Sept. 3. Zorinski.-Critic.-Plot and Counterplot. Mr. Fawcett's benefit. 5. Africans.-Blind Boy.-Yes or No. 6. Id.-Escapes.--Id. 7. Id. Yes or No.-Cheats of Scapin. 8. Id.-Tom Thumb.-Yes or No. 9. Honey Moon.-Plot and Counterplot.-Valentine and Orson. Mrs. Gibbs' benefit. 10. Africans. Music Mad-Yes or No. 12. Dramatist.-Yes or No.-Plot and Counterplot. 14. Hamlet.-Cheats of Scapin. 15. Africans.-Plot and Counterplot.-Yes or No.* written by the gentleman who favours us with the Horace in London, &c. under the signature J. This is always rapturously encored, and seems to put the audience in a good humour for the remainder of the evening. *The summer theatre closed with the three new pieces, the first performed thirty, the second twenty-three, and the last ten times. After the Africans, Mr. Fawcett came forward, and announced the termina tion of the season, which, he said, had through their patronage been productive. He then thanked them in the name of the proprietors and performers for that sort of encouragement, which could not fail to operate as a stimulus to their future exertions. The remarkable heat of the weather in the beginning of the Haymarket season, (here they make their hay when it rains) and £.1100 given to Mr. Colman for the Africans, must, we should have thought, notwithstanding the good houses they have lately had, have left the net proceeds very slender; but the king's speech tells us another story, and we are pleased to hear it. Rejoiced as we are, with the town at large, to see the rare efforts of Mr. Colman's genius, we cannot avoid the belief that here it is, as it respects profit, a waste. The best of Mr. Sheridan's comedies, if now original, would be thrown away at this theatre, where they can put up nothing in foul weather without a full house, and, in fair, nothing that will entice the idle and luxurious, from their easy sophas, iced claret, and cool rooms; or the active and prudent from the flowery fields, the country air, and generous exercise. Some little pieces, such as yes or no, might be ventured upon, but then only on the terms of that farce-to be paid, no; for nothing, yes. THEATRICAL CHIT-CHAT, I Mr. Skeffington and Mr. Brewer, rivals of Beaumont and Fletcher, are engaged on a play for Drury. The want of plot, so commonly objected to dramatists, will here probably not hold good. It is to be called Guy Faux, or the 5th of November. The catastrophe will, as usual, be brought about by a match, unless an explosion or blow up, should previously take place. A correspondent, deploring the want of a tragedian at Drury, informs us that Mr. Sheridan has engaged Talma. The plan we hinted at, respecting the benefits at the Haymarket, did not take place. It was said that to avoid petty items, £.90 would be charged the actor instead of £.73 10s. but the old mode continuing, Mr. Winston received, for one of his mean eighteen-penny charges, such a lesson from Mr. Fawcett, as any other man would have considered in the light of a kick of the breech, or a pull of the nose. ‘O, the nerves of these philosopher's ! Mr. Farley, &c. have all the pantomime machinery of a new action for Christmas at Covent. Mr. T. Dibdin has a melo-drame at the same place. It is on the plot of Mr. Skeffington's Mysterious Bride. Here's a rivalry! On Saturday, the 10th Sept. whilst Mr. Liston was singing in the Africans, "Wont you, wont you come, Mr. Mug!" a lady in the house was suddenly seized with labour, and delivered of a child. Morning He rald, Sept. 12. Home, the author of Douglas is dead. VAUXHALL. On Friday the 2d of September, these gardens closed. ASTLEY'S AND THE CIRCUS. The gaiety of the environs of the two bridges, is about to suffer its periodical eclipse. The fineness of the summer, and the great exertions, full of ingenuity and sparing in no expence, of the respective managers, have contributed to reward their toils with a rich harvest. We shall next month note the time of their closing, and make some remarks on the merits of the performers. Theatre LIVERPOOL.-SIR,-I perceive in your last number à very lame account of the theatricals of this place." Had the person by whom you were furnished with the relation alluded to, been content with a single manifestation of his censorial abilities, I should not have considered his isolated bulletin, worthy of animadversion: but as it appears to be t his intention to exercise his critical powers month after month, I have thought it well to write a few lines to evince that there are some who entertain opinions very different from those of J. H. He begins with Mr. Rae, and after having noticed a few peculiarities in his countenance and gait, goes on to say, "I wish unreservedly to state this gentleman's defects." I expected from this premise to find some subsequent remarks upon his enunciation, his action and his conception of the part he played. Here, however, I was disappointed; not another remark is hazarded, (except indeed an expression of his own surprise, which, by the way, had nothing to do with Mr. Rae's acting) when he immediately draws his conclusion-"Such is Mr. Rae.” Such is Mr. Rae, undoubtedly, but what he is, it is literally impossible to tell from the description of J. H. The truth is, Mr. Rae is a good actor in genteel comedy, and a very imperfect tragedian; owing principally to the rapidity of his utterance, and partly to an unsuccessful attempt to render his voice (in tragedy) more sonorous than there is any occasion it should be. He personated the character of "Lovemore," in the "Way to keep him," in a very masterly manner; for in this part his quick utterance perfectly accords with the volatile disposition of the hero who loves every woman more than his own wife. I think his conception of the characters he supports, is generally just ; and I really wish he would devote more attention to the position of his body, which, (though he has naturally a good figure) is, almost universally awkward. J. H. is very witty at the expence of Mr. Middleton; and if it were not too trite an expression, I would say he was "more witty than wise," his description of Mr. Middleton's dress is far more adapted to the excitation of “risible faculties," than the dress itself. He says he was "dressed in a pair of old stockings, pantaloons and whole boots." How J. H. could discern whether the stockings were old or new, or whether he had on, any stockings at all, under his "pantaloons and whole boots," I cannot conceive. His insight into the affairs of the sock and buskin, must be more acute than mine. All that J. H. says of Terry is, that he has a miserable voice, and that "his judgment is far from correct." This last expression is so hackneyed, that I hardly know what meaning to affix to it. Mr. Terry has been favoured with a good education, he possesses an excellent conception, and pays more regard to the costume of the characters he represents, than any other performer on the Liverpool stage. He improves in his acting very rapidly, and there is ample reason to expect he will attain to a very considerable proficiency in the art. 66 If J. H. had seen Miss Ray, he would not have said that all the female performers were very ugly." I have nothing to alledge against Mrs, Weston's foot and ancle: nor shall I think it right again to trouble you with a discussion of the present nature, being aware that a duplicate of this subject must be “weary, flat, stale, and unprofitable," to the generality of your readers. I am Sir, your obedient servant. C. B. Theatre GALWAY, Ireland.-MR. EDITOR,--The following account of the theatricals of our town, may perhaps find an admission in your entertaining Mirror, and as the theatres of this, "the sister kingdom," are but rarely mentioned in your valuable publication, I have no doubt that the following account may be acceptable to many of your theatrical correspondents and subscribers. Sept. 6th, 1808. Yours, A CONSTANT READER. Our theatre opened on Monday the 11th of July, under the management of Mr. Clarke, with the Honey Moon, and No Song No Supper; this town, has ever supported the amusements of the theatre in a very liberal manner, though in general the companies we have had, were but little entitled to patronage; Mr. Clarke has now been our manager for two seasons, and the company he has brought each time, has been such as to merit and receive general approbation. We believe under no manager have the provincial theatres of this kingdom, been ever so liberally and regularly conducted as by Mr. Clarke, and the highest respect is entertained for him by all ranks, as a manager and a gentleman. Our present company consists, of the manager, Mr. Helme, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Duff, Mr. Richards, Mr. H. Smith, Mr. R. Curtis, Mr. Smyth, Mr. Williamson, Mr. Jones, Mr. Brennan, Mr. O'Brien, &c. &c. Mrs. Clarke, (wife of the manager) Miss Matthews, Miss Webb, Mrs. M'Carthy, Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Smyth, Mrs. Connor, &c. &c. We have Mr. and Mrs. Hill here of the Covent Garden theatre; they were engaged for four nights, upon the termination of which, the manager renewed their engagement for a few nights longer; the operas brought forward during the time they have been here, have been performed in a highly respectable manner; their opening characters were Macheath and Polly, in the Beggar's Opera; since which they have appeared in Cymon and Sylvia, in the opera of Cymon; Lubin and Gillian, in the Quaker; Young Meadows and Rosetta, in Love in a Village; Lord William and Adela, in the Haunted Tower; Frederick and Margaretta, in No Song No Supper; Lionel and Clarissa, in the opera of that name; Leander and Leonora, in the Padlock; Inkle and Yarico; Henry and Louisa, in the Deserter, &c. The houses during their stay have been fully attended, and their excellence as singers is well known; they have been ably supported in the operas, by Mr. Helme, who has great merit in such characters as Steady, Don Diego, Crop, Hawthorn, &c. and by Miss Webb, who, (after Mrs. Hill,) is the best public singer in Ireland, out of Dublin. Many of the other performers possess great share of ability; among the ladies is Mrs. Clarke, who is most deservedly a universal favourite, in such characters as Amelia Wildenham, Roxalana, Madge, (Love in a Village,) and in characters of that description: where vivacity and humour are the leading features she displays uncommon excellence; her Peggy, in the Country Girl, is a highly finished piece of acting, and though far from a servile imitator, she is said to bear great similarity to Mrs. Edwin, in many of the characters she performs, Miss Matthews we understand to be very young on the stage; her forte seems to be sentimental comedy and tragedy, and as she possesses a fine face and form, and many requisites to form a good actress, we have no doubt, when she has had sufficient practice in her profession, of her attaining an unusual degree of excellence. Her performance of Monimia in the Orphan, was highly respectable. Mrs. M'Carthy possesses a considerable share of merit; we have seen her with great satisfaction in Mrs. Diggerty, in the True Born Irishman, and the Irish Widow, characters which are well adapted to her talents. Mrs. Kelly performs the old woman in a very excellent style, and the care and attention with which she dresses her characters, justly entitles her to commendation. Mrs. Helme, (who, we believe, was for some time a principal performer at the Circus in London,) is a most excellent dancer, and the able manner in which the ballets under her direction are produced, deserves every praise. In the male department ranks foremost the manager; the great attention he pays to every character he performs, added to a considerable share of ability, must always meet approbation; the example he sets is followed by other performers, and we are not, as heretofore, disgusted with a bungling representation of plays, half omitted, and the other half shamefully imperfect, and it is but very rarely there is a necessity for a prompter; the characters we think Mr. Clarke excels in, are such as Frederick, in Lovers Vows; Durimel, in the Point of Honour, Osmond, Castle Spectre, Rolla, Chamont, the Stranger, Penruddock, &c. &c. he sometimes performs in light comedy, and though characters of this description are not so well suited to his talents as the graver cast, yet from his perfect knowledge of the stage, and general acquaintance with his author, his performances always rise above mediocrity, and it is but rarely in a provincial theatre, we see so general a performer. Mr. Duff, (who performed Edgar in the new play of that name, and Dick, in the farce of the Apprentice, last season in Dublin, with considerable success,) is a promising young man, and bids fair to become a good actor; Mr. Curtis is a most excellent low comedian, and is said to be the best actor in this kingdom, in such characters as Justice Woodcock, Bonus, Sir Robert Bramble, Solus, &c. &c. he was for some seasons in the Dublin theatre, but being in the habit of making too frequent libations to Bacchus, he lost his situation; but we are happy to say he now attends to the duties of his profession with a care and attention highly com. |