The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 1, January 1810
General
The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 1, January 1810
Drama -- Periodicals; Theater -- Periodicals
Having thus insulated this class of comedies, and put them apart from
the old stock, to which, with the exception of the Honey Moon, there is
no modern production comparable, criticism may weigh the merits of each
piece as compared with its class, and perhaps find something to praise.
We consider some of the comedies of Mr. Morton, however, as raised high
above the throng. The Cure for the Heart Ach has much in it to commend.
The moral tendency of many parts of it is good, while the incidents are
exceedingly laughable. _Old Rapid_ continually betraying his trade by
stuffing his conversation with the technical terms of the taylor--his
son's distress at it--the honest rusticity of _Frank Oatland_--the
baseness, vanity and folly of _Vortex_ the nabob--the insolence and
amorousness of _Miss Vortex_ his daughter, and the whimsical incidents
arising from their various designs, mistakes, detections and
disappointments, form altogether a _melange_ of pleasantry highly
provocative of laughter, yet by no means so low as to reduce the piece
to the rank of farce, which some austere critics in London have
assigned it.
Of the performance generally, we repeat that it was good. Young Rapid
afforded criticism much satisfaction in the person of Mr. Wood, who in
many parts persuaded us that he had seen Mr. Lewis in that character,
and seen him with profit. Mr. Wood's walk is not unlike that of the
great original in London--a nasal tone of voice too is common to both.
These, if they did not create, certainly increased the resemblance
between those two gentlemen, which, however remote, was yet discernible.
In _Sir Hubert Stanley_, as in every other character in which we have
seen him, Mr. M'Kenzie deserved warm applause--he was dignified,
pathetic and interesting. Mr. Francis gave a strong colouring to Vortex;
and to say that Frank Oatland was all that the author could wish, we
need only to state that he fell to the share of Mr. Jefferson. After
all, we are doubtful whether old Rapid was not as well off in the hands
of Mr. Warren as any other character in the play.
We were greatly interested and indeed delighted by Mrs. Wood in Jesse
Oatland. Mrs. Francis was abundantly droll in Mrs. Vortex; and Mrs.
Seymour was entitled to the marks of approbation she received.
_November 22._
PIZARRO and the Review composed the bill of fare for this evening.
Although in the attack and defence of Pizarro criticism has worn down
the edges of its weapons to very dulness, we cannot forbear taking this
opportunity of recording our opinions of that extraordinary production.
No play that has appeared during the last century, possesses the power
of agitating the passions, and interesting the feelings in an equal
degree to Pizarro. From a child of the brain of Kotzebue, trained and
corrected by Sheridan, much might be expected. And the piece before us
is worthy of the talents of such men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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