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Sir Harry Beagle], Burton [Russet], Moody [Capt. O'Cutter), Blakes [Paris],

We agree with them, also, respecting the characters of Lady Freelove and O'Cutter:-" Of Lady Freelove we will only observe, that if the author had not given her a title, we should never have suspected her to have been a woman of quality. She is a shameless creature, without sentiment, without delicacy, without spirit. Her assisting his lordship in his designs against Harriot, her own relation, whose honour he had openly attempted to violate, is a proceeding so unnatural that Mother Douglas would blush to have been concerned in it. With regard to the Irish Captain, he is a sea-monster, such a one as we hope never was, or ever will be, a commander in the navy: in short, Shakspear's Caliban is not more brutal."

The following extracts are of a more favourable cast. "It is with plea [sure we acknowledge, that in the working up his plan, the author has displayed a great deal of merit. The incidents are various, striking, and interesting. Attention is agreeably kept alive throughout, and every act is full of business and contrivance. The most capital incidents are produced very natu rally, and conducted with great attention to probability. The author has given a proof of skilful management in the scene where Harriot relates the circumstance of her being rescued by Charles, and desires Mr. Oakley to admit her into his house. This, in our judgment, is the best scene in the whole play.The dialogue is curiously contrived: every speech which Mrs. Oakley overhears tends to confirm her suspicions, and yet not a word is forced, but all arises naturally from the subject. This is indeed the ars celandi artem.”

The writer thus sums up the whole :-" There is a good deal of humour and keen ridicule in this piece, interspersed with many sensible reflections which shew a knowledge of life: and it abounds with those changes and contrivances which surprise and entertain an audience. But the author's talent seems to lie in caricature: he is very happy in hitting off strong marked features, but cannot command those soft and delicate touches which form an agreeable and 'finished picture."

To the first edition of the play was prefixed a Dedication, which the author afterwards withdrew.

"In the beginning of February, Mr. Colman, who had lately fleshed his maiden sword in the farce of Polly Honeycombe, came forward flushed with success, and produced a comedy in five acts, entitled The Jealous Wife. 1am not willing to enter into a criticism on this play, as, at that time, a quarrel broke out between the author and myself, and the breach was never healed. Mr. Colman had entered into a league with Churchill and Bob Lloyd, and that triumvirate, he thought, would be able to bear down all before them. Some certain artifices in Colman's conduct came to this author's knowledge, and, as they appeared to him in a bad light, he never listened to any terms of a reconciliation; he saw evident symptoms of a bad heart, and with such a man he thought a state of war much better than a bad peace. At this distance of time he does not harbour any thing like resentment. All he will say of The Jealous Wife is, that there was between Garrick and Mrs. Pritchard a scene most happily imagined. They were seated on a sopha, each jealous of the other, and

Mrs. Clive [Lady Freelove], Miss Pritchard [Harriot], Mrs. Pritchard [Mrs. Oakley]. With a new prologue and epilogue. (b)

14, 16, 17, 19 [By Command], 21*, 23.-Ibid. 24.-Essex, P. Honeycombe. 26.-J. Wife. 28*, MARCH 2, 3.-Ib.

5.-Zara. Edgar & Em. 7. J. Wife. 9.-Hamlet. Ophelia, Mrs. CIBBER. Edgar & Em. 10.-J. Wife. 12.-Ib. 14.-B. Opera. Q. Mab. 23-[Easter Monday-Mrs. CIBBER's benefit.] Wonder.-Don Felix, GARRICK; Violante, (Ist time) Mrs. CIBBER. (c) P. Hon.

24.-Tempest. Harl. Inv. 25.-[Mrs. PRITCHARD'S night] J. Wife.

P. Hon.

26.-[Mrs. CLIVE's night.] Inconstant. Capt. Duretete, (1st time for 8 years) GARRICK; Y. Mirabel, Palmer; O, Mirabel, Yates; Dugard, Blakes; Oriana, Mrs. Davies; Lamorce, Mrs. Bennet; Bissare, Mrs. Clive. [Ist time] ISLAND OF SLAVES. (d) Havard, King, Packer, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Clive (with a comic opera song in character).

27.-[Mrs. YATES's night.] W. to keep him. H. Life.

28.-(not acted for 5 Years) Othello, Sheridan (e); Iago, Havard; Brabantio, Burton; Cassio, Palmer; Roderigo, Yates; Emilia, Mrs. Pritchard; Desdemona, Mrs. Cibber. Harl. Inv.

30.-Mr. HAVARD's night.] F. Pen. Calista, Mrs. YATES. End of play, a new Coronation Ode, written by Mr. Havard; the vocal parts by Lowe, Champnes, Mrs. Vincent, Miss Young, &c. P. Hon.

31. Mr. PALMER'S night.] J. Wife. H. Life.

both endeavouring, in short artful sentences, to hide their private views, and warp with cunning into one another's secrets. A more just imitation of nature was never seen. The play met with great applause, and has from time to time kept its rank on the stage." Murphy's Life of Garrick.

With all its faults the Jealous Wife is one of the best comedies of which the stage is in possession.

(b) The former, written by Mr. Lloyd, and spoken by Garrick; the latter spoken, we suppose, from the opening lines, by Mrs. Clive, the representative of Lady Freelove.

* Author's nights.

(c) Mrs. Cibber was fond of performing in comedy, but was by no means

successful in it.

(d) This is little more than a literal translation of the Isle des Esclaves of M. Marivaux. It has not made its appearance in print, yet I think has at least as much merit as many of the petite pieces which we see frequently performed on the stage. It was acted one night only for the benefit of Mrs. Clive, and was the occasion of an epistolary dispute in print between her and Mr. Shuter, whose benefit happened to fall on the same night." Baker.

(e) "If it were possible for spectators to be pleased with meaning alone, uttered through very ungracious, inadequate organs, Mr. Sheridan might stand high in public estimation [in Othello ;] but execution being as necessary as conception, we can only afford him the praise of barren propriety."

Dram. Censor 1770

PROVINCIAL DRAMA, &c.

Theatre-Royal EDINBURGH.-Mr. Editor,-Being lately on an excursion in Scotland, and passing through the metropolis, I was a constant attendant of the theatrical amusements, during the short stay I made in Edinburgh. I had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Esten, who was performing with great eclat, She attracted very crowded and elegant audiences, and has lately renewed her engagement with the manager for a few nights. The theatre is rather small, but meat, clean, and remarkable for its beautiful scenery. Mr. Young, who is the acknowledged favourite in tragedy and comedy, is a sensible and correct actor. His figure is perfectly genteel, and he treads the boards with more ease than any young actor I have lately seen. I cannot pass unnoticed the abilities of Miss Duncan, who is in high estimation with the northern audience. This young lady possesses great merit in sprightly comedy, such as Letitia Hardy, Rosalind, Hippolita, Beatrice, &c. and, in the romps, and comic singing, she has few competitors on the stage. From undoubted authority, I am informed that this lady had a most liberal offer from the managers of Covent-Garden theatre.

Theatre Royal HULL.-Benefit receipts during the late season.

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Theatre NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE.-Our theatre closed for the winter season on Wednesday, Feb. 16, with Lionel and Clarissa, and a pantomime got up for the occasion, called Harlequin in the Clouds. The evening's entertainments were for the benefit of the manager, Mr. Stephen Kemble. During the course of the season a great variety of performances, new and old, tragedy, comedy, opera, farce, and pantomime, have been represented; but part of the novelties having been produced for benefits, and got up in a very imperfect and temporary manner, I shall confine my remarks entirely to the general state of the theatre, and the merits of the company, which, though far from being a good one, is certainly superior to that of last season.

The theatre has been open nearly four months, and, though generally well attended, yet I rather imagine the season has not been very profitable to the manager, who has, indeed, no right to expect much emolument from a concern to which he pays so little attention. Every part of the theatre is disagreeably

dirty, and most miserably lighted; and the chandeliers at the back of the boxes, bestow a nightly libation of tallow upon the head dresses of those ladies who are so unfortunate as to sit beneath them. The plays are represented in a manner shamefully imperfect in every respect. The scenery is old, shabby, and dirty, and is continually going wrong. The orchestra consists of three violins and a bass, and is totally devoid of wind instruments. The prompter is heard at the end of almost every speech. The stage is frequently left vacant in the middle of an act for several minutes, and the utmost negligence, for the greater part of the season, has prevailed throughout every department of the business. But the arrival of Mr. Chippendale, the last acquisition to the company, and who now conducts, with great ability, the business of the stage, has caused a considerable alteration for the better in many of these points. Much, however, still remains to be done, which can only be effected by the vigilance and attention of the manager himself.

It is confidently reported that two of our best performers, Mr. Egerton and Miss Heard, are about to leave the company. The cause of the difference be→ tween them and the manager is variously stated. However it may be, it is by no means wonderful that performers of their abilities should be unwilling to remain in a company which must submit to the labour and inconvenience of performing three nights of the week at Newcastle, and two at Shields. Indeed, the system of keeping open two theatres at once, which are at the distance of eight miles from each other, is of itself sufficient to destroy all order and regularity at both of them; and it is not to be expected that performers can appear before the public to any advantage, when, instead of attending rehearsals, the mornings are spent in travelling between Newcastle and Shields.-Were Mr. Kemble to obtain a connexion with other theatres royal, and bring a more respectable company to this town, he would undoubtedly find both his profits and his popularity much greater than they possibly can be, while he continues to pursue his present system of dragging his company every day, at this inclement season of the year, eight miles along a dirty turnpike road. But if Mr. Kemble cannot procure a more respectable circuit of theatres than he at present possesses, it is surely very extraordinary that the proprietors of the theatre royal should not advertise it to be let to the highest bidder, by which means there would be a chance of its being again connected with towns of more theatrical celebrity than Sunderland, Shields, and Durham. Mr. Kemble has, however, long been our manager, and as such is entitled to peculiar indulgence: and, would he exert himself to merit the preference which has always been shewn him, the writer of this believes (and he judges from his own feelings) that there is far from being any wish in the public mind to see Mr. Kemble displaced from his situation. On the contrary, both he and his family are considered in this town in the most respectable point of view: and it would be difficult, and indeed almost impossible, in a provincial theatre, to supply the place of an actress such as Mrs. Kemble, whose merit, in some peculiar walks of the drama, stands unrivalled even in the theatres of the metropolis; and who, in whatever she attempts, is always correct, elegant, and interesting.

I shall now proceed to consider the merits of our dramatic corps, which at present consists of Messrs. Kemble, Egerton, Liston, Noble, Mara, Branton,

Kelly, Chippendale, Musgrave, Mills, Bland, Suett, &c.Mrs. Kemble, Miss Heard, Miss Kemble, Mrs. Jones, Miss Payne, Mrs. Russel, Miss Benson, Mrs. Egerton, and Mrs. Bland.

You have lately had ample opportunities of judging of Mr. Kemble's merit as an actor, in the character of Sir John Falstaff, for which his natural qualifications are so eminently adapted. But humour, on the whole, is not his talent; and, setting aside the imperfection of his figure, he succeeds much better in such characters as Old Norval, Sciolto, Dumont, Sir Christopher Curry, Sir John Flowerdale, &e. His manner of speaking, in serious dialogue, is remarkably impressive and affecting; and, in the character of Sir John Flowerdale, at his benefit, he drew tears from many eyes "unused to the melting mood." In several of the passionate old men in comedy, he is also very respectable. Mr. Egerton is of late considerably improved. His tragedy, on account of the weakness of his voice, and the restlessness of his action, must always be below mediocrity: but those very circumstances which injure his representations of the heroes of Melpomene, may perhaps assist him in those of Thalia. In the Rapids and Gossamers of Mr. Lewis, he is always easy, spirited, and entertain Ing; and, in characters of that stamp, his perpetual motion is very amusing: but, in sentimental comedy, in which he is otherwise very respectable, it is ridiculous, and totally destructive of pathetic emotions. Mr. Liston is an actor who seems to be remarkably attentive to the duties of his profession, and is possessed of an infinite fund of humour in low comedy. In the characters of awkward simple country servants, and especially in Shenkin, in Folly as it flies, he is most admirable. Indeed, take him all in all, he is the best low comedian we have had since we lost that true disciple of Momus, little Rock. But he ought to confine himself entirely to that walk of the drama which nature has pointed out to him, and never attempt any serious characters, which his countenance turns completely to a burlesque.

I am sorry to say that Mr. Noble, whom nature has endowed with a large proportion of humour and comic force, has degenerated of late into a complete buffoon, and is only to be tolerated in characters of the broadest "farce, where the grand climax of his acting consists in throwing about chairs and tables, and breaking plates. As he seldom or ever has his part off, he supplies the want of it by an extempore of his own composition, and a variety of tricks and grimaces, which throw the business of the scene into such confusion, that other actors, who do understand what they are about, are prevented from carrying on the dialogue of the play. In short, his performances are now only fit for a pup pet-shew or a barn, and are a disgrace to the boards of a theatre-royal. Mr. Mara's representations of Irishmen are extremely natural; and he is, upon the whole, a very general and useful actor, though he seldom attains any high de gree of excellence. Mr. Branton has some knowledge of music, but his voice is harsh and disagreeable; and he is continually endeavouring to execute shakes and graces, which are far beyond his powers. Mr. Kelly has some humour, and his very peculiar mode of articulation is sometimes diverting enough in the characters of stupid old men in farces. The business of Mr. Chippendale is chiefly behind the curtain, where he is very active and useful, but he sometimes

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