The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-19 00:00:00

-- DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

COLMAN'S comedy of Who wants a Guinea ? was re-
vived at this house on Saturday night. We have seldom
heard a more vapid, or dull five act piece; with a few re-
deeming strokes of humour, it overflows with surfeiting
sentimentality and disgusting freedoms. Instead of ori-
ginality of structure, well developed character, and inge-
nious incidents, we have a plot of the most common-place
description, some meagerly-sketched characters, with those
clap-trap situations and devices which have been, from
time immemorial, the refuge of the mentally destitute, or
mediocrely gifted play-wright. The gross allusions and
double entendre, wherewith the comedy is plentifully
sprinkled, excited very considerable merriment amongst
the audience, who doubtless did not fail to contrast the
quondam !owe and ribald author of Broad Grins with
the straight-laced sexagenarian and licensing saint of the
present day. Everybody knows how scrupulous Mr. Li-
censer COLMAN is on the point of oaths and so forth be-
ing introduced into pieces submitted to his approval. In
this piece of his there are more damns, devils, devilish,
by the L—d, and curse me, than in any piece we have seen
for some time. We have no doubt the management
would have allowed the compound of dulness and vileness
to have rotted on their shelves, had it not been for their
anxiety to afford Mr. HACKET, a gentleman from the
American boards, an opportunity to appear in the character
of Solomon Gundy, or, as it has been metamorphosed by
our trans-atlantic brethren, Solomon Swap, a part which
Mr. HACKET, as the bills inform us, had played with
much success in his own country. This gentleman was,
we are informed, originally a merchant of New York, and
married a daughter of the celebrated ventriloquist, LEE
Soca. A few years ago he made his appearance at
Covent-garden Theatre, without creating any impression
in his favour. He certainly possesses good ability as a low
comedian, and has an ease of manner, and a breadth of
humour about him, which the audience seemed to relish ;
and, as the character of Solomon Swap gave him full
scope to introduce laughable American sayings, and Yan-
kee witticisms, many of which, by-the-bye, we have heard
before, he succeeded in making a favourable impression in
the comedy. It would have been well for him had be left
the theatre after this performance, for, in a new piece called
" The Militia Muster," which followed, and in which he
sustained the part of Major Joe, of the American mili'ia, a
part written for his " celebrated delineation of American
character," we are afraid that he lost all the reputation he
had gained in the comedy. It is needless for us to enter
into any details of this piece, for the hootings which, de-
servedly, brought it to a sudden close, renders it impro-
bable that it will ever be played again. In the comedy,
DOWTON, as Torrent, played with that heartiness and easy
good humour for which he is so well known. FARREN'S
Jonathan Oldskirt was a highly finished specimen -of the
kind and feeling dealer in remnants at the back of St.
Clement's. Mr. COOPER, in Barford, played with his
usual taste and propriety. POWER was the Sir Harry
Mac Murrough, and played with considerable whim and
spirit. Miss KENNETH was pleasing and lady-like as
Fanny. The farce of Born to Good Luck, or an Irish-
man's Fortune, concluded the evening's entertainment.
The house was well filled.