Theatre-Ropal. This Evening will be performed the Comedy of THE WONDER. Don Pedro, Mr. Mackay-Don Lopez, Mr. Mason "Don Felix, Mr. Calcraft-Don Frederick, Mr. Wynn Colonel Britton, Mr. Pritchard-Lissardo, Mr. Murray Gibby, Mr. Duff-Alguazil, Mr. Miller-Soldier, Mr. M'Gregor' Vasquez, Mr. Hillyard Servant, Mr. Aiken Officers, Messrs. Power amd J. Stanley Donna Isabella, Miss Halford-Flora, Miss Nicol-Inis, Miss Eyre Donna Violante, Mrs. H. Siddons. After which will be performed, for the Seventh Time in this Theatre, the Dramatic Fairy Tale, entitled, CHERRY & FAIR STAR, OR THE CHILDREN OF CYPRUS. With New Music, Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, and Decorations. Demetrius, King of Cyprus, Mr. Smyth. Giaffer, his Prime Minister, Mr. Lynch. The Prince Cherry, Miss Halford.-Noureddin, Mr. Denham, The principal Vocal Characters, Messrs. Bing, R. Power, and Brough. Avriana, Queen of the Fairies, Miss Murray, The Fairy Papilla, Miss M. Eyre, pupil of Mrs. W. Barrymore, Celestina, Miss Rae.-Astriana, Miss J. Nicol.-Zephyrina, Miss Eyre. The Princess Fair Star, Miss H. Lacy. The SCENERY, Which, with Two Exceptions, has been Painted expressly for this occasion, will be exhibited in the following Succession. ACT I. 1. The Bower of the Fairy Queen Avriana.-2. Rocky Promontory, on the Island.-3. The Gardens of Hassanbad, the Merchant.-4. The Forest Scene from Ivanhoe-5. Woodland View, and Bower.-6. Ex, terior of Hassanbad's Mansion.-7. Sea View, altered from the Opera of the Antiquary.-8. The Harbour of Cyprus. ACT II. I. The Bower of the Fairy Queen, as in Act I.2. A View of the Citadel of Cyprus.-3. Saloon in Prince Cherry's Palace.-4. The Gardens near Prince Cherry's Palace.-5. Sleeping Apartment in the Palace. 6. Distant View of the City by Moonlight-7. The Burning Forest, and Magic Fountain.-8. View of the Snowy Mountains.9. Hall in the Royal Palace of Demetrius, King of Cyprus. Dramatic Review. ́/ "...Good my Lord, will you see the Players well bestowed ?- My Lord, I will use them according to their desert." SHAKSPEARE. No. CCCXXIII. MONDAY, Jan. 26, 1824. 6 Vol. VII. Theatre-Ropal. 1 THE WONDER-Among the merits of Mr. Murray's management during the present season, we much reckon his zealous endeavours to please the public with a pretty rapid succession of the best comedies in the language, if, we except some of the too much neglected productions of Congreve and Farquhar. The exception must also include the Twelfth Night, which used to be performed inimitably well in our Theatre, and which it was the practice to bring out annually until the present season. The play of The Wonder reads well, but acts better. There is certainly no great force of character or sentiment in it, but its stage effect is admirable. The plot is more complicated than most we know of; but the fair authoress has happily managed to unravel all its intricacies to the audience as it proceeds; and the knowledge which they acquire heightens the ridiculousness of the odd blunders and, mal-apropos exits and entrances of the different characters, who are kept completely in the dark as to the real state of matters. Like so many fish caught in a net, they, flounder about, crossing and jostling each other; and their stupid wonderment at the cause only adds to their ludicrous distress. And never was a plot so ingeniously; constructed better freed of its difficulties, or brought to a more felicious conclusion. It is a play, the representation of which always delights; but our delight on Saturday was was mich enhanced by beholding Mrs. Siddons, who acted iolante, again emerging from the shade. of retirement, like he moon from behind a cloud which had veiled it for a she period. This is not meant to be poetical; indeed the me phor is too hacknied for such a Y 3 purpose. We only speak in the spirit of sober truth; for the chaste majesty of the above-named luminary-its mild and spirit-soothing lustre, render it not an unapt image of this accomplished actress. There is in the part of Violante just the proportion of vivacity, playful but not exuberant, that Mrs. Siddons is gifted with: and every one knows with what finely tempered energy she can express, as Violante has to do, a resignation to unmerited wrong, and the feelings of ill-requited love and indig nant virtue. Her performance of the part was exquisite, and without a single speck. The dignity of the lady of rank, and the fondness of the lover, were delightfully blended with the subtleness of the sex, where she endeavoured to coax Don Felix from his design of searching her apartment; nor did we less admire the mournful serenity with which in the different scenes she listened to his reproaches, and the noble firmness with which she retorted them. The scene, however, in which her ability most shines, is the one where, discovering a woman in her lover's apartments, she, in her turn, accuses him of infidelity. The archness, and momentary exultation, half restrained by vexation and fear, were expressed by Mrs. Siddons upon this trying occasion, in the first style of excellence. If we take the performers in the order of their respective merits, we must next bestow our attention upon Mr. Murray's Lissardo. The volatile genius of that gentleman never appeared to higher advantage than in this character. The serio-comical air of affected dignity with which he remarked to Flora, that " a diamond ring was a great addition to a gentleman's little finger," and followed up the remark by chewing the nail of the finger so dignified; the desperate activity with which he tried to escape from the opposite claims made upon his person by Inis and Flora, by alternately protesting love to the one, and imploring the other to silence; and the ludicrous trepidation which he exhibited when threatened with death by his master, produced continued bursts of laughter. If we recollect right, Mr. Murray's stealing across the whole breadth of the stage, to make his escape by de door, at least his style of doing it is an improv ment upon his past performances in this scene. We all that Mr. Calcraft is an unworthy successor of the mortal Garrick in the character of Don Felix; that his reformance of it, when full of life and compared immediately with acting grace |