The National Register.
London, England, 1808-01-03 00:00:00

COVENT G4RORN.

At Covent Garden, on the same evening, was acted, forthe first
time, a Pantomime, entitled, Harlequin in his Element, or Firs,
Water, Earth, and .fir. The Fable is the composition of Mr.
Dibdin, who in his Mother Goose displayed so grdat a know-
ledge of pantomimic effect. But in this piece Mr. Dibdin has
by no means equalled his former effort; and although the ma-
chinery is much more adroitly managed here than at Drury Lane,
yet both Pantomimes deserve equal censure for a want of appa-
rent connection in the fable and transformations. There is, how-
ever, a stroke of satire here, which merits some praise, and
which is levelled against the parochial system of emplo) ing aged
and drowsy watchmen. We cannot help wishing that pantomime,
as formerly was the case, entered with greater freedom on the
field of satire. Miss Adams made her first appearance in this
Theatre as Columbine, and was favourably received.---Her sis-
tersperformed a pas de truis extremely well; but the dancing
at Covent Garden is still on the whole inferior to the dancing. at
Drury Lane. Mr. Bologna was the Harlequin, and Mr. t iri-
maldi the Clown. They obtained great applause. The Music
is the work of Mr. Wear, the leader of the band, who com-
posed the Music of Mother Goose.
On the following Wednesday, Mrs. 11. Johnston, who has
for some time been absent front the London Boards, presented
herself as Beatrice, in Shakspeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
Her private history had naturally created her some enemies
who, during the early part of the play, were exceedingly
boisterous; their murmur gradually fell away, and Mrs. 11.
Johnston is now, in all probability, engaged at Covent-garden
Theatre. Mrs. 11. Johnston is certainly a very pretty woman,
and so far she is qualified fur the representation of Beatrice; but
Beatrice is a wit as well as a beauty, and the character requires
intellectual powers far beyond any which Mrs. H. Johnston has
within our recollection evinced. She spoke in a silver tone, and
walked in a delicate march : she displayed all the requisites
that we expect in the Lady Caroline of John Bull, but did not
convey that light, yet poignant satire, that keen good nature,
that sparkling but energetic mind, which should animate the
Beatrice of Much Ado. Mr. Lewis played Benedick with infi-
nite spirit and whim; the character that he represented was
highly diverting, but it was a Benediek rather of Mr. Lea is's
conception, than of Shakspeare's. In the lightest parts of all
these characters, Mr. Lewis is inimitable : some of Ilenedick's
gaiety was, therefore, well pourtrayed by him; but Benediek is
a man of more than surface, a wit w.., has as much of reason as
of jest. These features of the character were neutralized by
Mr. Lewis; and that colour of character, w hick ought to have
been a mixture, was rendered one brilliant scarlet. Mr. Mundell
was too shrewd in Dorherry, for Dugbsrry is not like the York-
shireman of the modern stage, a clever fool, but a mere su-
perannuated simpleton. Mr. C. limb!' is placed beneath his
merit, in so wretched a character as Claudio; but he did as
much as possible for the part ; and Miss Bolton, in Beni, dis-.
played great sweetness and feeling.