Punch: Punch (81.1881)

288

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[December 17, 1881.

MUCH PLOT AND LITTLE PASSION.

Plot and Passion was written by Toji Tayloe to suit the pecu-
liarities of a certain company—present company at the Haymarket
excepted, of course—and to afford scope for the display of Robson's
eccentric genius which shone on the border-land 'twixt tragedy
and comedy, and which, being neither the one nor the other, was,
in reality, the very quintessence of unconscious burlesque. He was
perpetually taking his audience by surprise, always startling but
never disappointing their expectation, for the simple reason that
they never knew what next to expect.

The character of Maximilian—-we had very nearly written Mac-
Jiillan", and confused him with the publisher—of Maximilian
Desmarets (pronounced De Marry or Pie Blurry, so that had Mrs.
Ramsbotham been describing him she might easily have fallen into
the mistake of supposing him to have been connected with the pub-
lishing interest, "because his name was Macaiillan de Mebbay "),
was doubtless written expressly for Robson, and, therefore, as one
of that actor's " creations " carries with it a Robsonian tradition by
which it is almost impossible for an Actor not to feel himself fettered.
By the way, the expression "created" in such a case as this of
Desmarets can only be truly applied to the combined efforts of both
Author and Actor ; for the practical dramatist's work is incomplete
without the Actor who animates the portrait, and who, by trans-
ferring it from the manuscript to the stage, places it a living,
breathing, speaking person before a mixed audience, many of whom
may be unable to read, but all capable of hearing, seeing, and
judging for themselves.

A modern-comedy-company, such as exists now at the Haymarket,
taking up a play like Plot and Passion, must necessarily use all
their intelligence to re-create,—as their public go to them for intel-

How Act II. ought to end ; or, sudden apparition of Fouche Fou chez Lui !

lectual re-creation. But the Haymarket company is hampered by
the Robertsonian tradition, which includes everything that is neat
and nice in acting, strict attention to detail, and a disposition to
underdo rather than to overdo every impersonation. The Art is
perfect of its kind, but it mainly contributed to the failure of the
Merchant of Venice, weakened Diplomacy, and did not tend to add
to " the strength of the Company in other skilful English adapta-
tions of French plays, which however achieved great success in spite
of this " tradition."

That Mr. Abthtjb Cecil, if freed alike from Ptobsonian and
Robertsonian fetters could have created a Desmarets for himself as
remarkable for its finish, as the original was for its broad and
powerful effects, Ave have not the smallest doubt; but that he has
not done so we can conscientiously affirm, as he has only succeeded
in producing a Desmarets who is, in appearance and ordinary
manner, something between Penn the Quaker, and a chastened Paul
Pry. When the plot of the piece calls upon him for passion, he
only shows us what Paul Pry might possibly have done, had he
been called upon at short notice to give an imitation of some dis-
tinguished stagey tragedian in a popular melodrama.

Mr. Bancboft as Fouche in the disguise of an abbe—"Yet he is
not abbe ! "—reminds us forcibly of Leech's picture of a very tall
Oratorian in full costume—one of the Brompton Brothers—being
received by the frightened Buttons at the door with, "Oh, please'm,
here's Bogie!" Bogie Fouche is always supposed to be hiding
somewhere or other : and as the secret door which he mostly affects

ceoet adorns the tale, or rather the tail (a black one of considerable
length) adorns him.

When in that charming scene of the Second Act, painted by either
Mr. Johnstone, Mr. Habfobd, or Maey Hann—no, Walteb Hann
—we saw a gigantic sarcophagus on the left hand, we made up our

Flop and Passion.

minds that that sly dog Fouche was hidden away in it somehow,
was overhearing all their plots, and would at the end appear when
least expected, and frighten Paul-Penn-Pry-Macmillan de Murray
into fits.

However, the end of the Act arrived, the Sarcophagus lid wasn't
opened, and the Long-expected Bogie did not appear. A great
mistake : the piece should have been re-constructed for this effect,
and the Lime-light turned on.

Mr. Pinebo is capital as the niminy-piminy fool, though perhaps
a trifle exaggerated ; Mr. Conwat looks perfect as the impulsive
young Keyhole,—no, no, Creole, which rhymes to Key'ole, and on
constant repetition sounds remarkably like it—through whom every-
one sees ; but he is hard and unsympathetic, though not more so
than the lady with whom he is in love, Marie de Fontanges, as repre-
sented by Miss Ada Cavendish, who is as irritatingly disappointing
as a horse that rushes and then refuses, for
she works up to a point within measurable
distance of an effect, stops short, and—
does nothing. Whether it is from her
American experience, or not, we cannot say;
but the " Mems " by which Miss Cavendish
seems to regulate her dramatic actions seem
to be—First, Position is nine points of the
play ; Secondly, When in doubt, flop.

A Lesson is not Lolotte, any more than
Mrs. Banceoet's "Miss Kate Reeve" is
the "Low Lot" as represented by Mdme.
Celine Chadmont, a character perfectly
impossible on the English stage, with an
English public which brings its young
daughters to the theatre, as the Parisian
public do not and cannot do _ to most
theatres in Paris. Young Parisian ladies
are not taken to see such pieces as Lolotte,
Divorcons, and so forth; but our English
young ladies can take no harm, and will
probably derive much amusement, from see-
ing Mrs. Bancboft giving Lady Duncan a AJLittle 'un giving a
lesson in acting. By the way, will Mrs. Less'mi.
Bancboft be a Lady Professor at the New . g

Dramatic School which is to be started—as soon as it is ready ?
Mr. C. Beookeield, as Sir Thomas, is admirable.

the two aesthetic poets.

When Mobeis thought his Oscae looking glum,
He wept and mourned, and was Dado dumb.

how he settled it.

"Ladies complain "—began an elderly match-making Mother to
an unconfirmed Bachelor. "They've no right to come plain," inter-
-.......- ~ • : 1 ' So he

in this piece is only about four feet high, Fouche has to stoop con- rupted one Mister Wagstaffe; "they should come pretty,
siderably every time he condescends to secrete himself,—a bit of gave a Bachelor's Bail and a Lass-hopper's feast, and there was no
stage-business evidently intended to point a moral while Mr. Ban- | further complaining. _

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