OR, THEATRICAL 139.3 POCKET MAGAZINE. WHOLLY DEDICATED TO THE STAGE, AND CONTAINING ORIGINAL DRAMATIC BIOGRAPHY, ESSAYS, CRITICISMS, POETRY, REVIEWS, WITH OCCASIONAL Notices of the Country Theatres, THE WHOLE FORMING A COMPLETE CRITICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL "The play, the play's the thing."-HAMLET. Embellished with Elegant Portraits of the principal Engraved (from Original Paintings, taken expressly for London: PUBLISHED BY T. and J. ELVEY, CASTLE STREET, HOLBORN; To whom all Communications" for the Editor," post NIV. OF MINNESOTA LIBRARY "It is he, that comic curious elf, Who makes us langh, not smiling much himself; A PERFORMER, though possessing great merit, will frequently remain in comparative obscurity, till some lucky hit, or the assumption of a taking character, brings him at once into notoriety. Such has been the case with the object of our present memoir, who owes his popularity in a -principal degree to his acting in one part, that in which we have placed his portrait, a character somewhat original in itself, and made still more so by the superior and peculiar merits of the actor. He certainly is an actor of original talent, and has a happy knack of putting himself into the trick of singularity. Eccentricity and drollery seem to be his chief forte, although he undoubtedly wants VOL. II. 1055868 that variety of manner necessary to form a general comic actor. At present he is only capable of sustaining a peculiar line of characters, and that of a very limited description. Next to his Muffincap, his Hookey Walker, in “ Walk for a Wager," claims precedence, and although the part is in itself ridiculous, and does not allow much scope for the abilities of the actor, yet the dry, facetious humour which he throws into it is highly natural and ludicrous. His Maw-Worm (which he has several times enacted at the English Opera-House,) is also played with considerable judgment and ability. Indeed we would recommend him to play characters of a much higher cast than he generally accustoms himself; for, by so doing, we conceive he would advantageously bring into action those diversified abilities, of which we really think he is possessed. Mr. WILKINSON is a native of London, and was born in 1787. His first appearance upon the histrionic boards was made at Cranbrook, in Kent, as Valverde, in" Pizarro.” Here under the management of Mr. JERROLD, proprietor of many Theatres Rural, he figured away about twelve months in various departments of the drama; and sometimes contended with that excellent actor Mr. HARLEY of Drury-Lane, for the laurel of tragic distinction. Having received a fascinating overture from another dramatic leader, Mr. TROTTER of Southend, he performed there the whole of one season with little success and less profit; went back to his ancient employer, and having played in tragedy, comedy, farce, ballet, and pantomime, with prodigious eclât in a wide circuit through Kent, Surrey, and Sussex; he returned to London, to enjoy the retrospective delights of his brilliant exertions. However, he soon after, ("By need compelled to prostitute his art,") Walked back to TROTTER, and again undertook the arduous duty of dividing his energies between SHAKSPEARE and O'KEEFE. Here he spent a pleasant season without encountering any inconvenience but the loss of a little salary from the treasurer's desertion; he then returned to the metropolis, and unfortunately met with a Caledonian ar |