The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-28 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN.

The custom of PlaYittgtitetniedi of George Barnwell
in Christmas we,week had of lets years been discontinued :
it is a custom which prevailed without any apparent rea-
son for its prevalence, and we are at a loss to discover any-
thing in the subject or the story that renders it a tittihg
entertainment for this season of the year. Nor is it alone
on account of its inaptitude to the present period that we
elject to its representation ; but because it altogether fails
in producing the itlact for which it is pretended to be
played. It is meant as a warning to those who are about
" tern' sin's long labyrinth to run," to deter them from a
profligate career by the turpitude of the example before
than, and by the ignominious punishment that expiates
the guilty course he ran. It is Junius, we think, who
somewhere saes, that examples are sometimes so bad that
they cease to be contagious; there are examples sonic-
:Mies also too bad to be instructive. Such an example is
Groner Ile is at first a virtuous person,
and, es if by the touch of a talisman's wand, he be-
comes sad lenly trans:caned into a most inveterate
villain. There is an unprovoked—an unnatural—and
grand:oils depravity of vice in this, that too grossly
outrages the laws of litmotaity, to be considered by any
person for one moment probable, or even possible. Human
nature, with all its weaknesses, is not so degraded that a
fellow-creature, wnhout any intermediate degree in the
commit 'ion of crime, can be transmuted in an instant from
a man into a monster. Vet this is precisely the sort of
person that George Barnwell is ei, scribed to be. That the
artifices of a clever end accomplished prostitute may solace
the affections of a young man of a eerious and unsuspecting
dieposition, is probable to suppose; this might have at:
foieit el, if tist a very telitying. at least not an unnatural
foundation fur 2 drama ;lent this is quite lost sight of in the
atrocities ef his utli,r crimes. Ilia murder of his uncle—
his best benefaetur mu! ft level—and his subsequent declara-
tion to Lis niiietess that "he would not add sacrilege
to murder by plotitlering his person of the wealth and
jewels he carried with hint, is really the merest mockery
of maudlin sentiment, and of downright cant, that ever
disgraced the drama. Ile who had "no compunctious
vieitings" to prevent hint front the perpetration tit murder,
could let forsooth centlessectiel to the meanness of becoming
a pickpocket ! The murder of the uncle was qui:e a Gill's
Hill-lame concern, and we could wish Loth events to be
bnuished for ever from the stage, and from the me-
atones of men. We speak of the play rather as
it ought tonic acted, titan, we can positively undertake to say,
it was acted last night ; for we might as well have been in the
whiepering-gallery of St. Paul's Church to hear a sermon, as
in the stage-box to hear the greater part of the dialogue of
the play, such was the illeePtilllt din kept up by the galleries
throughout the eight. But our more immediate business is
with the Cht intuits pantomime. It is entitled 77/e Dragon
ty • Wadley; 0,, More of Mere Hal. It tn!aht as well be
called Chtri4l,l ilarlme,', or At ri,u Like If, for any intel-
ligible connexion between tl:e name it bears and the scenes
repreeenteel in it. Indeed we are not sure, however, that
As lau 1! would nut answer as a very good genetic
name for all pantenthres, as there is now a court:anon I
between the reulieeee and the actors, that a pantomime is I
merely a sort of entertainment for conveying pleasure,
cur rampie rporlo, through the medium of bustling action
and varied mid gorgeous scenery, without due regard to
any of the ryen;oll::ed proprieties of the drama. Mr.
Grimaleli, junior, eppears to have been the arranger and
utile:es of this new piece. It has been raid by a critic of
some end:wore. " that he and his father are as like each
other es two peas :" we own we are not quite of this opinion;
certainly urn h of the elasticity of limb, and of 'pint, that
distinguished the father also marks the l erformances of
the son ; but that versatile invention of tricks and irre-
sistible via comica of countenance which made obi Gri-
maldi the first of favourites in this species of performance
was altogether his own; it was peculiar and unrivalled. There
was littlo of varieti in his tricks, and many of them were
failures. Ibis quick journey from York to London, and
Iris steam apparatus for travellinep, were perhaps the
newest and the best. The neweoliinibine, Miss Ro-
mer, is pretty and s; tightly ; she dances in a grace-
ful and well-executeti style; her figure is slender,
and she is scarcely equal to the fatigue of three or
four hours perpetual dancing. The scenery was in many
instances worthy the Melt reputation of this establishment
for its scenic embellishments. Of these the best scene
(a truly admirable one) was the grand sailing-match, by
the Harlequin, the Spitfire, the St. George, and the
Ifot ltioranni, for the :::urnherland cup, represented ,•
in a moving panorama, et minencing at Blackfriarss
bridge, pairing through the other bridges, and showing
the intended alterations of the grand promenade on
the banks of the Thames. Epsom Item-coerse was •
ridiculously represented by an ill-dressed mob and a few
lacy donkeys. There was a very correct represtntation,
however, of Blael,friars-bridge Macadamizing. Altogether
the l antomitne was rather coldly received. The merit of
the teenerysustained rather than enhanced the character of
this house for its admitted euperiorltv in this important de-
pertinent of ilsmiatic illusion. 'lite little dialogue that
there in, is destitute of a ge,d joke, and the ttttt sic and
singing are of the onintary enininon-place merit of produe-
tions of this description. The house was extremely full,
aril the repetition of tic Ocoee was received with general,
but net very mark-ml approbation. It would vere well bear
the enrtailnnat of Fame "rate, iiet, and unprofitable"
tricks, some pauses and heavy intervals where nothing is
and some etternotel illusions which arc so glaring
rill palpable as to be no illusions at-all.

ADEI,TH I.
In compliance with annual custom, this theatre pre-
sented last night to its sisitors a new pantomime, founded
upon the powers of ifut!der Reit Cdsp, a personage whose
name has, we believe, often excited terror in the minds of
the younger part of the creation. The mischievous crone
performs her feats, furnished with bad rhymes and a sub-
stantial cane: the former she uses for the benefit of her
audience, and the latter she exercises most unsparingly
urn the back and abtneders of her knavish valet, who is tw:

quite as expert in the r iformaiice of his duties as she
wish. Two losers, Harlevant and (;derntine, are eLitc:
of her malignity ; the latter she separates from her
betroth;
and by means of her skill in magic, she deprives 16 nil'
hie swain of all activity, and renders him motionless 1
all her machinations, our friend Mother Ited cap is, hoii.
ever, defeated by the intervention or the Fairies
Rose, who enable the lovers to triumph over their. tr.
mentor, and terminate tin it courtship with a mania-.
which, according to all dramatic laws, is to lead to (mere,
happiness. There was of course the usual number
clowns, whose sagacity and intellect are, according to
prescribed regulations of pantomime. lodged in their iota.
extremities. Those performers acquitted themselves to the
.
satisfaction. of the audience, and their antics called de„,
the applause of the spectators, on whom (considering the
season) it would be out of all character to be fastidiosno
severe. The house was crowded to excess, and the pkce•
was well received.

OLYMPIC.
This theatre 7rceted its Christmas friends with tan cry
holiday pieces last night, after the performance of the
Mad The first piece, tinder the title of liar,.
Stearn ; cc, The 31,6ra Promise to Pity, was a burts,
upon the romance of Fran/an:id in, and appeared ti;;;;,-
to delight the audience in the upper regions, although
(4
are free to acknowledge that there did not appear to me
be much to laugh at. This 0 Extravaganza, as the tit,
call it, was followed he a Pantennir •!, entitled, 11,0,„i..
Simply Sint-r, ne I.r ilagic BeNarer, in 'illicit a riper
of tricks that have appeared in pantomimes for the he
half century, were introduced. The redeeming (lualiti,
of this Ilarlequinadc (for really with all our dispokti,,„
be good-humoured at this merry season, we cannot hri?
saying it was very mediocre), were a pretty, and ich„
a good Columbine, and a very smart active Iforfc.ele.
They danced, and smiled, and ogled each other, uif the,
were quite at home in the business, and /ferie2s;s% activit;,
with cauntline's coquetry, lightened the %eight of.:
heavy performance.

COBURG.
The long-promised produotion, entitled The Re:-1,,
Terror; or, lice horrors of the French Reenlofiun,'lkt:
last night, the holiday treat at the Coburg Theatre. lea:
before the commencement of tile piece, the house vu
thronged to excess, and it was scarcely possible to pin
tnittance either to the boxes, pit, or gallery; but the re
sitors were as noisy as they were numerous, and rented,
sentence was heard from the beginning to the end of theperformance. It will not be espreted, tht relive, that ire
describe what we have very little knowledge of teeq:
from the which, as if the uproar of the evens;
were anticipated, very fully detailed the principal incideatitt
the "peculiarly interesting, historical, and coreee'ete: mein.
drama." The principal features of this unreel bc melee
drama, it will he naturally supposed, were bustle, batthe
and bloodshed. The most remarkable scents were, the exit-
rior and interior of the pastille, the Barrier-gate, and the
Guillotine. The most original objects were, the gory bead
of a Royalist, sonic twenty dozen caps of liberty, a coae.
dr rable quantity of crackers, and ate antiquated Lackner.
coach, drawn by " two real horses." The most prattle:Li
characters, of course, were Louis of Fiance, Robespierre.,
Marat, Marie Antoinette, Charlotte t'onlay, JaceLiree
sane celet tee, I tritsotivists, Girondists, and the relibk of tux
National Guard. If the piece contained a plot, which ire
believe it dots not, we were totally unable to understiel
it, chiefly la cattre the battles in the pit and gallery were
quite as numerous as those upon the stage, and the twig
front ail parts of the house perfectly sufficient to split the
cars of the critic. IVe saw enough, however,
enable us to inform our readers, that the piece dr.
scribes the c: cape, the seizure, and the execution of
Louis XTJ., and that Irmic the King is personated by
Lewis the actor; that Mr. Ilenley enacts his chitf cote.
senor, ..41abier::er; and particubirly that Mee;,,,,yee
Robespierre is represented by Mr. if. Kemble, who. efer
I much noise and butchery, is shot by the populace, wlee,
as a continent on the title of the production,—"used t..
melo-draina,"—lie puts his hand to his jaw, and surren-
ders, to share the fate of his innumerable victims. Scree
characters, that are m ither historic nor anecdotic, arc is:
duced into the i•icee. Mr. Divulge is very merry
as an Loglieh cobler ; and Mr. Le Cleren n• • notc6
barber. .111 r. Ilertgough performs the part of an o\eressla:
soldier ; and Mr. Cebham is his son. Mr. Rosledie
is an aristocrat, entitled the Marquis dc
&rue; and Mlas Watson, his daughter torreteller. 1r
to seen, therefore, that the piece combines the shiii
strength of the company, bit until we again behold the
perfionnance, we carman venture to give an opinion of the
merits or demerits t idler of the actors or the me:a-donee
Considering that it has been " some months in prepare.
tion," and that it lips been announced from time to Mee
as " splendid," " interesting," "effective," " animated.-
" faithful," " impressise," &e., we are not disposed
congratulate the manager or the Coburg Theatre or. Li
production, nor on the result of its performance.