-
Articles/Ads
Article STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Page 1 of 2 Article EPILOGUE Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Strictures On Public Amusements.
STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .
'HpHE Theatres have this month been unusually barren of novelty . It At Drury-Lane we have to notice the revival of the Rival Queens , that bold production of NAT LEI-:, whose Muse was capable of the boldest flights of Poetry , and which is now brought forward with a degree of splendour highly creditable to the taste and liberality of the Proprietors ; the acting is , on the whole , equal to the magnificence of the decorations . KKMBI . E enters into the spirit of Alexander with an enthusiasm congenial with the fire of the Authorandwith a due management of his poiversrenders the
, , , Macedonian hero ardent , impetuous , and dignified . Though his attitudes are uncommonly striking and impressive , he does not sacrifice feeling for the sake of picturesque effect , but is grand , heroic , and expressive . Mrs . SIDDONS gives a new air to the character of Roxana ; and if , according to the usual notion , she is hardly violent enough , it is certain there are passages of love and tenderness that sufficiently justify the novel colouring she presents . We do not admire the indiscriminate force which Mrs . POWELL generally assumes ; but it is better mingled with trails of affection ill Statira than usual .
Miss MILLER is a very promising young Actress : she properly conceives the part olParisatis ; but pitching her voice too high , her utterance evinces too much of that mode of speaking which is termed Cant . BENSLEY is the old rough Soldier , in Clytus ; and the rest of the characters are . sunoorted with due proprietv .
Altogether , the Play is an admirable treat to those who know how to value good acting , and to those who visit the Theatre merely for the luxury of magnificence and shew . AT Covent-Garden , Mr . COOPER , who has played Hamlet and Lothario , has come forward again in the character of Macbeth . This Performer has been supported by a zeal of injudicious praise ; for though we allow that he possesses talents , yet , to adopt the language of BROWS , the soil is at present chiefly marked by capabilities . There must be much weedingdrainingclearing & c . & c . before he can safely
ven-, , , ture forward in a line of pre-eminent characters . —His action is ungraceful , and his performance is rather distinguished by false art than by original feeling . Sometimes we thought he displayed symptoms of an understanding struggling ¦ through the manacles of erroneous tuition ; but , upon the whole , he must advance progressively to the higher characters , and not attempt to wield an instrument too difficult for him to manage at present , even if Nature had allotted to him a portion of adequate strength .
Epilogue
EPILOGUE
TO THE NEW COMEDY OF SPECULATION . Tf'WTTEX EY MILES PETER ANDREWS , ESQ . AND SFOKEX BY MR , LEWIS . THE Drama done , permit us now to say Something about—or not about the Play— - Good subject ours 1 rare times when Speculation
Engrosses every subject of the Nation . To serve the state—Jews , Gentiles , all are willing , And for the omnium venture their last shilling : Nay some subscribe their thousands to the Loan , Without a single shilling of their own . VOL . V . j II
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Strictures On Public Amusements.
STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .
'HpHE Theatres have this month been unusually barren of novelty . It At Drury-Lane we have to notice the revival of the Rival Queens , that bold production of NAT LEI-:, whose Muse was capable of the boldest flights of Poetry , and which is now brought forward with a degree of splendour highly creditable to the taste and liberality of the Proprietors ; the acting is , on the whole , equal to the magnificence of the decorations . KKMBI . E enters into the spirit of Alexander with an enthusiasm congenial with the fire of the Authorandwith a due management of his poiversrenders the
, , , Macedonian hero ardent , impetuous , and dignified . Though his attitudes are uncommonly striking and impressive , he does not sacrifice feeling for the sake of picturesque effect , but is grand , heroic , and expressive . Mrs . SIDDONS gives a new air to the character of Roxana ; and if , according to the usual notion , she is hardly violent enough , it is certain there are passages of love and tenderness that sufficiently justify the novel colouring she presents . We do not admire the indiscriminate force which Mrs . POWELL generally assumes ; but it is better mingled with trails of affection ill Statira than usual .
Miss MILLER is a very promising young Actress : she properly conceives the part olParisatis ; but pitching her voice too high , her utterance evinces too much of that mode of speaking which is termed Cant . BENSLEY is the old rough Soldier , in Clytus ; and the rest of the characters are . sunoorted with due proprietv .
Altogether , the Play is an admirable treat to those who know how to value good acting , and to those who visit the Theatre merely for the luxury of magnificence and shew . AT Covent-Garden , Mr . COOPER , who has played Hamlet and Lothario , has come forward again in the character of Macbeth . This Performer has been supported by a zeal of injudicious praise ; for though we allow that he possesses talents , yet , to adopt the language of BROWS , the soil is at present chiefly marked by capabilities . There must be much weedingdrainingclearing & c . & c . before he can safely
ven-, , , ture forward in a line of pre-eminent characters . —His action is ungraceful , and his performance is rather distinguished by false art than by original feeling . Sometimes we thought he displayed symptoms of an understanding struggling ¦ through the manacles of erroneous tuition ; but , upon the whole , he must advance progressively to the higher characters , and not attempt to wield an instrument too difficult for him to manage at present , even if Nature had allotted to him a portion of adequate strength .
Epilogue
EPILOGUE
TO THE NEW COMEDY OF SPECULATION . Tf'WTTEX EY MILES PETER ANDREWS , ESQ . AND SFOKEX BY MR , LEWIS . THE Drama done , permit us now to say Something about—or not about the Play— - Good subject ours 1 rare times when Speculation
Engrosses every subject of the Nation . To serve the state—Jews , Gentiles , all are willing , And for the omnium venture their last shilling : Nay some subscribe their thousands to the Loan , Without a single shilling of their own . VOL . V . j II