The Rival Ventriloquists!
The Times, 1824-12-14T00:00:00

- [Forns a Dnn paxer.j 'Thoe-who have w ineisds-r. Alexasjdte's unrivalled perfiorw ances at the little theatre in Flihamble street, unite in eriesentin thcm to exceed any thing of the kinti ever attempred beFore, by the exertions of a single actor. His powers of ventriloqtuis are not onlv sarprising, -(keeping up a dialogue between three or four per. sons at one tirme,) but his personatlon of the different cuhracters, msle and female, IY highly effective, and the rapidity of his trans- formations can sta:eay *e credited even bD the tentiteny of the senses. On Saturday -night last, during tie 5performnances, hir. Charles, a nval vertioquist, who ccasiony exhibits in this city, isterrupted the representztion by hbssing and-whistliig,- which it. duced Alr. Alexandre to appeal to the audience. The interrupte; was imnediately pat down, by the house expressing its teproiztoan of such conduct. Lie lisa sinee appealed tothepublicin the ar. nexedl letter, in *hich he erideavours to vinudicete the proceedir, he adoptedl on Saturday night, and to expose the deception wh"i -e alleges MIr. Alexandre practises, by having two other assistants. Both gentlemen arenow f8irly pitted xgainst each otberz aud if u1t. Alexandre shaU establish his identity in the difFcrent Characters, t wiil go a great way to evince the envious and pitiable spirit which could thas-detract from superior ability, and will establiUh beyond a doubt the famne and extraordinarv powers of Mtr. Al3:andre, -whose performances cannot be bellcved, even by a rival candidate, to pro- ceed from the same person. We here subjoin thf- letter of AMr. Charles,T "TO THE EDITOR OF THSE DUT1BLIN MORK5N4 PO5 " Leprestie estfi,i! "Sir,-In a morning paper of this-day I read with astonisiaent and surprise, a call en re to accut for my conduct ir. hissing, arid showing my dissprrobation, on Saturday evening, at the Elshibition (properlycalled)- The Rqog vieoftfc7Nholst' at the Fisbainble- street Theatre,announced tobeperformed by 'lir. AeXand-ealoae., "Since I am thus publcldy called upon, it is mv duty to answer that I did hiss Mr. Alexandre for attenpting to inipose upon a li- beral Dablin audience (from whom I have received for many years repeatedl proof&of ltidness) by pretending to powers he never pos sessed! told ntf*u an imposition, publiclv, on Sataragy. Why did he not ohntrsilct me at the moment ? he knows bet. Where lies the merirtof motRmorphosingqnicklvin dres, from Cap- tain turlontgh to Alderman Pkilhutry; from Atr. Philiburyto Af-r Phigbrary; and trom Mrs'. PJlbn, wG Firtfilla, wien th,ere were- threcactors? Ay, three actors, IrepeLtit-bnyet thecUieron Dub- lin audience cry ' Bravo, bravo ! ' This is moet wonderfid! it is truly astonishing tonic, that during'the mnynightso -hirform- ance in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and lately in Belfast, that no doe hasnoticedanother person'svoice inthecommenczment of thefxisr act, where NVldkastis called upon by Phi Wrry. Let anv one who is convergant with thecontinental languages or dialects,c amIy, and withoutyrejudiee,observe,andbe wil perceiveatonce the dee-ptloo.- Alexandre's questiona in his Yrench accent, whilePhkifTury, be. hind the door. answeri in a OenTa-s-Hanoverid one I The facis, Ph llbonry, the ('ptahts, and the 4dermaen, rc acted by a Germa and Mrs. PhilHbany and FPrtiaa by an Englishwom altsth wbole of the change in dress and costume, for which Alexandre re- ceivtc so mueb applause durng the whole evening, Ls, when hc, changes his black suit for Micholas's leather breeches! " Let an one call on Mr. Alexandre (and see if he will comply> to itata ge voice of PhitbUryor Fi7illla,at the frontoft cstaet or in thc middle of the pit, and the result will be quite condusive. I now must go further, since I arm called uporw and say that the illu- sions, in whast he calls ventriloquism, are batd- hii voice is alwayts the same, and in the same key, whether he intends to be from above or below. This is the effect of a bad ear. His face is always turned to thse part where he wshi9es his audience trt belleve thTe vJoice pro.. ceeds from; he never fairly gives us his full front; the face reddens, and the fingers tremble-a certain sign of weak Jungs, and %rant of power to producer manly and articulate sousnds. lue s, alwat ofe powe to rodue maly nd aticuate ound. Tere is at pre-. sent a first-rate actor attached to the Theatre Roval. to whom, sai years ago, I gave but two lessons, and I will match that gentlemran with M.r. Alexandre, whenever he pleases. f. " I am, Sir, yoar ebedient servant, Bopeep.cottage, Dec. f(. " L. CHARLES." N.B. This httle statemeft, I am sutre, will not be very palat. able to Mr. A. I have no improper feeling towardt tbat gentleman; but let him convince me of my error, and I wilt pablicly apoloSizc to him, and call him the greatest and most clever actor and mimmc I have ever rnet." 'IM. Alexandre's celebrity, and the expectation that his abilities wvould be put to the test, caused a most crowded and distingufalied assemblage of rank and fashion last Wednesday. Previous to the performance, Al. Alexasdre came forward, and read an address nearly in the follewing words :_ " Ladies and Gentlemen,-I am tnost reluctantly obliged to tres- pass tor a moment upon your attention, and to cl4im your protec- tion upon the only condition on which, in my opinion, I can feel justifled-numely, that the charges contained in a morning paper that I have practiced asl imposition on the public by professing to entertain you by my exclusive and individual exertions, is ground- Iss. Iw siU not impute an unworthy motive to the individual-whose I name is attached to the artidcle, and who has awsailed enc obviously with tbe intention to injure me; but I am perfectly atisfied to sub- mit to any proof required at any period or scene of my r erforinance that nay satisfvmy auditors of my identity-that proof I thal he always reedy to a4ord in obedience to the wish of the audience; and I request the genC!emen of the public press to come behind the stage for that purpos^ they are honourable men, and wij not lend them. selves to aniinposition onthepubhic." Accordisigly, several gentleme of ithe press went round to the stage and witnessed 1. Alexendre's whole performance, and the process of preparing for the several disguises. Shortly after Mr. Phillunry's appearance, Al. Alexandre came forr ard and addressed the audience, stating, that notwithstanding the respectable gen- tlemen who were behind the scenes, Mr. Charles was not satisfied, an.d bad requested permissioR to be present himself; but this Al. Alexandre declared he could net think of permitting, thotgh he would not only remove Sir. Charles's doubts, bat somse of the au- dience, as to his identity. Bl. Alexandre accordinglv divested hislu.f of hig disguise, and appeared as Nicholas. Thiieonfirmra tion of his excellence ws received with loud and long-continued heers, wavnng of hats, clapping hands, &c., and hisses for Charles; w,hilst others caUed for Charles to come forward, which, after some minutes, he did, and was received with mingled hisses and applause. After some time had elapsed in procuing silence, Mr. Charles then addressed the house, and stated that the doubts he had publicly exprersed of 1hi. ASlexandre's identity, were occa- sioned by a conviction that i. Alexandre was imposing on the pub- lic. i assured them, onl his honour, that his disapp.obation on a former night had not proceeded from any sinister or envious motive; hun he thought M. Alexendre, or auy man, dcserved to bh exposed, who would adopt such unfair means of acquiring reputation. He was now coDvinced of M. Alexandre's identty, and readilyconfess- ed that he was the most suirprising and superiorperformer he had ever seen. M ir. Charles then offered his hand to M.Alexnxdre and hoped that that public apology would satisfy his feelings, and those of the public. I. Alexsndre readily cecepted the hand of Mr. Charles, and the audience expressed their satisfaction by repeated plaudits. lir. Charles, previous to Ud. Alexandre divesting himsclfof his disguise, betted a Fum of 20L. tbat the person personating Mr.Phill- bury was not M. Alexandre.-Dub4ia Freemna;'s Journal. 4ZM RiVAL VRENTRJLOQIiUTTs!