The National Register.
London, England, 1813-07-18 00:00:00

60 .

DR A 3141;1 C RE6IBTER.

LYCEUM.
The close of the Winfir Theatres in .the midst of Sim-
mer has been followed by the opening of the English"
Opera, with M. P. and The Boarding' Howe, and with
file powerful attraction of a good company collected from
the metropolis and the country. Summer Theati es answer
two purposes. Besides yield;ng amusement to the numbers
who cannot share the gaieties of our watering places, or the
less expensive sweets of rural retirement, they form nurseries
m here young talc ot is brought into notice and maturity.
Like the potter's toilge to a Grandee's vatic, they serve to
intercept the crowd and to admit none but select visitors to
the lordly domain. ln the capacity of nursery for new per-
formers, the English Opera, since the few years of its esta-
blishment, has proved more fruitful than any other Summer
ei,tablishmcnt. Whilst the Haynie, ket, torn by civil broils
11:15 hem newly ba,-: en, and still continues unopened, the
I,yeetim has etniched the London boards with a Lov E-
C; kOV E, KNIGHT, PHI I.LI OS, PY NE, and in some
&glee KEt.t.v, for it is there that meeting with Atte
(ncouragement, her talents have developed themselves, and
reined .her to the high 'eminence she has attained. The
activity of tic Managers, in seeking able performers, does
not seem this Vicar, to have abated. They presented us on
their first night, in the chi; actor of La Fosse, the old French
servant in 111.1'. a Mr. GATTI r. from the Bath Theatre, who
though he did not make us forget the excellent pathos of
IVLiviTzLict in that part, gave us considerable satisfaction.llis l'iench is excellent, but his English rather too con ect
for that of a foreigner, especially of the age and station of
La Fosse, which must be suppesed to have prevented his
lc-erning our pronunciation easily. in the -Aficrpiece, Mr.
G ATTIE perforMed the old passionate, though good-natured
Admiral, rind whether it was because DetwToN s.eems
so
entirely identified with such characters, that we cannot sec
them represented without immediately thinking of him, or
- that Mr. GATTI E'S acting is equally true to nature, it re-
minded us strongly of that great performer's excellence. It
possessed the same ease and vivacity, thotigh perhaps less
of that rich good humour, which like the mellow tints in a
picture, give harmony to the whole. Upon the NVIIOIC
GA T TIE seems not only a promising, but a valuable acqui.
si to the metropolitan stage. Mirs l'oot.e in both
pieces play eel as well as she looked ; and Put oel es, 1..0v
o vr, and KNIGHT displayed consummete excellence.
On Thundi.y the Opera of The Jovial CNA: ; or, The
jihrry 11(orrars. ! was performed for the first time these lrr
twenty-six yews. The revival of this piece is likely to prove
a good speculation. Without any extraordinary preten-
tions to streegth and ingenuity of Orr, or b; illiancy of 1.
dialogue, ft has claims to approhation, which will ever be
admitted in the theatrical world. The whimsical bustle-
which pc-vades it throughout, and the frequent recurrence
of favourite melodies, Ove it pecuhar attractions, and the
whole of the business, lur.vever extravagant and ridiculous,
if tried by tl:e tegular la w 3 of the (llama, is so much out of
the common way, that however faulty in the eye of the
Critic it is found to afford great enter tainment, and to cont..'
:nand universahapplaute. A dance of cripples is given in
the second act, than which it is difficult to conceive any-
thing rno truly ludicreus. 'Fhe parties; engag in
d it can-
not (in the early part of it at le. st) be said to trip i
o Ott the light fantastic toe,"
as it is performed on crutches and wooden legs, but when
the dancers get warmly engaged in the business of the scene,
thew Suppotter4 .arz thrown away, and age and 4ccripitude.