Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

once

=

= Mrs. Sparks: Polly Miss Mellon-acted but -Sir Harry and Lady Lovelace are separated -each of them is sorry for the separation-Sir Row. land means his daughter to marry the son of his old friend Sir Edward Melville-Young Melville has no inclination to the match, and as he is personally unknown to Sir Rowland, he agrees with Harcourt, that Harcourt should pass himself on Sir Rowland for Young Melville-Harcourt gains the affections of Miss Betty-at the conclusion, the trick is discovered, but Sir Rowland consents to the union of his daughter and Harcourt-Sir Harry and Lady Lovelace are re-united-this C. was written by Holt-it consists of 5 acts of well written dialogue with very little plot or incident-it certainly deserved a better fate-Holt in his preface says, that from inexperience of the stage, he had employed that care upon his dialogue, which the present taste of the times requires rather to be given to the plot-Holt ought to have known, that the best critics in all times have ever considered the plot as the most essential part of a play--this C. was preceded by a Prelude instead of a Prologue-Elliston, Bartley, and Suett acted Pennyless, Thoughtless, and Scout-the other parts were of no importance - Pennyless promises to satisfy all his creditors, if the play, which he has written, should be successful.

Jan. 4. West Indian.

Belcour

Elliston, 1st time: Major Johnstone: Charlotte Miss Duncan, 1st time.

=

[ocr errors]

8. Suspicious Husband. Ranger Elliston, 1st time

Clarinda Miss Duncan, 1st time.

16. Marriage Promise, and Who's the Dupe?

18. Miss Duncan acted Lydia Languish, 1st time. 24. Miss Pope acted Mrs. Heidelberg.

26. Jew. Eliza Ratcliffe - Mrs. H. Johnston.

=

=

=

=

=

=

31. Never acted, Honey Moon. Duke Aranza = Elliston Rolando Bannister: Jaquez Collins : Balthazar = Wroughton Lampedo = Mathews : Count Montalban Bartley: Juliana Miss Duncan: Zamora Miss De Camp: Volante Miss Mellon : Hostess Mrs. Sparks :-acted 28 times this C. was written by Tobin-it has very great merit, but this merit consists chiefly in the beauty of the language-it is for the most part written in blank verse, and is a very happy imitation of the old dramatistsMassinger was perhaps the author whom Tobin had chiefly in his eye-the plot is not probable, and we are strongly reminded of Rule a Wife, Inconstant, &c. the Sham Duke seems borrowed from the Antiquary-Tobin makes the last syllable but one in Hyperion short-he was led into this scrape by Shakspeare, who has used the word in that manner in 2 passages of Hamlet with which every body is acquainted- Shakspeare however is the worst authority he could have followed- and no excuse can be made for a false quantity in a word which occurs so often in Homer-the author of Fuimus Troes, or the True Trojans, published in 1633, knew better

[ocr errors]

"Blow gently Africus,

Play on our poops: when Hyperion's son"—

as Tobin was well acquainted with old plays, he probably borrowed the outlines of Rolando's character from that of Anteros in the Rival Friends 1632.

Feb. 6. Miss De Camp acted Kitty in High Life.

=

12. Never acted, Lady of the Rock. Fisherman = Bannister: Lord Maclean = H. Johnston: Dugald (his brother) Raymond: Campbell Raymond Campbell = De Camp : Argyle Dignum: Lady Maclean Mrs. Powell: Moggy (the Fisherman's wife) = Mrs. Harlowe :acted about 9 times-Campbell, on being shipwrecked, had swum to a Rock, as thinking it a place of safety-he was not aware that the Rock at high water was covered by the sea-his life had been saved by the Fisherman-Lord Maclean, by the artifices of Dugald, becomes jealous of his wife-he orders her to be carried to the Rock, and left there-a dreadful storm arises-but the Fisherman brings her off in safety-Dugald is accidentally poisoned-before his death, he acknowledges that Lady Maclean was innocent-the piece concludes with the reconciliation of Lord and Lady Maclean- this is an indifferent Melo-drame by Holcroft-Miss Baillie in her Family Legend has dramatized the story in a much better manner-see D. L. May 29 1815-Holcroft says that he met with the story in Mrs. Murray's Guide to the Western Islands of Scotland-it appears from his advertisement, that the Machinist of D. L. had invented a finer sea storm than had ever before been exhibited on the stage.

21. Bon Ton. Sir John Trotley Dowton, 1st time.

=

=

23. Not acted 16 years, Tancred and Sigismunda. Tancred Young Roscius: Siffredi Hargrave, from C. G.: Osmond = Elliston, 1st time: Sigismunda Mrs. H. Johnston, 1st time.

26. Pope acted Siffredi, 1st time.

[blocks in formation]

14. Hamlet = Young Roscius, 1st time :-he acted the part 7 times.

26. Miss Duncan acted Mrs. Sullen, 1st time.

April 2. Wheel of Fortune. Penruddock Elliston, 1st time.

=

23. Never acted, the Soldier's Return, or What can Beauty do? Racket Bannister: Capt. Manly = H. Johnston: Lord Bloomville Powell: Dermot O'Doddipole Johnstone: Miss Dashaway= Miss De Camp: Belinda Mrs. Mountain: Mrs. Belcour (her mother) Mrs. Sparks: Fanny Mrs. Bland :-acted about 14 times- -Capt. Manly and Belinda were mutually in love-Manly is supposed to have been killed in Ægypt-and Belinda had given a reluctant consent to marry Lord Bloomville— Manly on his Return hears of their intended marriage-he sends a challenge to Lord Bloomville— -Lord Bloomville proves to be his father, who had succeeded to the title by the death of a distant relation-Lord Bloomville resigns Belinda to his son -Racket marries Miss Dashaway-this is a moderate comic Op. in 2 acts-it is attributed to Hook.

26. Elliston's bt. Never acted, the Venetian Out

[ocr errors]

law. Vivaldi Elliston: Doge = Raymond: Count Orsano Barrymore: Alfieri (friend to Vivaldi) = Powell: Calcagno Dowton: Michaeli Holland : Rosara (daughter to the Doge) = Mrs. H. Johnston : -acted 5 times-Vivaldi and his father had been banished from Venice-the father had died-the son had entered into the service of Charles the 5th, and, under the assumed name of Walstein, had distinguished himself by his courage-Count Orsano, by whose machinations Vivaldi and his father had been banished, is at the head of a conspiracy, the object of which is the death of the Doge, and of many of the senators-Orsano had engaged the assistance of a famous bandit called Abelino-the messenger whom the Count had sent to Abelino had fallen into the hands of Vivaldi, and from him Vivaldi had learnt the particulars of the conspiracy-at the opening of the piece, Vivaldi had arrived at Venice as Walstein-in that character he is well known to the Doge-but the Doge has no suspicion that he is really Vivaldi-Vivaldi presents himself to the conspirators as Abelino-his appearance is terrific — Orsano gives the supposed Abelino a list of the conspirators-Orsano discovers by a letter that Vivaldi is in Venice-Rosara acknowledges to her father that she is married to Vivaldi-Vivaldi, as Walstein, promises the Doge to put Vivaldi into his power -the Doge makes his exit, and Vivaldi discovers himself to Rosara-Vivaldi, as Abelino, has a conference with the Doge - he wants the Doge to sign Vivaldi's pardon-the Doge refuses-the Doge calls his guards Vivaldi makes his escape in

-

« ZurückWeiter »