Coburg Theatre.
The Times, 1824-09-07T00:00:00

The " historical and dramiatic ojemnoir," as it is whimasically catled by tle play-bills, desicribing the life and reign of the late King, keeps Its pece here notrwithstanding the zealous ?tidignation whlich som5 of the crircIt have expressed agadnst it. TlWe confess that we ctnnot ,ee the wit of the piece; but ge are much more at a lesi to guess which part ef it has been so unfortunate as to ki:dle the holy anger f thle persons ere allucde to. Such subjects are not new to the stage ; and the directors of the Coburg Theatre may plead a prescriptive right in their favour, from the first representation of the renowned puppet-show of King Yolomoa, in eal his Glory, down to M.t. El- liston t. scarceelv ess fa-nouaCoronatiUon. Strelynit isasfair toshowofW thevirthes orilhehabits of acdeadking,asto mimc the "complemen2t e.vterne"ofaliving one,and asfor the loyalty ofthe sentiments eav-en knows there is as much of it in the drama at this theatre as the most devoted stomach can bear. After all, we are induced to believe that the abuse which this unlucky piece has encountered is oalv owing to the humility of its pretensions. A laced coat, however brilliant it may once have been, will lose much of its lustre in its progrcess from a birth-dav beau down to the wardrohe of a minor theatre; and- truth to tell-the costumes of the Coburg courtiers are somewhat faded-they savour a little too much of having beer collected is the rue de Fsfeprrie. A certaia description of dogs will worry a beggar,and yet will sttfer a well-dressed thief to go by them unscathed ; and if comparisons vwere not odious, we should say that the critics a0d the dogs we ailude to have many common propensities. The actors need not care for any attacks wlhich may be rnade upon them, Ibrthey, of all men in the world, have least to fear from ar atternpts to pick holes in teir coats. It wouuld be impossible,and as the play. bills have already done so much, it wvould be unnecegsary for us to lescribe the action of this drama. It is very like a mrntic4ntern sr perhaps still more like the exhibition of the late lrs. Salmon, of wax-work memory. All the me.nbers of the King's famnilv are brought on the stage, and made to leok as strikintly like the ori i- nals as the wigs and the wardrobe of the theatre can effect. The managers have been very fortunate in their selection of a male and a Femtale nose, both refroustrs, the first of which enacts the Queen, and Lhe second the late MIr. Ptlt. The Prince o*,f Wales is rather under-sized ; but this disadvantage is balanced by a most im. posing pair of black eyebrows, made wvith a burnt cork vhilch begrime the risagc of the late C. J. For. Mr. 81ceridaa's race is made extremely glowing, and 4argaret Nicholsot is.ss mad and as ragged as heart can detsire. The Kitg is as mucb lilte the King as need be for the purpose-and this is not saying inuch. In Lhe last scene the author of the drama has luit upon an odd way of illustratitig the effect of habit; he has sent the good MNonarch to fleaven et r.avalier-positively in a cocked-hat and jack.hoots. George III., as ali the world knows, was very fond of riding, biit we think that the vtery ineenious person wlho has invented thlis p1ec has _araed his notion o tie ruling passion s:rotig in death a little too fatr in thii instance. W e. however, oitl' throw out this hint L i,:t uia" have his consid?ration. ltbr, conccrning spectacles like that ot widch we are snpeaking. we always choose to express ourselves witlh great diffidence. \ We cannot be expected tokuow eveTy tlrcg, ir t e th. not hesitate to avow our izn^raTnce o- the :rn cai rules whici govern theJe historical and dramatic rremnoir tte rather ltke lo wat-h the indications of approbation ooensulre which aye ma-nifested bv the only rea- critics on such matters-we mean the gentlemen in' the galleries. (n the present occasion, we are gla(d to state th,t a verv profound dustnar. and two chitrnner ,weepers, whom a congemafit' of taste hIid prhvahliy sassociated with seeit,ed to enjoy the wholt perfonnite w itih t h. t quiet delight :s!ich rriigiht be expected Cront -rer,o-ns of their ta;stc andi brecding. The Marquis of Hertford. who sat :m a box intimediately below them scemed to receive binilar gratiticatiolm, so that, ailhoiuth, as we have said . ve do not know much ab9ut the matter ourselves, -we feel that it would be presut1iptuotUS to doubt tbe excellence of that which has thc gool tfortuiue to unite the approbation of critics wvho. t ous Ih so fat renoved from each other by their respective stations,, are broughit together by a cotnformitv of taste and discriminiation. coBUr.G- T7?RATRE.