| Citation |
PC.772.113
24-31 Oct 1772:1671 (303)
On Wednesday last the theatre in Southwark was opened, by
the American Company, with Kelly's Word to the Wise, and the
Padlock; to a most crouded and brilliant audience--The
Padlock we have, with pleasure, seen many repetitions of the
last season, and Mr. Hallam, in Mungo, was, then, supposed
excellent, but we, now, upon the judgement of gentlemen of
undoubted knowledge and taste in theatrical performances,
pronounce him to be the best Mungo upon the British stage;
the other characters, except Leander, which we verily
believe Mr. Wall does as well as he can, and therefore we
must by no means censure him, are well supported--The comedy
we think is the best acting sermon of morality, we have
heard, and we sincerely congratulate the friends of the
theatre, upon the chastity and purity of our modern
comedies; where vice, if held up to public view at all, is
shewn in so deformed, so ludicrous a light, that to see it,
is sufficient to make us abhor and detest it; and where
virtue appears dignified, by sentiments that do honour to
humanity, and is beheld in every light that can excite our
admiration--This we hope will entirely rescue the theatre,
"the noblest institution the wit of man ever designed, "
from the contempt it has been treated with, by many worthy,
but mistaken, persons, on account of some exuberances, which
the present taste of the age has "altogether reformed" --
when the most virtuous can go to the play-house, without the
least apprehension of having "the blush called up into the
cheek of modesty"--we flatter ourselves that the little
dirty commonplace aspersions, with which the illiberal hand
of ignorance has so frequently larded it, will vanish; and
we are bold enough to say, that the comedies of Kelly,
Cumberland, Colman, Bickerstaff, and many others, abound
with sentiments, examples and characters, worthy our
adoption, attention and imitation. --The performers in the
Word to the Wise are entitled to much praise, for being so
correct, spirited, and characteristic--The ladies, besides
their pleasing figures, were genteel, elegant, and
fashionable, in their deportment--Miss Hallam, in the
sprightly Miss Montagu, was as much a woman of fashion as we
have seen on the stage--But there is one grievance loudly to
be complained of, and which must be remedied--Some ruffians
in the gallery, who so frequently interrupted the
performance, and in the most interesting scenes, deserve the
severest reprehension--they are too despicable to argue
with, otherwise they might be told, that, because they pay
three shillings for their admittance into a public assembly,
they are not, therefore, warranted to commit repeated
outrages, upon that part of the audience who go there really
to see the play, and be instructed and entertained; or to
interrupt the actors who are doing their best to please
them--They might be informed, that, tho' they have un
undoubted right to every species of entertainment, promised
them in the bills, they have not the smallest title to any
thing else, and that if they call for a song, or a prologue,
of which no notice is given in the bills, the actors have an
equal demand upon them for an extraordinary price for a
compliance with their request--which of those vociferous
gentlemen, if a carpenter, mason, or taylor, will do more
work than he bargains for without an adequate compensation?
Are not the players in the same predicament.-But to dismiss
the subject, the directors of the theatre are thus publicly
desired to engage a number of constables, and dispose them
in different parts of the gallery, who upon the smallest
disturbance, for the future, may be authorized, by any
magistrate, and there are always enough in the house, to
apprehend, and carry to the Work-house, such rioters, by
which means, peace will be restored, and a few examples
deter others from the like outrages. I am, Sir, your humble
servant, [signed] Philo-theatricus. Oct. 30, 1772.
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