Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105, September 9, 1893Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105, September 9, 1893
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
GATTI, must be rejoicing greatly.
For a cool, calm, calculating villain, recommend me to Mr. CHARLES
CARTWRIGHT, the very best of gentlemanly scoundrels of modern
melodrama. He is admirable: but directly the honest, outspoken Adelphi
audience nose his villainy he has a bad time of it, as no matter what
he may say or do, no matter whether he speaks slowly or quickly, runs
off, saunters off, lounges in or hurries in, he is at once met, and so
to speak "countered," by a storm of fiercely indignant hisses. Surely
an actor whose _rôle_ is sheer villainy of the deepest dye must be
able to command enormous terms, seeing what a long training it must
require to arrive at taking cursing for compliments! An Adelphi
audience personally hate and detest the stage villain, but for all
that, they couldn't do without him, any more than can the melodramatic
author or the Messrs. GATTI.
After _the_ villain, who certainly holds the first place in popular
unpopularity, comes the Heroic Boy, CHARLES WARNER, all heartiness and
simplicity, a very "bounding Achilles;" and next to him, the suffering
heroine who defends herself with a revolver, who is finally charged
with murder, and gallantly defended by the Heroic Boy, who, attired in
wig, gown, and bands, appears in the last scene of all that ends this
eventful his'tory as Counsel for the Defence, pleading for his
wife before a full court, much less crowded than is the Old Bailey
generally, and apparently far loftier, and much better ventilated. The
case does not attract considerable public attention, as there is only
a sparse attendance of nobodies in the gallery. Throughout the drama
Mr. GARDINER and Miss FANNY BROUGH capitally represent the comic
interest, which is brightly written, and "goes" uncommonly well.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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