The National Register.
London, England, 1815-07-02 00:00:00

43(1

TTIF. NATIONAL REMSTER.

DRAMATIC REGISTER.

MR. KEAN'S LEON.

Our pages last week were so completely occupied with in-
telligence of the most interesting nature to all ranks of so-
ciety, that we were prevented from inserting our usual the-
atrical remarks.

Nothing requiring particular notice occurred in the scenie
world except Mr. Kean's performance of Leon, in Beau-
mont and lietcher's comedy of Rule a Wire and Hare a Wife.
Tl.•e plot of this piece is taken from the Cosamiento Enga-
',ion) of Cervantes, the justly celebrated Spanish author. It
contains several well conceived characters, and is replete with
the most laughable incidents. The character of Leon may
be given in a few wo,ds :—I-le is a man of honour and
courage, and assumes the appearance of a simpleton, for the
purpose of marrying a woman of large fortune, who wishes
for a passive and inoffensive husband, that she may, under
the guise of matrimony, follow the bent of her licentious in-
clinations with greater freedom. His honour is not diminish-
ed by this deception, as when she becomes his wife, he spews
himself in his real character, assumes the authority of a hus-
band, and ultimately succeeds, as he originally intended, in
securing to himself her hitherto wavering affections, and in
eradicating from her mind all its former levity.
The part of Leon is less interesting than many others in
which we have had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Kean; it con-
tains, however, some passages well calculated for the display
of that gentleman's talents; and his masterly representation
of it must have convinced the public that his abilities are
not confined to any particular cast of character, as this is es-
sentially different from any which he has hitherto perfom,
ed. Nothing could be more admirably expressive of
the character of an idiot than the vacant countenance and
awkward gait assumed by Mr. Kean when he first appeared
on the stage. In his manner of answering the various ques-
tions that are put to him, touching his abilities, there was
an air of stupid simplicity which was irresistibly laugh-
able, and which drew from a crowded house loud and
repeated shouts of applause. The apparent 'astonishment
and timidity with which he receives the command of Mar-
garita, to kiss her, and the increased boldness with which he
repeats the salute formed as genuine a display of comic powers
as we have ever witnessed. In Leon's first interview with
Margarita, when he promises the most implicit obedience
to all her reasonable commands, and even goes so far as to
tray _ _

1‘ I'II never speak again, Madam,
But when you charge me,"
Mr. Kean was particularly happy; his appropriate deli-
very of every sentence in this scene, combined with the timid
obedience that was so faithfully pictured in his countenance,
presented to the imagination, precisely the governable, good
kind of. man Margarita wishes for; and heightened the in-
terest of the plot by making his deception appear less impro-
bable than it weuld if this part were played in an inferior
manner. Mr. Kean's assumption of the authority of a hus-
band and dignity of a gentleman, war characterised by an
equal display of ability, and was the more remarkable by be-
ing so great a contract to the character which he at first
adopts. In the answer to the Duke rf Medina, who requests
Leon, towards the close of the third act, to use his wife well,
the expressive and feeling manner in which he answers,

" Mine own humanity will teach me that, Sir,"
was most excellent. Mr. Garrick is said almost to have sur-
-1 assed himself in his delivery of this line: we do not think it
possible that more interest could have been given to it than
by Mr. Kean. We will close air remarks upon this gen-

JITT,Y 2.

tleman's performance of Leon, by observing, that great indeed
must be the versatility of an actor's genius, who succeeds in
representing two such very different characters as are com-
bined in the part of Leon, to the entire satisfaction of his au-
dience : the loud and repeated cries of " Bravo bravo !"
amidst which the curtain fell, are sufficient proofs of the ap-
probation Mr. Kean gained and so well deserved. Mr. Bart.
ley's Copper Captain was not one of his happiest Obits ; it
was, however, altogether a respectable pet formance. We
remember Lewis in this part, and are therefor e, pet haps, dif
ficult to please ; for his representation of it was really in-
imitable. We remarked with pleasure that Mr. Battley
struck out every passage which was particularly exceptionable.
The language of Beaumont and Pete& r frequently passes be-
yond the bounds of decorum and even of decency; it is pos-
sibly owing to this circumstance, that out of fifty-four dra-
matic pieces produced by these poets, two only are ever
brought forward, the Chances, and Rule a Wife and have a
mfr. We think it unpardonable in an actor at any time to
deviate intentionally from the text of his author, and parti-
cularly so when it is for the purpose of adding to, instead of
diminishing, the indecency or impropriety of any particular
passage: if the ohl lady is not blind as well as deaf, she will
take this hint, which we thought it incumbent upon us to
give. Mrs. Clover's Bstcrania is a spirited performance.
Mrs. Orger, as Margarita, was highly respectable.