Punch, or the London Charivari, November 25, 1893Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, November 25, 1893
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
In the Screen Scene when "discovered," Miss REHAN'S attitude is
eloquent; and on this tableau I have always thought the curtain should
descend, as all after this, even _Sir Peter's_ exit with "damn your
sentiments," good as it is, is an anti-climax. I should prefer that
Miss REHAN'S _Lady Teazle_ should be silent, or if it must be played
as written, then here of all situations in the comedy would I insist
upon her emphasising the perfectly natural manner of the unaffected
country girl, instead of addressing Sir _Peter_ in the deep tones of a
tragedian, as if attempting a mere theatrical effect. In the last Act,
as arranged, she appears to have done with her town airs and graces
for ever, and, wearing a queer sort of mob-cap, enters on _Sir
Peter's_ arm, ready with him to face the ridicule, the satire, and the
scandal of their world.
Miss VANBRUGH makes a delightful _Lady Sneerwell_, and Mrs. GILBERT
a dear old _Mrs. Candour_, who would spitefully gossip about her
neighbours for hours together. _Maria_ is almost always a thankless
part, and Miss PERCY HASWELL leaves no doubt on the mind of the
audience of her being a poor orphan of some six months' standing.
The part of _Moses_ offers very little scope to Mr. JAMES LEWIS,
especially as the celebrated "I'll take my oath of that" is cut out,
and some lines are introduced, which being quite un-Sheridanesque and
un-Mosaic do not in the least assist the character. However, as he is
much slapped on the back, dug in the ribs, and generally treated as a
butt by _Charles_ and _Careless_ (who, by the way, gives _"Here's to
the Maiden"_ in first-rate style), Mr. LEWIS may be congratulated on
getting to the end of his impersonation of one of the long-suffering
tribe in perfect safety. Mr. BOURCHIER'S _Charles_ goes well with
the audience; but Mr. GEORGE CLARKE is too conscientious, and too
impressed with a sense of the horrible scoundrelism of _Joseph's_
character to be ever really at home in so uncongenial a part.
For the re-arrangement, much may be said "for," and more "against."
There is only one point that strikes me as absolutely inartistic, and
that is, making _Sir Peter_ give his explanatory speech about his wife
_after_ we have seen her, instead of leaving it in its proper place,
as SHERIDAN wrote it, where it serves as a prologue to the subsequent
scene between _Sir Peter_ and _Lady Teazle_, when she appears for the
first time in the comedy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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