The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-12-28 00:00:00

TII Eilritza

bIIUELY•r. SIC.
Mr. FAttscost has ventured to make an infringe-
:l*ot on the loppg.eittablished etistion of representing
the tragedy or George Borawell 41 the Iron principal!
itiestre, the first night of the Christmas holidays
toe p!ay 'terrorised at Drury-lane last night being
that of The Dramatist. There is at least nothing
ceasorahle in this innovative; for it strikes us that
Ole notion of the utility of that animal eshilpoirm is
Ayr arotiqueed. and that the time (of ever it ex-
otedt whet. the stream produced the moral effects
;,!ended by it has long sinew passed away. Lest
'as the first preform-weer of the comedy we
.iptotwd dnrit.g the prevent season. Time
aroeters were rescinds j•splgon-rat, and. es well ••
J!mn:•1 incessant uproar Irons the upper gallery
_lot:ell la* to form as opinion, the play was ected
stilt great excellenee. Bet throughout most of the
renrta, the occupiers of that elevated region
awned eltsiost every other mend in the clamorous
j winent of their own. saturnalia. Mr. Et.t.ti.
IN'. singular. merits in the eccentric Vapid. r.c-
-,,0ti:.!1y lulled theta into alteration, but his de-
co. the original epilog*e woos nearly altogether
so. We regretted that we hod not a better op-
,atnia.ay permitted to us of discerning and appro.-
V/ the il.lllllies of Mr. DOWTOVO Lord Scratch,
Ir. lIA RI.EY's Ewald, sad Mr. liossaLL's Pori-
lit. Much of the representation of the latter part,
nwrser, like that of most fops, consisted to (ninth
taw; rod diet, appealing only tothe eyes. we can
r^ll4ll4re to have heti. clone with greet ease. ad-
slid grace. If itrescreptve usage was tie.
I,!cieri in the article of the play, it was faithfully
'l,lll4'd ill the product elterwerds of mats entirely
ow eatii;r pantomime, with new scenery. machipwry,
&rare*. end decoration", clotted leek and
le Bowls .Stalk: or. liorleqrhs and the
principal characters were so follow

tee *

4vr

—e

,
•,oen
liartela in . ......... ... .. .....
I'ilniiiiooll
Mr. Essiorr.
Cows
fiiihoor of mu Beast... Mr. S/11111.
I:,.!tud! igger
Ja,Fr Molar
jcnella, weans to the Ogre an"' I mi.. Tata,
ward. ir•daiabbie . • •
.4.pa. Gnod Croke of Ha Ilara.. Mrs. Mare.
‘icta, Ogre's peels, wad Evil Genies Mr. DI eaMMTII.
l!, An.)%l nreillets to sly. th it the pant ..... nue
,l,rl on the well-Amman iiisr.ery tale of the
In the former, bawdier, Jerk ascends
.i , itot through the impul-e of its own mind,
the advice of the genius dipa, and owes
toy in the Ogres cradle, not to the Ogress,
ier maul Jarretta, all whose relatives had been
ro!t it. Besides, he makes butt one visit to the
•s, apt, during that dispatches the Ogre, while
rel. by within.; hies through with a sword. le..
rtuately afuer this exploit, Jack, ond•letuly gilled
b Iti'mlloodt is tmorforetied into Harlequin, and
,cotta ikto Coistm6ine, by Arpn, and receive from
•r v....pee:4.1y s magic sword and a flazrr:lrt ;
•ti th,r, the goddess eggs, and the charmed bond.
t th-vev furl to earth. The Ogress, on discovering
ho It rd her lia.hatid deprived of life, and the
.ure flown, raises tip two misebievous spirit.,
, die commando to pursue and apprehend the
~ under the moors of sod Pantaloon.
tt.is the paistomitue, looped), speaking,
The . lovers are followed home by
it tiro persecutors, encounter a variety of ad-
totes, and after passing through countless
!,air•ireadth ',capes and moving accidents,"
et length seized by flier pursuers. la tins
.is recourse is had so the magical pips—the
Nius •ppeara from her palace with bre Sraill-
re is thrown into chains—the lovers ore released,
tt rendered happy by receiving the hand of each
,or. lii the emote of the pantomime is very great
mbar of entirely new scents were exhibited. A
~,ce view, with a fivlternowee cottage. by An-
n WE, attracted general admiration—.the colour-
-1 I,l* the sky and water is peculiarly *oft and
.4111;1'0, and the execution 'of the whole piece
•;:ant :nal delicate in the extreme. A view of
itt•r 'Change, by moonlight, and of the Me-
ig•nr, by the cause artist. were represented
.!Ii vent exactue.s. The palace of Argus. by
sdNaitt, was a scene of extreme brilliancy.
se inschinery, of which there was a considerable
iri•ty, was, on the whole, and with one oe two
Lirie:aii., which may be always expected on a first
.4'.', *ell conducted. The truiodoi tuitions and
itioarre numerous. and some of them very 'mgr.
31r,e g which we may include the following :
I :.ell lime Fiend at first cottirn-inds the a pprarahce
I Puntokois and Clown, they suddenly issue each
a t,l the jaws of a monster. forming parts of a
,tecr machinery resting on the stage. A sort of
Irst i+ exhibited, with the inscription " potifirl'4
3re Pirserver," which, touched by Ms levain's
turd, cheage• into that of "4 his opponent," anal
hone of peak with his dart moving* forth.
1-4.411'y after the words “ The real Life Pre-
,itei" ;present themselves, and the box assumes
't. •11:14.. of a told-. covered with o cloth, am!
',r:1,4 •sundry palatal& viands. The Clown
P,‘,.. in the witidoo of
a statuary's shop,
' a 11;e11 kr, arms, trunks, moat, anal an old
-men withant a head, becomo 'Mutated, out.
i: re through the opening. and Move round the
4;r. Pantaloon and Clown having seated them-
bes before a round table, on • midden bout their
Biro attached to it.
i
and hurried in a rapid re-
lotion orowed it. while they err involved in vo.
ales of spanks and flame emitted from it ; these
r hut a very few of what perliap. are equally de-
vivg of smite. One lit the ..... st amusing iits..i.
los in the pantomime is. the exhibition of the
isms ill Exeter 'Change, during vsincli the whole
liretion gi t loose, and spread terror rind downy
9I .t the spectators.
The music, a guest part of which iv original, is ex-
''''''slY fine. No paios, skill, or expense, mem
I have beau spared to render the piece worthy of
dike patinnegr ; and it was given out for repe-
thst amid peals of applause from a very lull
'use,

it a+me.

r 1.1.1-0.

1 COUNT-41 OLDEN.
low nieit the trogeily of George Bornwell
exhibited to ii crowded, hut inattentive owls-
'''; after winch, the pantomime of Herkqessi
't DoN Quixote, The piece het e lucky tulle
r ileitcripitoo, es seemly any one will fail to
u'intileisd the series of incidents by which it ill

prolonged. at the mere mention of the Knight of
La Matt Alta. The panto, ll 11l ic personation• take
place at the mandate of the Genims of liormonce,
who is offended at the incense of the Knight's ro.
"Olr'e library, just committed to thr firmer. lar the
persons of his household. Hr appear*, and by his •
witad displays to them three transparencte.: the origin
fCliivalry—Amadis, of G tal,.lat iiia giant—and King Arthur with his Christian Knights around a
table. Quivite is commissioned by the Spirit to
"go and do likewise." His niece becomes Co.
hembine,' her lover flarkinbi. and the house.
keeper Pantaloon. Gittstst.Cit sinters tin trasiii..
formation, but maintains his character of Sancho
Pangs with historical strictness throughout. The
plot runs through some of the coarse and buffeting
scenes of the original such as the encounter of the
windmill and the flock of sherp, the adventures of
the tills, the assault of the puppet-show, and souse of
Soneho's adventurer wider his Biratiriati goverisor.
ship. The incidents were, of course, accompanied
by the illusions of Harlequin's wood, and souse of
the changes wrought br that whimNical swtroment
gave great delight. The scenery, the greater part
by Gittatra, is capitally executed. The piece has,
upon the whole. lather too few trick'. Mitch de.
pestilence seems to have placed on the muse
Of CERVANTES. I, appears erroneous, however,
to trust to the grows of a great author for the
story of a pantomime. The contingencies of that
burlesque philoapphy from which the late authors
of pantomime have attempted to borrow their
story, are all missing on the stage ; all that
can he borrowed of them for such a purpose
is their mere adventures, generally the least
sig-
uilicant part of the book, Ilse mere chaff, which.
iu the oiigitial, unassumingly cliveltifn•s the richest
grain of human sagacity. A pantomime slither
does brat when he elevates tiome subj-. 01 of the Penn,'
press up to his own standard, we should rather say.
the standard of the galleries in holiday time. The
other mode. of cutting down a witty hook to a IMO.
t me, will labium alwt”s fail. The pantomime
of Covesit-garden only just escaped condemnation
by mean. of its splendid and profuse scenery, its
respectable music, and the humour of Gins! ti.Dt.
It is very short, however, anti there is plenty of
room. Ns it (*Vita% its dun.tiun. to improve it by
Kiting it more iiicideots and tucks.