the Character he undertook. He is, lureeveronuch below the Grimaldi :eandard of excellence. Mr. E. Yarn.:.l, as Harlequin, appeared to inure advantage than his predecessor ; but this is saving all that can he said in his favour. Miss Tree, a: Culton'rinc, was in her usual style ; and Simp son was ridiculous enough in Pantaluan.—The piece was announced for repetition. During the perfimnance of the new Pantoinimi on Thursday night, and more particularly. in the twenes where Hartland was engaged, nearly the seine dis turbances occurred which disgraced the Theatre and THE NATIONAL REGISTER. annoyed the audience on the pree.Aing eveninq. ,Th(! whole way a warfare between the partisans of Hartland and Bradbury, in which the neutrals, certainly the grunt majority of the spe •tators, were the chief sufferers. While the contest was carried on, a great n , :mber of the annexed hand bill were ejaculated throughout the house "Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane, Jan. 7. "It may be necevary to inform the Public, that Mr. Bradbury has no cause for complaint against the Management of ?bury-Lane Theatre. he having been informer!. on Tuesday last, by a letter frown Mr. S what lietuble. that although the late Pantomime, fur which trit!y he was engaged, hail faikl, yet tiro Gentletucn of the Sub-Com mittee bail empowered Mr. 14 Kemble to ti.,,ure him Olt. that his et.gagement should be as strictly if he had been succe , sfid. And this ant:meat Mr. S. limbic assures the Public is the fact." This statement did not, however, produce a cessation of hostilities, which were maintained for a considerable time, even after the close of the pertimnance. Though the commencement of the dispute at this Theatre was so vigorous as 4o promise a long and obstinate contest, the temper manifested on Thursday night induces us to think that it is already concluded he house was very well attended, but the manner in which the Pantomime was received, proves that the full attendance was nut occasioned by any hostile feeling. There was occasionally a good deal of ap plause, and the disposition to coed inn was so feel.le, us leact in its expression, as scarcely to &scree notice. A few persons lingereu in the house for some time after the curtain fell, but nothing took place in consequence of their delay. There was neither a tight nor a speech, nor even a noise. COVENT GARDEN. Shakspeare's play of The Twelfth Night was per formed at this theatre on Wednesday night, in a manner which we think renders its repetition desirable 11)r all parties. The play which we are now considering, like that of The Irtnier's Tale," and one or two more, holds an intermediate station between those which are thus purely imaginative, and those which flints an exact copy of living nature. It gives a picture of what ap proaches to reality, heightened by the vivacity without the grossness of caricature. Of all its parts the cha racter of Sir Andrea , Agee-cheek is unquestionably the most prominent; and in this Mr. Farrell, has made his first avearance. It is a portrait so exqui sitely drawn, - so finished a developement of utter imbe cility, that although it has, we believe, given birth to more imitations than any other of Shakspeare's comic characters, it still retains all its original freshness. Mr. Farrea's success in Lord Ogleby and Sir I'eler Teazle had manife-ted his powers in seising the nicer dis tinctions of human character, and in giving expression to many o' those fleeting and often unmarked lineaments by which it is most certainly detected. A perfect con ception of Sir Andrew required more general knowledge and study, because the ideas with which it is associated are necessarily more remote than those which serve to explain the parts he has hitherto sustained. It required also, not perlaps the same, hut a considerable degree of delicacy in the handling, if we may so express it ; for the character, although simile and uniform, is deeply stamped, and cannot be counterfeited with impunity. It would be idle to examine the performance of an actor in detail---an useless prying into secrets which can only he properly understood by the leading . professors of the art ; but of the general effect it is open to us to speak, whether our opinion be consonant to that of others or peculiar to ourselves. In tbis.light, Mr. Furren may be said to have neither lost nor added to his previous reputation. That reputation we consider to be established, and on a foundation the firmer, inasmuch as the small inequalities and slight defects which strike us most, are those which, without even any effort on his part, time will necessarily correct, He intro:laced though sparingly in number, with much taste and felicity, some of those unexpected sallies of action and changes of tone, which contribute so much to enliven our idea of the character, but which can only be supplied' to the performer himself, by a just and vigorous conception of his subject. The extreme c%astity and reserve of his style subjects him to a certain degree of hardiness, and furnished as strong a contrast to the full, mellow, and glowing humour of Emery, in Sir Toby Belch, as the fictitious originals themselves present. Liston was the Ma/edit); and it will be readily imagined by those who are familiar with the play, that an criticism would he misapplied. He was the vain, fantastic, original in every look and tone. His Soliloquy Scene was highly diverting. Miss Brunton performed Viola in a pretty interesting man ner ; and the entire represeatation was extremely well supported. The performers on Thursday night, did the rVinter's Talc great justice. Miss Sommerville, as the heroine, had an unusual opportunity for displaying her powers, and she was fortunate in their display. tier reception of the first appalling charge was natural and spirited, her defence on the trial was delicate, v iniptessise ; and when she sunk apparently not Ices miLrpowered by the pain of such an imputation, than by the infirmity of a mother's frame, the audience understood her feel ing, and followediter exit with loud applause. Mrs. Yates, as Pauline:, playcl spiritedly in the Deem of upbraiding the King. • Miss Beaumont's Perdita was a pretty portraiture of a character of playful beauty, Liston and Blanchard were admirable in their parts ; . Abbott was devoured too early in the piece to actiOire much distinction; though his new office of Dlfynt!..te to the bundle which enacted the young rxpuyee, pro cured hint a prodigious exploskat of laughter, and his death by the lamest of passible bears made his exit as jocular as his entrance ; Fawcett'. Adolllcus was acute, humorous, and indefatigable ; Keetable's Florizel was the noblest of rustics ; and Youai: a ',exam was in the early scenes a fine conception of ►iery jealousy, and in the latter a close and painful sk tch of dejection prey— ing upon a powerful mind and an unwearied love. The discovery of the statue was prettily arranged; Miss Somerville bore up the honours of sculpture steadily, and the grace of her descent was much ap. plaualed. The opera of Figaro is to be produced at ent- Garden Theatre as s►on as Miss Stephens returns to town. The part of the Page is to be personated, we uu&rstand, by Airs. T. Hill, who is establishing her musical reputation under the able instruction of Mr. Bishop. The Earl of Miltown is the nobleman to whom, it is said, Miss Stephens is about to give her hand. Mr. Croker, it is sai.l. is going to hunt. Extract of a Private Letter from Paris, dated Jan. 4.—" It is now' known that M. de Cities and M. Ba ron Louis contributed most to the formation of the present Ministry, in which (so chance would have it) • there are three Gascons (De Cazes, Dessolles and Por tal), and three members from Lorrain (Lmis, Gintvion St. Cyr, and De Serrc). You may n ell believe that this curious coincidence has excited mum merriment here. The new Ministry will have much to do to rea lize its promises. Institutions of every kind are e 3... pected from it. The guarant...e of the liberty of tha press, the freedom of the journals, the re-casing of the whole of the administrative system, impressed with the' despotism that presided at its origin, the reform of the criminal code, and many other improvements, are ex. petted. The Ministry of the Police is suppromd, but for soma years this suppression will be more in name than in reality. M. Cuzcs will even continue to °cc's. py the hotel occupied by the successive Ministers of Police for the last 20 years, the Pouches, the Savarys, and such like agents, although the inscription placed over the door is withdrawn. Many changes are con. templated in the Prefectures, the military commends, and the foreign missions. General Maison, it is said, . succeeds M. de Noaillcs as Ambassador at Petersburgh. There is a talk of the creation of 20 new Peers." The following is a letter from a person of high re spectability in Madrid, ad•lressed to a friend in Lonlon, upon the melancholy occurrence of the death of the Queen of Spain. We give it in the writers own words:-- Y Madrid, Da. 28, 1818. " MY ESTEEMED Feteep,—With this you will re ceive intelligence, which will doubtless afflict you deeply. The Queen, the object of all our hopes and de sires, at the very moment when she appeared likely to realize those hopesiand desires, by giving to his Majesty and to the Spanish nation, a Prince of Asturias, sud denly expired, the night before last, at balk' past nine. The feelings excited by so unlooked fur, and so fatal an event, may be more easily conceived than described, when we consider all the eminent viitles, and dii tin guishcd qualities, which characterized tier Alnjesty.— The affliction of the King, who tenderly loved her, molt be greatly aggravated, by the deep sense which he entertains of her exalted merits, and by the cir cumstance that she expired in his arms. With respect to the particulars of this most lamentable event and of the subsequent ion also of the Infanta, I must refer you to the Extraordinary Gozette. I must add, however, that the King d splayed, on this sad occas'on, a sensibility which did no less honour to his heart, than justice to the deputes] object of his tears It was intended at first to bleed his Majesty ; but it was afterwards abandoned ; and, in the midst of the general affliction, we have the satiscartion of knowing that his Majesty is recovering from the first shoe:, and that there is hope it may not essen tially affect his important health. It wauld he impos sible for yoe to t;rten an idea of the sensation which lets b. en every where produced by this ovent. The Queen had gained, its an extraordinary manner, the love and affection of all classes 'the Royal Family, the court, • the People, all, all, exhibit the 1110 f t striking proafs the regard they bore towards her, and of the pain which her death has occasioned. It so completely occupies every mind, that at the present moment I am unable to w. ite to yott upon any other subject." The French refers received on Friday announce the death of the Queen of Spain, jest on the point of be. coming a nueher. The king himself is at such a time of life, that it is not improbable he may still look fur heirs in a new marriage. Her late Majesty was united in person to the King on the 29th of September, 2816, having been hefere married by proxy. His Malcsty was torn in 178-1..