= 8. Belle's Stratagem. Doricourt Lewis: Hardy = Munden: Sir George Touchwood = Murray : Flutter Jones: Saville Brunton: Letitia Hardy = Mrs. H. Johnston: Mrs. Racket Mrs. Mattocks. 9. Comedy of Errors, revived. Antipholis of Syracuse Pope: Antipholis of Ephesus C. Kemble: Dromio of Ephesus Blanchard: Dromio of Syracuse Munden: Ægeon Murray: Dr. Pinch = Simmons: Adriana Mrs. Gibbs : Luciana = Miss Norton. = = = = = 12. Never acted, Wanderer, or the Rights of Hospitality. Sigismond C. Kemble: Ramsay (a Scotchman) Fawcett Count Valdestein = : Count Sparre (governour of the island) Brunton : Col. Baner = Pope : Blanchard: Gustavus Adolphus = Claremont Countess Valdestein Miss Smith: Christina (her niece) niece) Miss Norton : - acted 16 times-the scene lies in the isle of Oeland-Sigismond is son of the late King of Sweden-Gustavus is son of the reigning King-Sigismond and his party had sustained a complete defeat at the battle of Strangebro-Sigismond had concealed himself for some time in the hope of making his escape - he comes to the castle of Valdestein, worn out with fatigue, and almost dead for want of food and sleep -Valdestein is from home-the Countess is firmly attached to the opposite party, but from motives of humanity she relieves his wants, and promises to provide a vessel for his escape-Count Sparre is very desirous to get Sigismond into his power- he sees Sigismond, but does not know him-the Countess pretends that Sigismond is her husband-the plan, which had been formed for Sigismond's escape, fails - from unforeseen obstacles Valdestein enters Count Sparre suspects him to be Sigismond-Valdestein's life had been saved by Sigismond-Valdestein in return yields himself a prisoner to Sparre, as if he had been Sigismond-Sigismond is allowed to depart without molestation, on the supposition of his being Valdestein-Gustavus enters, and deception is no longer possible-Ramsay brings in a paper Sparre snatches it from him-it contains some few lines addressed to the Countess, and written by Sigismond on board of the Danish Fleet-the Countess avows what she had done-and appeals to Gustavus whether he would not have acted as she did, under similar circumstances-Gustavus promises to be her advocate with the King-this is an interesting play in 3 acts-it was altered from the German of Kotzebue, and adapted to the English stage by Charles Kemble it was originally written by a French dramatist, and was founded on the adventures and escape of the Pretender after his defeat in the Scotch Rebellion of 1745-the Licenser refused his sanction to the English play, and C. Kemble was obliged to change the scene from Scotland to Sweden--in so doing he should have divested the important part of Ramsay of his Scottish dialect-this was the more expedient, as Ramsay says he had served the family of the Countess above 40 years-C. Kemble, in order to sweeten his play to the taste of the multitude, has introduced some music, he concludes his 2d act with a chorus by the soldiers, tho' they were so circumstanced as to make their singing of a chorus a gross absurdity-C. Kemble's play, as originally written, was acted at C. G. Nov. 26 1829. 29. Kemble acted Iago--he seems to have acted the character but twice. = Feb. 1. Mountaineers. Florante Miss Smith. 6. Hamlet-Kemble: Polonius Munden. : = = 9. Never acted, Begone dull Care, or How will it end? Solace (superintendent of Sir Arthur's mines) = Emery: Modern Lewis: Sir Arthur St. Albyn Pope: Algernon (his son) = C. Kemble: Lord Blushdale Fawcett: Danvers (his nephew) Brunton: Selina (niece to Sir Arthur) = Miss Smith: Cicely (a young girl brought up by Solace) Miss Norton Deborah Mrs. Davenport :-acted about 16 times-the late Lord Blushdale had died in America-his younger brother had succeded to his title and estates, as Modern, who is son to the late Lord, had always been considered as illegitimateSir Arthur is greatly in debt, notwithstanding that he has a fine income-he is at variance with his son --and very desirous that his niece should marry Danvers-Danvers on his part promises, that his uncle should cancel a bond for £16,000, which Sir Arthur had given to the late Lord Blushdale-Selina is very averse from an union with Danvers-Algernon writes word to his father, that he and Selina are privately married-at the conclusion it appears that this supposed marriage was only a stratagem—Algernon marries Cicely, and is reconciled to his fatherModern proves to be legitimate-and consequently heir to his father's title and property-he marries Selina-this is on the whole a poor C.--it must however be allowed that Reynolds has very adroitly concealed his catastrophe to the last-at the beginning of the 5th act, it would be difficult to guess How it will end?-on the other hand, it is very improbable that Modern's mother should never have given her son any intimation that he was legitimate, and have contented herself with merely sending a certificate of her marriage to England by Danvers-this certificate Danvers, for sinister purposes, conceals till the last act-Cicely is in love with Algernon – on hearing that he is married to Selina, she runs away from the house of her benefactor-she talks of going to sleep in a wood-but Deborah accommodates her with an apartment in a small villa belonging to Lord Blushdale-Lord Blushdale arrives at his villa very unexpectedly he finds the door of his bed room locked, and passes the night very quietly in a great chair- Reynolds in his preface complains of the critics-but if a man will obtrude wretched stuff on the public, he has no right to complain of those who are disgusted at it--Reynolds says "the constant cry is why don't you give us the good old legiti"mate drama-such as flourished in the days of Shakspeare-Jonson-Vanburgh-and Congreve? "-kind, liberal readers! why only select for com'parison the best authors! why not bring into com 66 petition the ephemeral productions of Etherege, "Shadwell, Taverner and D'Urfey?"- Etherege and Shadwell were not ephemeral authors-Reynolds himself is an ephemeral author, if ever there was one -when he published his Life in 1826, he had survived nearly the whole of his numerous dramatic offspring -Reynolds adds-" yet there are people who would "still recommend the Horatian maxim of Nonum 66 · prematur in annum'—by which maxim in 36 years "a man might compose 4 dramas"--Horace does not say that a man should write only one play in 9 years, but that he should revise and correct any play that he may write, for 9 years-a man may write one or more plays in every year, and yet not violate Horace's maxim-Reynolds justly observes that modern refinement has banished from our theatres one inexhaustible source of mirth-that of double entendre. = 25. Wanderer, with, never acted, Who wins?, or the Widow's Choice. Iambic Extempore Fawcett : Caper Liston: Matthew Mole = Simmons: Widow Bellair Mrs. C. Kemble: Lisette Miss De Camp: -this musical F. is attributed to Allingham-acted 21 times not printed. = Friar Lawrence - Hull. Miss Norton, 1st time. 10. Man of the World. Cooke made his 1st app. this season, and was well received-this was the greatest money house, one excepted, ever known in the theatre. (Dunlap.) 12. Merchant of Venice. thonio = Murray: Bassanio Miss Smith. Shylock Cooke: An- 14. Richard 3d Cooke: Richmond = Brunton : -on the 21st C. Kemble acted Richmond. = 22. Travellers in Switzerland, revived. Daniel= Munden Sidney = Blanchard: Count Friponi == Fawcett Robin Emery: Nerinda Mrs. C. Kemble Lady Philippa Mrs. Davenport :-acted twice. 28. Othello. Othello Pope : Iago = Cooke. = = 31. Man of the World, with, never acted, Bonifacio and Bridgetina-or the Knight of the Hermitage or the Windmill Turret-or the Spectre of the |