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Dramatic Review.

"...Good, my Lord, will you see the Players well bestowed ?—

My Lord, I will use them according to their desert."

SHAKSPEARE.

No. CCCLXXXVII. FRIDAY APRIL 9, 1824. Vol. VIII.

Theatre-Ropal.

ROB ROY.-We do not know who particularly desired the performance of this play-probably some lady who wishes to see Mr. Calcraft in kilts; but, hating as we do a compliance with particular desire, when general wish ought alone to be consulted, we are far from displeased that Mr. Murray should have exhibited this play last night. Mr. Murray is partial to it, as well he may, we are partial to it, conceiving it to be one of the best of the national dramas; and whenever we raised our voice against its performance, it was when we saw it perfectly hacknied. Our opponents, as well as our friends, must be persuaded, that we are sincerely disposed to support Mr. Murray when he pursues a course which we suppose to be right. We are not such determined egotists, as to suppose, that we are always infallible'; but, conscious of a sincere desire to be rigidly impartial, we have the courage to say, that the thin house of last night did not disagreeably disappoint us. Our readers will not think the worse of us for this candid admission. The thin house convinced us, that the mania for philabegs, and dirks, and bagpipes, was upon the decline; and that the public had come to discover, that the dignity of the nation did not exactly consist in bagpipes, dirks, and philabegs. In point of taste, this was

a great point gained for Scotsmen who think, that the country has more to boast of than customs which denote the barbarity of a very insignificant district of it. We call the district insignificant, for reasons which we might expound at large. But notwithstanding all this, Rob Roy is an excellent drama; and we have been drawn into these remarks, only from a feeling, that its popularity here was owing more to a very vulgar persuasion, that nothing was truly Scotch which was not Celtic, than to any perception of the true excellencies of the drama. It would be absurd to maintain, that those excellencies did not contribute much to the popularity of the piece; but, unquestionably, a vulgar feeling, that the barbaric customs of the Highlands were peculiarly Scottish, and conferred dignity upon Scotland, was the great charm of this national drama. That this was the prevalent feeling cannot be doubted. The performance of this play, so dignified the Highland character, two years ago, that the streets of the city were infested by barbers' clerks, and shoemakers' apprentices in the Highland garb-poor pitiful dwarfs, who would not have been mouthfuls to any one of those carnivorous animals whom modern courtesy has designated Highland chieftains. Fashion gets out of fashion, by descending to the lowest of the low; and what chairmen and porters could not achieve, has been achieved by shoemakers' apprentices. We presume, that the abominable prejudice in favour of kilts has got out of date; and this circumstance reconciles us to the thin house of last night, though the play is one which, when sparingly exhibited, ought to draw a great house. Every person knows Mackay's Baillie Nicol Jarvie: it is undoubtedly a great performance; and, to heighten this compliment, we would beg leave to say, that, however highly the public think of it, we would not have the least hesitation to run the performance down, did it deserve it. Mackay's fame is inseparably connected with his Baillie Nicol Jarvie and Caleb Balderston. The Rashleigh Osbaldiston of Mr. Pritchard, was really good. Byng's Francis was horrible to contemplate. Mason's Mr. Owen was exceedingly good; and so was Mr. Murray's Major Galbraith. Mrs. Renaud's Helen Macgregor, is allowed by all-and we think most justly-to be a first-rate performance. Miss Halford's Diana Vernon we were prepared to say something upon; but, since we are sure there ean be only one opinion upon the subject, we wish to ohserve a dignified silence.

THE LADY AND THE DEVIL. We saw enough of The Lady as to inspire us with the wish that she were at the devil.

The very excellent play of The Pirate is to be performed to night again. We hope that the public will show their good taste by patronising it. For ourselves, we say, there is not a national drama which has pleased us better; and the performance of it certainly is more perfect more excellent than that of any other drama performed in our theatre. The manager has certainly taken great pains to bring it out respectably; and we regret much that his exertions have not been better remunerated.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Veritas is an uncommon blockhead; and we should wish much to measure the diameter of his skull. Until he sends us an exact account of its dimensions, regularly certified, we hold ourselves bound to take no notice of him.

In answer to Juvenis, we must say, as we have said to many others, that he must authenticate his statement before we can take any notice of it. Mr. Murray can have no interest in perpetuating abuses; and, though in some instances, he has shown an official consequence of no use to himself, but rather injurious, we are of opinion, that Mr. Murray, upon a proper representation being made to him, would put the matter right.

A Female Friend is quite annoying. Our gallantry has its limits; and she may stab, hang, or shoot herself, according to the most approved models, for any thing we care: They that will to Coupar, maun to Coupar.'

66

Vesper is facetious. We allow that Miss Halford is the most intolerable actress that ever performed upon our boards; but, we think, she is a much worse singer. We cannot understand her singing; but feel that it is execrable.

PUBLISHED DAILY, BY J. L. HUIE, INFIRMARY STREET;
AND SOLD BY W. HUNTER, 23, HANOVER STREET;
AND J. & P. WATT, LEITH.

This evening will be performed, the New Melo-Dramatic Play, entitled THE PIRATE.

Magnus Troill, the Udaller of Burgh Westra,

Basil Mertoun,

Mordaunt Mertoun, his Son,

Claud Halere,

The Provost of Kirkwall,

The Town Clerk,

Captain Weatherport of the Halcyon Frigate,

Nick Stumpfer, the Dwarf,

Eldest Baillie,

Town Treasurer,

Town Councillor,

Mr. Lynch

Mr. Faulkner
Mr. Pritchard
Mr. Mason
Mr. Duff,

Mr. McGregor
Mr. Wynn
Master Stanley,
Mr. Smith
Mr. Rae

Mr. J. Stanley

Mr. Triptolemus Yellowlees, Factor to the Lord 50 5

Chamberlain of Orkney,

Bryce Snailsfoot, the Jagger,

The Pirates.

Cleveland, Captain of the Rovers,

Bunce, his Lieutenant,

Mr. Denham
Mr. Mackay

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Lasses,

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Mr. Miller

Mr. Hillyard
Mr. Power

Mrs. H. Siddons

Miss Halford

Mrs. Nicol,

Mrs. Eyre
Miss J. Nicol

Mrs. Brough, &c.

Norna of the Fitful Head, Reimkennar of Zetland, Mrs. Renaud After which will be performed, the Melo-Dramatic Fairy Tale, of CHERRY AND FAIR-STAR.

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Topac, his slave,

Sanguinbeck, Captain of a Galley,

Mr. Hillyar

Mr. Wynn

Mr. Rae

Mr. Aikin

Mr. Power

Mr. J. Stanley

Mr. Miller

Mr. Mason

Mr. Pritchard

Mr. Murray

Guardian Fiends of the Burning Forest, Messrs M'Gregor, &c.

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Dramatic Review.

...Good, my Lord, will you see the Players well bestowed ?-

My Lord, I will use them according to their desert."

SHAKSPEARE.

No.CCCLXXXVIII. SATURDAY APRIL 10,1824. Vol. VIII.

Theatre-Ropal.

THE PIRATE We are glad to find this play is increasing in popularity; and we doubt not, that in time, it will come to rank along with Rob Roy, and other national dramas of acknowledged merit. The solid gravity of Denham's Triptolemus Yellowlees, combined with his childish vulgarity, is irresistibly laughable. His very appearance upon the shelty, with his head cautiously fortified against the northern blast, is quite sufficient to purge the brain of alls melancholy vapours, and stock it with ideas of the strangely ludicrous. We are led to wonder by what singular machinery so unlocomative, ruminating an animal as Triptolemus, was transported from the main land on shipboard; how he bore the distresses of a sea-voyage-whether, like the fair nuns in Marmion, he sat apart, mutely wondering at the agility of the sea-mew, and the unwieldy rolling of the porpoise, or lay groaning and dis-consolaterina hammock; and what were his sensations upon landing in Shetland. We see him advancing into the country, like an ox goaded to new pastures, restless and uncertain as to his destiny; and, sitting at the fireside, studying the economy of salted geese, "and such like vegetables." Denham, in short, attaches so much comic importance to the character, that every thing he does, or may have done, becomes exceedingly interesting. We can do no more than repeat our high admiration of Mason's Claud Halcro, Murray's Bunce, and Master Stanley's Nick Stumpfer. The extraordinary capacity of this boy causes us involuntarily to think and speak of him as an adult, experienced performer, rather than as Ga phenomenon, which he unquestionably is... Mackay's 02 Bryce Snails foot is a highly creditable performance; and that we do not esteem it more highly, is, because there is no avoiding a reference of it to that standard of excellence in Scotch characters, which Mackay himself has established. We are by no means certain, that any other performer could act it better; and sure we are, that had Mackay never appeared in Bailie Jarvie or Caleb Balder it would have been deemed a rather invaluab’

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