The National Register.
London, England, 1808-05-08 00:00:00

MAY 8.

THE THEATRES. •
400**tv•to .
DRURE..LANIC, 4; ),61.t! 1.44,44414044 c
Although we are not among those who conceive that Comedy
is now at a very low ebb in Great Britain, yet we have more than
Once had occasion to regret that the English Opera has fallen to
to deplorable a situation as that which it occupies at the pre-
sent day. Mr. Cumberland has produced an Opera called the
jct., Mogadore, which was acted for the first time on Tuesday
evening : and we are sorry to say, that he has done nothing fur
the redemption of English credit in this particular. To say
that Mr. Cumberland's dialogue does not abound with bad Eng-
lish, bad Grammar, stupid puns, and false metaphors, is to say
very little in his favour; and yet we are obliged to confess that
in his favour we can add little more.
The story of this piece it will be impossible for ns to lay be-
fore our Headers, because, with all the attention that we be-
slimed upon the play, during the representation, we NI are till-
able. to discover any thing that approached the nature of a plat.
We were fortunate enough to perceive only that the Prince of
Nogadore was in love with a lady, m ho, attended by some per-
sow., float Opens, was shipwrecked on the African coast, and
bought by a Jew of Al ogadore. This Jew was exceedingly be-
mcvolent, for he purchased slaves, that he might have the plea-
bare of setting them free again, and probably, as the vulgar say-
ing has it, he contrived to live by the loss. The Prince seemed
to be a good deal displeased at first, when he understood that
Giovanni, who seemed to be the commander of the vessel from
Cyprus, had taken the liberty of bringing the lady with him :
but on thalii:g that Giovanni had used her very well, he graci-
oasis forgave him. On the arrival of the news of the old Mo-
narch's death, which happens, with great dramatic fitness, in
the last act, the Prince ascends the throne, and all the people
seem to be happy enough. It is observable that the Jew, whose
principles are so adverse to slavery, has long kept in his house
an Irishman, and a woman who we believe is a Persian, as
mere slaves : and at the end of the play, recollecting that his
cowcience is hostile to slavery, he tells them that he cannot
think of keeping them as slaves, Itnd compliments them by re-
questing their acceptance of their lihorty. There is another Jew,
of a less liberal disposition, who brings himself into the disa-
greeable clutches of the penal law, and then is begged off: but
we could not at all understand what he had to do with the play.
The character, or rather the part, which Mrs. Bland represent-
ed, is attended, to our view, with the same disadvantage.
The actors were ton good for the business they had to exe-
cute. Mr. Donlon, from whose character of Nadal, the play
takes its name, had nothing to do but to speak a few benevolent
sentences; and if the Managers have a mind to equalize their ac-
tors in the general opinion, by way of gettin4 gas excuse for
lowering their salaries, we think they cannot contrive any bet-
ter :scheme than that of putting good comedians into such parts as
this Jew. These are the parts that remove all distinction be-
ta good actors and bad ones ; for, as the servant says in the
farce, Joan is as good as my lady in the dark. Mr. Penlev
plays the other Jew : and we should recommend it to him, when
this Jew is labouring under the apprehens4als of speedy execu-
tion, to be a little less jocular in his tone and in the muscles of his
face. Madame Catalani, it is true, has a smile upon her court-
. tenanee even in the deepest distress; but Mr. Penley is not so
pmtty as Madame Catalani, and does not become a smile by any
means so well.; and.besides, an actor or actress, though hand-
somer than Apollo or Venu•-. should always recollect that peo-
ple in extremity of sullering are not apt to indulge themselves iii
mirth : let not sir. Penley plead the almost solitary example of
Sir Thomas Moore, who jested as he mounted the scatiol3.—We
anust not omit to praise the chaste, yet impressive actin°. of Mr.
Bollaud, in the part of the Prince.
The music is the production of Mr. Kelly. We will not af-
front that gentleman by any compliments about its originality,
for we know that he would perceive the irouical effect which
such panegyric must convey ; hut he deserves at least the
credit of having well adapted most of the songs to the talents of
the respective singers. Mr. Braham and Mrs. Mountain did
the greatest justice to the compositions which were committed
to them.

The Play was heard with the most attentive endurance, ti':
the end; itut human fortitude could not, without some expres-
sion of impacience, sutler so very dull, tint, and unintelligible an
opera; and the hisses of the audience became so loud and so
general, as to drown the voice of Mr. Holland, who tried to
gpveit out for :t second representation. But the play bills, as
taTull, inform u. every morning of its great success, and the
COL LLtilla to be acted.