The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-04 00:00:00

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rHEATHES.

covENT-nsanste.
This splendid Temple of the Muses was last
night lighted up, preparatory to the regular opeat•
ing, for the season, which will take plate on Mon--
(14y next. The orttismants that decorate the hours
have been cleansed and hrightened-s-and their sp-
pearanee is now as beautiful and brilliant as
when they first came front the banal of the ar-
tist. The fluted pillars, by which the boxes are
supported, which originally were covered with
slyer leaf, have been gilt and highly burnished.
This is an improvement which adds considerably to
the richness of the general effect. The alteration
of the pruseeniuns is, however, the great improve-
ment. Formerly, when melts-dramatic pieces, de-
mantling a gtent extent of spectacle, and great Inf-
titles* of scenery, were reinvented, individual;
in
the higher parts of the house, were deprived of a
full view of the stage. on account of the immove-
ability of that part of the proscenium on which the
King's arms are painted. By an ingenious contri-
vance, it can 11011 he raised fourteen feet ; and
thus. in the most remote corner of the house, the
spectator enjoys a full view of what is passing, in
the highest portion of the scene. The commence•
inesit a the privesrion over the mountains, in
Blue Beard, will flow be visible in every quarter
of the house—atill the cries of .` Higher! higher'"
(with refrrence to the sky drapery) which so often
was heattl to proceed front the gallery visitors, when
they coulol not catch a glimpse of what was doing
iu the Imek.gruusid, will, in future, be completely
prevented. Same of the new scenery which was
last night exhibited. is exquisitely painted. The
opening scene in Blue Beard, by Gam's. is most
tastrfol in the design, and clear and spirited
in the colouring. A town, its the old English
style, and 4 view in sin Italian city. the productions
of Mr. l'uctt, are grand specimens of architectural
painting. The perspective in both is finely pre-
served.

SURREY THEATRE.
The third representation of The President and
the Peasant's Daughter, confirmed last night the
high character it attained oil its first production.
The acting of Miss TAYLOR was w powerfully
t tfective, even in herself, that at the end of the first
act she was taken from the stage in strong
hysterics. The comic episodical relief adds still
more tiiiivitatit force to the serious scenes, and
had this plat• been produced at the cononsecce-
si.eht of the season, there is no doubt hut it
wool.' have been of unparallr:ed profit to the
eqiihlislintelit. Richard the lirst is so admirably
acted, twig, and decorated, that it is no wonder
the theatre is crowded to excess to witness the
magical realirttion of the tales of other times:
yet mote tiovi,ly is promised at this prolific theatre.
Among the fathimiables who have witnessed the
effect of the uee, piece, were—
The Earl and Count. sr of IVararick, Countess of Mex.
bo►ough, Earl and Countess of Clare. Earl of Fife, Lord J.
Knoull, Lady De Crespigny, Lady Fitzroy &meant, Lady
Pulteuty, Sir Lumley Sketliugton, 84e.

, •
TflE STAGE-MISS O'NEILL.

[MOW " vows imouuma foal

•
This charming and accomplished actress has
closed her erigagement, and though we here
already laid before our readers a faint delineation
of her leading performances. we are tempted, while
the impreasion made by theta is strong sinul oar
mind, to take a more general review of her
particularly as touching the present state of t:.e
stage. Connected as this subject is with the mo.
rality and civilization of the people. the difficulty
is not in want of matter, but to select from the
numerous topics obviously involved in it, such at
are most interesting.
The manifest and extraordinary improvement of
the stage in these countries, appears strikingly in
three point*: in the refinement of the pulAic tote,
es 'hewn in the pieces exhibited—in the mode of re-
presentation—and in the character of the per-
formers. That the written drama has improved
(we mean in a moral sense only) is so obvious, when
compared with the works of the elder dramatists,
that it is almost unnecessary to say a word on the
subject—but even with authors of the last century.
the reformation has been equally pointed and effec-
tual. Withont enumerating a dry list of names.
we shall merely select two as instances—Farquhar
and Congreve. Of the many comedies written by
the former, only two now retain possession of the
stage, and of those of the latter, not one. Bat,
perhaps a better, because a more permanent sta'.d.
srd may be found in the works of Shakspeare.
Those who have paid attention to the performance
of his plays, for the last ten or fifteen years, must
recollect the gradual obliteration of passage ;thee
passage ; until the purgation is at last become cm-
Woe. and no filthy dross remands to alloy the rich
produce or Iris inexhaustible mine. We take these
proofs to he quite conclusive on this part of the
subject. No actor would now dare to incur the
displeasure of the audience by the delivery of those
passages, which half • century ago were not only
tolerated hut applauded.
In maims'. g. in the second place, the superior
excellence of dramatic representation at the pre-
sent day. we are sensible that we are entering die.
potable ground, and that a long list of illustrions
names may be raised in formidable array against at.
We are far from pretending to dogmatise upon tie
subject, and particularly as our opportunities of
ocular observation cannot embrace the entire period
we are treating of. But after giving the subject
much consideration, we are strongly of opinion that
the abilities of the performers of the lust century,
and particularly of the early part of it, have been
over-rated ; or. rather that their defects arose more
from the school in which they. were educated,
than from any want of power en themselves.—
As far as we can collect, the style of acting of
that day was a species of vapid declamation, is set
of movements by rule, like schoolboys in a en..
trust, without sufficient regard to the universal I in.
gunge common to all stations. Why G.irrick did
not bring the stage to greater perfection in his
time, would lead us into too long • disquisition
to consider. But the fact is indisputable-oot
there was great room for improves/omit—when to
individuals smite, fully competent to the task. Mr.
Kemble and Mrs. Siddons. The antiquated (rips
pery of the old school vanished before the lustre of
their abilities—they gave the admiring public
•
splendid specimen of man in his proudest form. end
a spirited and faithful delineation of all the deeper
and darker passions which agitate Iris breast. Tie
very faults of these distinguished performers may
be traced up to their exceHiug btilliaucy in their
own walk. The same moaner that seemed appro-
priate in their performance, would be out of place.
and almost ridiculous, if used in ordinary occur-
rences, or to express the feelings of ordinary life;
the leading defect of the Kemble school was there.
fore not inaptly designated by the term seamteritat
—and yet it was this defect only that Is.* been
transcribed by the crowd of imitators, who sought
to supply their place—the beauty of the originals
was lost its the copy—like all other mimics, they
caught the shadow, but lost the substaace—hke
Potiphar's wife, they seized • strenuous grip of
the clock. but the spirit of life and animatiou within

it escaped.
Before we advert to the importance of Min
O'Neill's appearance at this period, we must he•
stow a few words on a fellow-labourer in the vine-
yard, who, with very inferior pretensions, has nevn-
theleas hail considerable success. It was at this
critical moment, when the public were sick of imi-
tations, that Mr. Kean, with personal disadvautsgts
that would have deterred any other man—with a
figure:di but deformed and the worst of all bad voices,
had the hardihood to plan, and the ability to accom-
plish, setting himself forward as the master of a
new school of acting. Every body knows the avi-
dity with which the public (and the London poc
in particular) run after novelty—Fashion threw her
mantle over him, and those who would not bow her
foe the idol, ran great danger of being called fcois,
orr knocked on the head, or both. Mr. Kean, kit
moat founders of sects, has probably gone further
than he intended: he began by being Nateral--.he
ft
now is anxious to be new —he seeks less to gi
every part of the text its due colouring, than to
make a point oat of some trifling passage that every
one else neglected. His success, however, was too
splendid not to raise him competitors ; who were
possessed of some of his excellencies, and free from
his defects. The moat successful of these are
Booth and Vandenlioff ; but the odds at starting
were too much in his favour, and if Isis popularity
has declined, it is certainly more owing to the in-
sutfcrable presumption and arrogance of them an,
than to any fickleness in his followers. He os,
however. to want head to bear ' meekly' his eleva-
tion, and his acting hav (even by the admission of
his admirers) visibly and considerably deteriorated.
We now gladly turn our undivided attention 1,,
the advantages that have arisen, and are likt!
to arise, from the transcendent talents or Mi,.
O'Neill and the peculiar fitness of the titre in
which she has arisen. Had this actress appeared.:
the early time to which our beginning observation.
referred, the probability is, that she would not hi"
beets popular. The change would have been NO
radical to be borne. They who have beets grit•
dually led round the circle, would never have be"
prevailed upon to leap the diameter. They IT'
tun lung accustomed to look at themselves in so or
vetted glom, to bear her who holds the wairroe °P to