The National Register.
London, England, 1811-08-04 00:00:00

'TIE NATIONAL REGISTER..

DRAMATIC REGISTER.

LYCEUM.

litirher. SRF.RIDAN first produced his " Rivals," it was about
twice as long a; a play ought to be, and in consequence was
completely' danthed. It was afterwards much curtailed, and
tllus altered, was received with the most unbounded applause,
an il. retrains to this day (to the credit of the public taste) one
of the r adoiN•d com'dies on the st2ge.
I maid think, from the singular fate of this piece, that
the stritti.6 Of the pr-sent day are ambitious of treading the
same p4tt to Line. Unless actlatecl by some such motive, I
cattnr.t concs.iv- how it is that all their productions are so
tborninahly long. Perhaps they think that by spinning them
ot:t to sti.h an evravagant length, they furnish an excuse for
failure m case.nf th.: worst, and that after the opinion of an
audi..i,ce has been expressAl, it wiii at any time be easy to do as
Siik:AIDAN did with his play,
" throw away the worser part of it,
And Vv.: the httter with the other half."

Be the cause what it may, the fact of most of the pieces, re-
cently produced, twirl much too long cannot be denied. This
ircumstance, ir the present hot weather, is of itself enough to
make acrltic peevish, and he would probably soon find himself
in a very bad way,.if happily tile per..ormane es on which be Las
to sit in judgm.nt, were not of such a nature as to afford him a
timely opportunity of discharging his splecn. The new piece,
(w Licit was played sante years ago) from the pen of Mr. LEWIS
is of this description. The curtain did not fall till near half
past eleven. Mr. RAYMOND then came forward and informed
the audience, that this new piece, which the author had thought
proper to capand, would be compressed before it was repeated.
This intelligc:-.ce, it is unnecessary to say, was recAved with
great demons:rations of joy, and I must say, tho transport
of the audience on this occasion appeared to me as rational as
since re.

It i 3 quite unnecessary to go into the plot of this drama, which
"professes to he but a second edition of the " /Vow/ Ikrnton".--
Why Mr. I.r.wis thought it advisable to thin that extravagant
entertainment into a first piece, I am quite at a loss to coujec-
titre. I never heard it complained of in its original state as he
lug too N.'tort. I feel not a little alarm at the precfdent it fur-
nishes, and tremble lest other writers of afterpieces, should turn
their farce, into plays. Whatever it he that has induced
Lxwis to make a play of the " d Dermon," it is one of the
most impudent innovations that ever called forth the reprobation
of an indignant public. In giving this monstrous abortion of a
decayed imagination, a distracted fancy, and a racked invention,
the place whirls ought to be held by something approaching a
resemblance of life, or a picture of what mi,drt exist, the mana-
ger.: of this theatre have committed an outrage upon taste and
upon common sense, which will neveriehe exceeded (even by
them), thaigh they should produce a Harlequinade in live acts.
Of the merits of this piece I shall say but little; and however
I might feel disposed co deal in panegyric, it would be impossi-
ble. to tia y much. I might, nevertheless, still make this a tole-
rably I .ng article, HI thought it worth while to &Nell on its
defevs. Tu do this ev, of opini.m, would he a loss of
time, as it were billy to suggest any correction Of that which
ought to be thr,,wn a=ide altogether. Before 1 lay down my pen
11 ma' t botwithstandi:Hg, compliment the author on the pretty
tnarner,i.: svhich cOttduds his second act. During the per-
fcemance a rr3tid ballet, the Devil makes his appearance.
Ttt: Krignt very civilly cleires him to walk up
ivirs. and vr.)xycises follow him. He keeps his word, and
ham, I sopp..,e, a very anUnAted conference with the Daemon on
the landing-place. 11e presently returns tictth his drawn sword
in cmcht,nd,. a-ad beating the tune of I)..Lldy Mammy" on his
icir...:hrad :with the other. Hardilotwe seizes.Leo/J,!, and the
is thin seen a4c:nding in the air on the back of a " grin-

'zing Dragon.' A variety of fire-works are let off on the occa-
sion, so that the effect of the whole is similar to that produced
annually on the fifth of November, by boys firing the effigy of
Guy Fauxovith squibs and crackers pinned to his breech. It
may be very classical to exhibit the fiend in this way ; but I
would submit it to Mr. Lewis if the spectacle would not be
made more awfully sublime by introducing him in the form of a
dog, with a tin kettle tied to his tail.
In the third act, Hardiknute having accepted the situation of
purveyor to the Devil on the 6th of August (the day after oyster
day), is obliged the supply the Devil with the flesh of a human
being (and oyster-sauce I suppose). He, therefore, purposes to
seize Leolyn in the night, iu order to make him the victim.
Unable, aware of this, determines to pass the night with the
child, and re solves not to close her eyes. Leolyn offers to play
on the guitar, and she gives him leave, as while " it amuses him
it will keep her awake." The boy plays, and immediately, to
show the sirength qflacr resolution, and at the same time to give
us a high idea of her taste for music, she composes herself to
sleep. Hoetlikeate carries the child away before her face (she
awakes in time to see it), and instead of attempting to save him,
she very naturally amuses herself in kicking up a riot. Una now
comes to suck Leolyn's prison, but cannot find the secret spring
ss•hich opens the passage to it. From this embarrassment she is
relieved by a couple of Spectres who arc exhibited on each side
of the staKe, like the wonderful baboon, and the laughing hyena,
front the Gulph of Florida, at Bartholomew fair. They paint
out where the spring is to be found, bow, curtsey, and vanish
by drawing their curtains. This has a very fine effect, but as
this p;et-e is brought forward as an English Opera, I think they
ot_;llt to Five a little singing here. A very pretty trio might be
furnislied by the Ghosts and Una. I expected something like the
following to make the thing complete; which, by the bye, is
very much at Mr. Lewis's service.
Mr. Ghost.—" Lady Grim, how do you do ?" (Kissing hit
Maw' to the jintale spectre.)
s. GA.)st.—" I'm so so ? but how are you ?" (Curtseying
to the mule spectre.)

Una.—Ah ! Good Heavens! what is here ?—(Seeing the Mak
Ghost.)
Mr. G/iost.—Don't be frighten'd pray, my dear.
Una.—Heavenly powers! What is there ?
41:rs. Gkost.—l won't hurt you I declare.
Mr. Glius.t.—Pray Miss, don't you want a spring
Una.—Yes, I'm seekiug such a thing.
Gllo.l:.—Here it is—du'st see it ? This—(Pointing to the
epriag.)

Una.—Lord have mercy on me ! Yes—(B 11 rings.)—`What
does that gad ~varning say ?
Mr. Ghost.-1)--n it, we must go away.—(Ghosts ranish—
Tlyouler and lightning—Gong sounds—Drums and trumpets.—
Fidalcs plag " Here UT go up up up"—crit Una.)
I have bet n insensitly led by vo4y anxiety to describe the
beau:ies of this piece to give, what I did not intend, a sketch
of itA plot. After what has been said ev:ry one must see it
furnishes the lovers of the preposterous with a most delectable
treat. The: admirers of Moo NTFOR D'S Deed and Doctor Faits_
ties wi 1 here see something like a revival of that piece, and Mr.
may with justice arrogate to himself the merit of being
the first dramatic Scarecrow of the day.