Star.
London, England, 1830-08-21 00:00:00

COBURG THRATRE.

The naval piece entitled the Mutiny at Spilhead and the Nom,
or British Sailors in 1797, has been performed at this house dur-
ing the week, and deservedly with great success. It is by the author
of Black-eyed Susan, and is s happy specimen of his talent in that
description of developement of character. The story of the piece is
acknowledged to be borrowed from the popular novel of the Zing's
Own, which hiving once received the touches of the novelist, and
these a little extended in breadth by the fancy of the dramatist, af-
fords a plenteous store of matter for stage erect, without destroying
the historical material. The language in many places is pathetic,
and admits of scope for the powers of the actor, without his being
under the necessity to tear words asunder by brute force, at the ex-
pense of the ears of the audience, or insulting common sense.
The hero, Richard Parker, was erformed by Mr. Searle, and it
equals any of the parts we have ever seen him attempt, which, con-
sidering his fine judgment and chaste taste, is saying much for the
performance. Mary Parker the wife of the gallant mutineer
(Miss Watson,) was another grand feature in the piece. Towards
the clam in the last act, when the fate of poor Parker is sealed, and
the interest of the business rests chiefly on the struggles of af-
fection and fortitude, the author has furnished the part of Richard
Parker with expressions of manly feeling : he is ready to meet his
doom bravely ; and when the grief of his wife presents itself to him,
and he anticipates the last separation from her and his only child, a
boy, he does not dwindle into blubbering squeamishness, but gives
vent only to what is wrung from him by the genuine feelings of
pure humanity, in the style of a hero indeed, who dare be brave as
a lion, and yet can feel as a man. The scenes between Parker and
his wife are finely touched, and are very affecting, and were beauti-
fully acted.
Jack Adams, a good portrait of sailors as they were, had an able
representative in Mr H. Helms, who blended the serious with
the comic, and was every _inch a ace. Tunodia Bubble, a grasp-
ing old man, gave Mr. MoaTIBIZIL an opportunity in his line, and
he did his author great justice. Dicke, Chicken, Bubble's servant,
was in the hands of Mr. COMQUEST, and his performance of Dickey
confirms the opinion we have formaly expressed of him, that be is
a rising actor of much promise.
The last scene, of the execution on the deck of the Sandwich, is
well got up. Mr. Sneers interpolates Parker's celebrated farewell
speech ' • but the interpolation is no deformity to the original a—it is,
as Air. Scala gives t, " Here's a health to the King, God bless
Oki—confusion to my enemies, and salvation to my soul." In the
original, we believe, the words in italics were not spoken by the un-
fortunate man, and the word " peace" was used Masao! the word
" salvation."

There are, however, one or two remarks we moat needs add. The
author causes the wife of Parker to express her boner at seeing
him in chains while under comiannatioo, and it b common to ex-
pect to see a malefactor on booth of ship in fetters. yet Mr. &ode
appears without the bilboes. If this le occasioned by negligence en
his part be is blameable, and if U is from mother eases, that he thinks
himself warranted in the tembreitm, we are inclined to think that lee
has not considered the NOW in die beet light. The wile of Parker
and his little boy are both NOW to be present at bin execution,
and this drcumstance, although k may add a little on the score of
effect, we think exposes the author, needlessly, to an imputation
of drawing too far upon the bulk of Widen, and quite outraging'
probabWty.
The piece, however' is excalbon, and we have an doubt will
meet its merited eappert, by being as anceedve, the ensuing week
as it has been fie the lam week.