: THE DRAMA. THEATRICAL JOURNAL. DRURY-LANE. APRIL 21. The Will-Scotch Ghoft-Humourist. 22. Ditto-Who's the Dupe. 24. Ditto-Scotch Ghoft-Catherine and Petruchio. 25. Ditto-Richard Coeur de Lion. 26. Ditto-Scotch Ghoft-The Apprentice. 27. Ditto-The First Floor. 28. (For the Benefit of Mr. Palmer) The Queen of Carthage-Spoil'd Child-and (first time) My Night Gown and Slippers; which could not accommodate the audience even for a fingle night. 29. The Will-Lodoifka. MAY 1. (For the Benefit of Mrs. Siddons) Fatal Curiofity-Wedding Day-Deuce is in Him. The "Fatal Curiofity" is an old play, by Lillo, author of "George Barnwell," revived at the defire of Mrs. Siddons. There is certainly a fatality in this. piece; for, notwithstanding the exertions of a Siddons, it had not the fate to please. MAY 2. The Will-Catherine and Petruchio. 3. Hamlet-Scotch Ghoft-My Grandmó ther. 4. The Will-Ditto-No Song No Supper. 5. Ditto-Ditto-Humourist. 6. The Purse-Fatal Curiosity-The Pannel, Pp2 MAY MAY 8. (For the Benefit of Mr. Bannifter, jun.) The Laft of the Family-Sylvefter Daggerwood-The Children in the Wood. "The Laft of the Family" is not merely a benefit piece; its author had fomething further in view: he has introduced much humour, and fome fentiment, and successfully ridicules prefent modes. The plot turns on the hackneyed fubject of an orphan discover. ing its own family, after forming a matrimonial alliance with the heir of another. If this does not come out well, nor the end develope itself naturally, in "The Laft of the Family," we must attribute it to the want of clearness which confounds its author with the generality of modern dramatifts; an error they will be ever liable to, who will not write a play before the characters are filled up. Thus, we have fcenes without end, which contribute nothing to the denouement; a defect which generally characterizes the productions of Mr. Cumberland, who, we fince understand, is the author of the prefent comedy. Sir John and Lady Manfred have a daughter, named Lætitia, under age, and an inmate (Peregrine) who, it feems, was brought up from infancy under the care of Sir John, and is at prefent a kind of amanuenfis, or fteward to him. Lady Manfred, like too many of dif tinction, has powers for governing, and fhares with her hufband the controul of home-affairs; the conceives fomething tender for Peregrine, who is a fentimental young man, and writes verfes for Mifs Manfred, but is, notwithstanding, courted by the mother. Prelimina ries for a treaty of marriage having been under confideration between the father of Lætitia, and Sir Abel ap Origin, for his fon, 'Squire Abel, the latter are introduced at the moment of making overtures to the young lady; but the 'Squire poffeffes too much native goodness to accede to a propofal which he has heard would prevent the happiness of a worthy man. He rejects rejects it, with observing, “Should not I be a villain and a scoundrel to mar the profpects of another, merely because my gold may outweigh his merit ?"-However, fatherly authority over-rules this unusual objection, and the young man is brought to fee the young lady, with a refolution not to take her hand fhould her heart be engaged. In the meantime, apprifed of Sir John's intentions, Lætitia urges Peregrine to a declaration, but while making profeffion of the most unalterable attachment, on his knees, he is difcovered and overheard by Lady Manfred. This occafions his discharge.-'Squire Abel, upon an interview with Lætitia, informed of her love towards Peregrine, and his confequent difgrace, not only refigns all pretenfions to her hand, but leaves a card, inviting the fugitive to the house of his friend Tympany, a rich haberdasher, retired from business. Here the fcenes multiply: Lætitia affects a derangement of intellect, to induce her father to recal her lover: Tympany perfonates a mad doctor, in no very probable manner; and after some other expletive scenes, the ftory goes on. A picture faftened about the neck of the infant Peregrine, upon his being refcued from a fhipwreck, in which his parents perished on the coaft of America, difcovers him to be the fon of Mr. Manfred, brother to Sir John; and as this circumstance will render the alliance defirable, to forward the Baronet's fondeft wish, (the prefervation of the family name) it accelerates the ufual termination of modern drama-the marriage of the happy pair. After what we have faid above, it will be neceffary only to add of the characters, that they were strongly drawn, and well fupported. If inftruction be the first requifite of comedy, agrément is furely the second: and we have the fatisfaction to obferve, that our author is fuccefsful in both. The performers added to their accustomed correctnefs, a juft conception of the author's meaning. Ban Pp3 nifter nister was made for Abel ap Origen (we hope the character was not made for the actor); Suett, like the tail of a comet, followed his old coadjutor in Tympany, an almoft fuperfluous character. We did not difcern thefe gentlemen interlarding those roles with their own extemporaneous wit, as ufual; probably, the attention neceffary to a new performance prevented the introduction, for a fhort time, of this impertinent fuperfluity-but we do not expect a continuance of this demeanor:who can hope for the felf-correction of folly! Of Mrs. Jordan, we can fay, fhe acquitted herself as became a veteran actress. Dowton improves; the ap. proaching vacation will give him leifure; and it will be his own fault if application does not perfectionate his natural conception of stage-propriety. MAY 9. Grecian Daughter-Wedding Day. 10. The Laft of the Family-Silvester Dagger- 11. Ditto-Prize. 12. (For the Benefit of Mifs Pope) As You Like 13. Laft of the Family-Fairy Feftival. "The Fairy Festival," produced on this evening, in honour of the intended union between the Prince of Wirtemberg and our Princess Royal, has more claims to attention than is ufual with these honorary compliments. The mufic, by Atwood, was generally pleasing, and fometimes affecting: the scenery interefting and beautiful. Of the performance we would fay a little more. Mrs. Jordan is a neat little creature, and a pretty kind of a finger; yet fhe does not become the character of a fairy. Her Shakes were diffonant-and applauded; her air, on applying her wand to the enchantment, was enchanting and unnoticed!! On the whole, though, a magical little creature, fhe was, when compared with her attendants-too large for this magical exhibition. The The fame thoughts may be applied to Mrs. Bland, another of these fairies. The happiest part of this fpectacle was the fairy dance, performed by about twenty little innocents, arrayed with the most charming fimplicity. The illufion was highly poetical; and they merited the denomination of Fays. As to the tiptoe imitations of the Opera-Houfe, which interrupted the gambols of the fairies, we must say, that we did not relish them. A friend has complained of the length of our laft GOSSIPINIA: if we had known that we fhould fo foon have needed an article there inferted, we would have retained it for the present opportunity. But our readers will look back to the SPARTAN BON MOT, and estimate these goose-like evolutions. MAY 15. Child of Nature-Fairy Festival-Wandering Jew. The first act of "The Wandering Jew" promised much; but at the commencement of the fecond act, our expectations were woefully disappointed by the precipitate languor of two or three fucceffive fcenes. The fee-faw difcovery of difguifed lovers was fo illmanaged, as abfolutely to difguft the gentry aboveftairs; we ourselves often reverted to the firft fcenes as an apology for the latter-but it was the retrospect of a cone, over which we had travelled from the bafe. To fay fome scenes were remarkably outré, would not be fufficient; many were moft prepofterously improper.. If this is meant as a fatire on novel-writers, and the admirers of that kind of fiction, the leffon is not given in a way that is likely to check the encreafe of an error, which, as it originates in affectation, and has gained ground from falfe tafte, is rendered permanent by habit, and therefore ought to be treated with a rigour unpractifed on the lighter foibles of the understanding. Ridicule drives Folly from her feat, after more serious affailants have retired discomfited from before her; and we would stir up every intermediate ally, between the |