The Sun.
London, England, 1823-07-29 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

ENGLISH OPERA Mouse.—The new,. drama
which was brought forward last night, under the
title of Presumption, or the Fate of Frankenstein,
is taken from a Romance, named Frankenstein,
the Modern. Prometheus, written, as generally
supposed, by I'lr. Sticr.Ly, whose unfortunate
end, by drowning, happened about a twelve-
month ago. This Romance is now ascribed to ,
Mrs. SHELLY, the widow, and daughter of Mr.
Gonwni. The fable is simply as follows :
.Prankensicin, a Student in the German School of
Chemistry, discovers the power of creating a
sensitive and intelligent being, to which he in-
tends to give the human form in perfection, culling,
like Zcoxts of old, for the face of his Venus,
from various objects, whatever might give beauty
to the shape of man. But instead of the beauti-
ful form • which he intended, the heterogeneous
mixture produces only a horrible monster, whose
acts are so flagitious that even his maker is
anxious to destroy him, and nt length terminates
his detestable career. Such is the general out-
Hoe of the Romance, a romance almost as wild
as ever entered the human imagination. On this
work Mr. R. PEAKE, whose abilities as 8 dra-
matic writer have often gratified the public,
has founded the piece of last. night. it might be
thought impossible to introduce. such a subject
on the stage, but Mr. PEA.:, has contrived to re-
lieve the horrific nature of, the work with cha-
racters of a lighter "description, affording, on the',
whole, an impressive and amusing work, conform-
able to the modern taste for dramatic composi-
lion. The catastrophe is the chief deviation from
the original Romance Frankensteen,and his mon-
strous progeny effecting the distruction or each
other by the shock that a pistol gives to the
surrounding scene of action, which occasions
an avalanche, overwhelming both. We have
not room to dilate on the manner in which
this piece is brought forward, or on the acting.
We can only say that the Proprietor of the
Theatre has done his duty in providing appro-
priate and striking scenery, and that WALLACK
in Frankenstein, and T. P. CooKE in the Monster,
acquitted themselves most ably in the terrific
parts, and that K EELY 'in Fritz, a humorous ser-
vant of Fratkenstein, PEAR MA N, Miss L. DANCE,
Mrs. AUSTIN, Mrs. J. WEIPPERT, and Miss
POKEY, were not less successful in the characters
assigned to them. The extraordinary no-
velty of this production rendered it dif-
ficult for the audience to estimate its me.
rits, and hence some disapprobation arose;
but the general opinion was obviously in its
favour, and it was announced for repetition with
decided assent. The enterprizing spirit of the
author, in venturing upon a subject apparently re-
pulsive, is a mark of dramatic ambition,which, con-
sidering his youth and evident talents, holds forth
a promise of such future works as may be honour-
able to himself as well as gratifying to the public.
The piece itself, wild as it is, cannot be said to
be wholly without a moral, as the lesson seems
to he, that the work of CREATION should be left
to NATURE and PROVIDENCE, and that the efforts
of human art to rival or excel their labours, can
only produce horrible monstrosities, the progeny
of the most daring Presumption.