July 12. The Foundling of the Forest.-Killing no Murder. July passions, ends, and means perpetually, with very sparing distortion, repeated there in dumb shew. What we have described, makes it superfluous to add, that Mr. Dimond's plot and persons would make a very good ballet of action; but we are ready to allow it further merits. The colloquy is well adapted to the speakers, and the language frequently poetical and forcible, and almost invariably void of originality. The play is somewhat too long, but exceedingly well put together, and the interest of the different situations, now very powerful and painful, would be far more reasonably so, were the Baron de Longueville not such a disinterested villain, as to do all this mischief gratis, and without, as it appeared to us, any provocation or proposed advantage. While we were horror-struck, with staring eyes, and mouth half open, breathless at the terror and distress produced by the Baron's machinations, the most ingenious critic of the present day put this query to us---"6 Pray, what is his motive for doing all this?" which so puzzled us, that we had half a mind to have stopt Mr. Eyre in his murderous career, and civilly asked him the same question. We doubt not that Mr. Dimond explains this privately, but it would certainly be to the advantage of the piece if it had been done more publicly. The performers all did the play ample justice, but there is no one part in it, that can be called good. Mr. Young's talents were disgraced by this burlesque tragedy, only suited to the tyrant in tapestry-acting of Mr. Farley. Mrs. Glover being put into a serious character, the author could not do better than to tie her tongue. While her name was Silence, (the first time that any woman was so named) her appearance perfectly out-horrorred all the horrors of the Castle Spectre. In the latter melancholy acts, her action was often good, but so was never her face, which possesses none but comic expression. Mr. Liston has a part, Le Cluir, which we have not mentioned, and thought not to mention, because it would be missed neither here nor there. He is a soldier and a trumpeter of his own deeds, in tactical technicals. Mrs. Liston in Rosabella, a waiting-maid, finds him tipsy about the middle of the piece, and says to him--"Let me persuade you to go to bed---I'm going to bed myself," and we never hear any more of them. Delighted with the scenery, and much frightened at the play, but well pleased with their fright, the audience heard The Foundling of the Forest given out for repetition, with loud applause, and we indeed think it upon the whole a very ingenious performance for Mr. Dimond. But how do we judge? We can only judge from what we know, and we only know Mr. Dimond from the singular gaiety and finery of his dress. What says the arbiter elegantiarum? "We cannot help forming some opinion July 13 to 20. The Foundling of the Forest.-Killing no Murder. opinion of a man's sense and character from his dress. All affectation in dress implies a flaw in the understanding." Then, we do confess that he has exceeded our expectation, and to parody old Dornton's speech to Mr. Sulky, we shall for the future do him the justice to say, that he is a clever fellow, though he don't look so. "On n'est pas toujours aussi fou qu'on en a l'air." 1809. LYCEUM. June 26 to July 5. Up all Night, or the Smuggler's Cave.-Love in a Tub. * Under a licence granted by the present Lord Chamberlain, Mr. Arnold, son of the late Dr. Arnold, opened on the 26th June, a new theatre, within the building called the Lyceum. Although the spot is the same as that on which the Drury-Lane company so recently figured, yet the extraordinary conveniences, improvements, and embellishments* it has experienced, added to the novelty of the project, make it justly entitled to the denomination of a new theatre. The licence obtained by Mr. Arnold has this peculiarity--it gives the liberty of playing what he styles English operas, by which may be understood every sort of opera performed at the regular theatres, without, as was formerly the case, throwing the dialogue into recitative. In consequence of this grant, his lordship has had various applications and expostulations from the monopolizers. To their generous and disinterested appeals, this has been the reply---" Mr. Arnold has my licence to do what you see, and if you give me much trouble about it, I will not only not deprive him of what he has, but endeavour to obtain him permission to do all that you do." To call this nobleman merely Lord Chamberlain, were to degrade him. We must mention the name of the EARL of DARTMOUTH, and not sink him in the mob of Lord Chamberlains, who have had no more taste and feelings for the arts than so many Lord Mayors ! The titles of the pieces, with which this novelty in the theatrical world commenced its course, appear above. Love in a Tub is Mr. D' Egville's old ballet, but Up all Night, or the Smuggler's Cave, is a new comic opera from the pen of Mr. Arnold, whose dramatic talent is not * The interior of the theatre, which is enlarged by taking the former lobby, is light and elegant. The fronts of the boxes are painted in compartments, with a vermillion border, edged with gold; the ground pearl colour, with medallions in the middle of pearl, upon a vermillion ground. The avenues are spacious, and the ap propriation of the panorama of St. Petersburgh, now illuminated by a brilliant chandelier, to the purpose of a saloon, forms a charm of no ordinary merit. 1 unknown to the town. We have said enough of the vehicle, and now to give some idea of the steeds that are to put it in motion, we shall make out a list of the supporters of the principal characters in this drama. From this nomenclature, it will be seen that Mr. Arnold's stud consists of some of the best breed, with several as yet untried. Through their exertions the opera was received with great favour and considerable applause. We suppose that the author intends the plot of his English operas to be very simple. Nothing can be more so than the fable of the present. Admiral Blunt, " a midshipman in 1764," retires into the country with his son Harry, and his daughter Juliana. Their marriage is all his thoughts, and to secure its happiness, like a good, tender, and considerate father, he gives them leave to make their own choice, with the assurance of his consent, provided it is perfectly to his mind; and for Juliana, he has already met with one that suits his taste, Young Heartwell. This hero returns from abroad, when some operatic disguise takes place on his part, and on that of Flora, his sister, which creates a degree of confusion, ending, however, in the infinitely happy marriage of Young Heartwell and Juliana, and Harry Blunt and Flora, the fathers all along stupidly opposing it, till the éclaircissement. There is no one (according to a certain writer) who has not felt that fathers are a great nuisance to the comfort of their children and there is no stronger proof of the miserable supineness of society than its toleration of such a crying evil!! In comedies and operas it is still more felt than in real life. What a consoling thing it would often be to the audience, if there were no fathers! By these remarks it may, perhaps, seem as if we thought Mr. Arnold's opera too long---it is long enough. However, the action goes on smoothly, assisted by some very pretty scenery, a variety of airs, duetts, chorusses, &c. and is not on the whole without G-VOL. VI.* a good share of merit. Still we must say that our idea of English opera is formed on a very different conception from Mr. Arnold's, if it so entirely precludes wit, and so sparingly admits of humour and character. The songs are remarkably well introduced, and connected with the passing scene. This is but a beginning. A fair field is open, and much may yet be done. Of the new débutants, Mr. Phillips from Dublin stands "first and foremost." He has a genteel figure and a pleasing countenance. Coming from the land not much given to mauvaise honte, his diffidence by no means obscured or fettered his powers. As an actor, he has much to learn, although noue that we know, who sings so well, can bear any comparison with him in acting. His voice is between a tenor and a contralto, and he sings with considerable execution and taste. His articulation is remarkably clear and distinct. In Tom Steady, and O sigh not for Love, he was loudly and deservedly encored. As we are not likely to part soon, we shall just hint at a vile vice, which we could wish corrected, namely, an imitation of Mr. Braham's pumping-- To copy beauties, forfeits all pretence To fame---to copy faults is want of sense. Churchill. Of Mr. Horn we must speak in little---his voice is little, but pretty, and capable of improvement; his acting is incapable of deterioration : if nothing is stationary in this world, we think, he must rise. We say, we think, because we know several actors of whom we once thought the same, but were deceived, for they still continue to travel the old road, although it long since seemed to us impossible that they could move another inch in that direction. Of Mr. Dowton, in a testy old gentleman, and Mrs. Mountain, a captain but no soldier, i. e. a singer in character unable to act, we need say nothing. In an excellent comic song, O! O! story of woe! the former was irresistibly droll, and the latter in Oh !* roses are sweet, gave us all the " Mountain honey” of her lips. Mrs. Bishop is certainly an acquisition to this theatre, but there is no symptom of improvement in either her acting or her singing. Mr. Dr. Johnson much objected to a verse beginning with O! but Mr. Arnold seems to believe Captain Morris a better standard--. Oh! that the French would but fight, Oh! how we pepper our foes, Oh! how we swim in delight, Oh! how we're led by the nose. Oh! with what wisdom we rule, Oh! how we conquer each evil, Oh! how the nation we foel, And Oh! how we drive to the devil. A chapter of Oh`q! July 5 to July 8. Up all Night.-Poor Vulcan.* 10 to 20. Id.-The Nabob, or the Indian Lovers.† Smith's bass is in accompanying most destructive of sweet harmony--a horrible species of roaring, rumbling, grumbling ventriloquism. In this compliment, Mr. Doyle, so clever in catches and glees, &c. may share as a solo singer--here he appeared, as Tom Dibdin would say, without parts. Mrs. Orger is a clever actress. The music by Mr. M. P. King was lively and fully entitled to all that is expressed in the new motto to our Review, reading music for books. This burletta, by C. Dibdin, was acted first at Covent-Garden in 1778. Its revival served to introduce Mr. Penson from the Liverpool theatre in Vulcan; Miss E. Bolton, sister of Miss Bolton, and pupil of Bishop, in Venus; and Mr. Fitzsimmons, of the Drury-Lane company, in Apollo. Mr. Penson seems to understand his business, and has some humour. Miss E. Bolton, as Venus, looked the character to perfection, if very pretty hazle eyes may be allowed as a substitute for the blue optics, which for time immemorial have been the property of Venus. The modesty and diffidence of her manner were certainly out of cha racter in Venus, but it should be remembered that at that period the Queen of the loves was stripped of her goddess-ship, and adversity will humble the proudest of us. Miss E. Bolton appears to possess considerable skill in music, and has a figure, face, and deportment, which excite present interest and give earnest of future excellence. Her master being Mr. Bishop, is a promising omen--though, good man, he appears as yet to have done nothing for his wife. + This piece is transplanted from the Opera House into certainly too confined a soil to flourish. The new Frenchman and Master Noble, aim to be Deshayes and Vestris, and Miss Lupino emulates Angiolini. With tip-top dancers, it might do very well in toto; but nothing short of the prime heroes and heroines of the toe will compensate for fable and incident. One Raymond and Agnes, or Cinderella, where the progress of events is not stopt by a pirouette, is in our opinion worth all the evolutions of the Opera House, especially when brought out, as now, at second-hand. THEATRICAL CHIT-CHAT. DRURY-LANE old Concern.---There is now a possibility of ten shillings in the pound. The debt is about 200,000l. Two parties have offered 60,000l. for the patent, which, with the 35,000l. insured, and the sale of the ruins, would amount to 100,000l. But sixty barley-straws have not been offered for the patent, if Mr. SHERIDAN is to keep it |