The National Register.
London, England, 1811-06-16 00:00:00

DRAMATIC REGISTER.

—.mem.-
COVENT-GARDEN.

The only novelty worthy of notice at this Theatre, is the re-
vival of P'zarro. Mr. KEMBLE was announced as the repre-,
sentative of Rolla, but before the performance, the audience
were informed by Mr, BARRY Moßi, that in consequence of the
sudden indisposiion of Mr. KEMBLE, the character would be
sustained by Mr. YOUNG.

This arrangement, though a subject of regret with some,
afforded general satisfaction. It affords me no small pleasure
to be able to add, that that satisfaction was in no respect dimi-
nished by Mr.YouNo's performance, and save when in Mr.
Kesteee's hands, the Peruvian Hero has seldom be.:n done such
perfect justice to, and never perhaps better sustained.
On Mr. YOUNG'S entrance, he was greeted with loud and
very general applause. His deportment had all the expressive
dignity which belongs to the character. The scene in the
Temple of the Sun was well managed, and the address was
given in a very masterly style. In the scenes with Cora, Mr.
Yours displayed a feeling of warm, but chastened affection, a
fervent, but respectfully distant love mingled with an expression
of half-suppressed sadness, which well bespoke the generous
warrior who had sacrificed every selfiA feeling to friendship
and his country's love. In the prison scene with Alonzo he was
very great, and the soliloquy which follows the exit of his friend
was beautifully characteristic of fortitude and resignation ; but
in no part cf the play did he appear to greater advantage than
when he came forward at the call of Elvira from the dungeon
of Abeizo. The firmness and serenity with which he discovered
himself, and the strong resolution blended with trembling arm-
iety for the safety of his friend, which ought here to distinguish
the generous hero, was pourtrayed with the greatest felicity;
aed the animation he elbplayed in the subsequent scenes with-
out •4 overstepping the moth sty of nature" leaves the critic only
to echo the plaudit-, bestowed by the audience.
Mrs. Sinn() s svai the El4dra of the night. Of her general
merit as an actress it is quite unnecessary for me to speak ; and
it is almost equally unnecssary to ment on her excellence in this
character. It is sufficient to say, that her powers, which one
sagacions critic discovered to have beets on the decline from the
year 17H5, still seem to delighted thougands, to be hut in their
Zenith. Superior to age she stillsohines forth with di tinguished
lustre, and still, while witnessing her exertions, ate critic can
only wonder and admire.
Mr. C. KENtaLx played Alonzo with his accustomed success
Mr. ILeettv sloe le in Pizarro, was respectable, but not excel-
lent. Mrs. H. Jou STO N sustained the part of Cara with more*
spirit than judgment, and !Lade the cliararter less pleasing than'
prominetit.
The minor characters, with the exception of the Blind Mat'.
which Mr. MURRAY did perfect justice to, were very itidiffe-
rently filled up. Mr. EoreeroN appeared as Auditor. I cannot
compliment him much on his taste in dress. I will not take
upon myself to say the robes he wore were nothing at all like the
costume of Peru ; but I must say they were exceedingly welt
contrived to excite a laugh in England, and would have been
much admired on the King of Utopia. Here, however, it wss.
not much praised ; and indeed it was rather unhandsomely insi-
nuated that Mr. Eur-RTON had taken for his model the sign of
the Hog in ilr,n)nr.
The Play has been got up with great splendour throughout.—
I think, however, the last scene would be well omitted. Mag-
nificence cannot atone for absurdity; and it is ridiculous, at the
close of Pizarro, to take us to the funstral of Rolla.