DOI issue:
October 5, 1889
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17688#0166
October 5, 1889.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 161
FROM THE ADELPHI TO DRURY LANE.
It must be confessed that it is not surprising to find, in one of the
principal scenes of Messrs. Simms and Pettit’s “new” drama, the
Swan of Avon turning his back upon the characters. Certainly the
work of the stock playwrights of the Adelphi on this occasion is
A “ Scene ” in Leicester Square.
scarcely Shakspeare form. In fact London Day by Day (with a title
evidently suggested by a standing column in a popular morning
newspaper) reminds one more of the Family Herald than the Gentle
Bard. Perhaps the piece is none the worse for that—at the Adelphi.
The plot is simple enough. A gentleman called, amongst other
names, De Belleville, imagines that he is the elder brother of the
hero of the piece. But it is unnecessary to pursue this point further,
as it leads to nothing. The hero of the piece gets into the hands of
some unscrupulous money-lenders, and, with the assistance of the
villain, backs an accommodation bill. But it is superfluous _ to
further refer to this matter, as it leads to nothing. The Heroine
No. 1 of the piece, wrongfully accused of a theft, as the holder of a
ticket of leave, neglects to report herself to the police. _ But this
too, is an affair of no great importance, which leads to nothing. The
HeroineNo. 2 of the piece lives in Leicester Square—apparentlybecau.se
she thinks she should, as she has married a Frenchman,—and, having
abused her husband, gets murdered. But, as a matter of fact, the
murder leads to nothing. Then we are introduced to some dear old
Adelphi guests—quite the genuine articles—walking about together
twos and twos, courteously explaining to one another the beauties
Good Old Adelphi Guests behave in the Good Old Fashion.
of the [furniture—in a Bohemian Club, where the hero insults the
villain, and the father of the hero (a General, in complete evening
dress, save the gloves, which are of purple kid) calls the Yillain a liar.
But this, again, is merely a detail, and (as usual) leads to nothing.
Then we are shown a scene depicting life in a police court (nothing in
it), and the exterior of the Docks. In this last cheerful locality all the
characters appear. They seem to be suffering from a weird mania,
which takes the unusual shape of a wild desire to quit their native
land as passengers on board the Bordeaux boat. Then the Yillain is
arrested, and the Hero and Heroine No. 1 plight their troths. Both
events afford great satisfaction to the General in the purple gloves,
who raises his imperial-hued hands to give a benediction. But the
benediction leads to a very pleasant something indeed—the final fall
of the Curtain I Of the acting much may be said in praise—by those
who are pleased with it. For instance, Mr. Alexander will be con-
sidered excellent, no doubt, by those who are weary of the robust
style of Mr. Terriss, and prefer something more delicate. M. Marius
is a most agreeable villain, and Miss Mary Burke as a murdered
woman renders valuable assistance to the management by not moving
a muscle when the stage-carpenters carry her bodily off as a bit of
scenery while changing an interior into an exterior in the neighbour-
hood of Leicester Square. For the rest, it may be hinted that the
false nose of Mr. L. Bignold, as a Hebrew usurer, is not (as
“ W. A.” would put it) “entirely convincing.” Still with all its
many merits—its clever characterisation, its sufficient illustration,
its welcome “ guests”—London Day by Day, is not quite the play to
see Night by Night for many evenings without a certain sense of
weariness.
That The Royal Oak at Drury Lane should have excellent
scenery, capital mise-en-scene, and good acting, goes without saying,
for is not Druriolanus imperator at that admirable temple of the
Drama ? Since the first night the play has been cut to very great
advantage, for it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Perhaps it may he a little above the heads of the Stalls as a historical
drama ; hut if it is, as a natural consequence it should be quite to
the taste of the Dress Circle, Upper Boxes, and Gallery. From a
literary point of view, it is quite worthy of the National Theatre,
and gives a very good notion of the condition of affairs in 1651. The
great scene of the Royal Oak is a magnificent stage picture, and the
excitement of the chace after Charles the Second is effectively
combined with what may be aptly termed the humours of a comic
luncheon-party. The final tableau of Tower Hill is valuable as a
lifelike representation of an execution in the seventeenth century.
As the piece contains all the ingredients of a sensation drama of the
better class, it will be a matter not only of surprise but disappoint-
ment if it does not keep its place in the bills until the time arrives
for clearing the stage for the grand Christmas Pantomime.
“SWEET SPIRIT, HEAR MY PRAYER! ”
John Bull. Stay, Spirit of Light, the most scintillant star
In the glorious Star-spangled Banner—by far,
Stay, Spirit of Light, yet awhile, and convince
Ferranti, and Pender, and Gordon, and Ince,
And other, my own lesser lights, if you may,
That obscurantism—in Lighting—won’t pay.
Edison. Nay, Bull, my well-meaning hut blinkered old ’oss,
You must do that yourself, or put up with the loss.
I have dropped you some tips, you must just make the best of
them;
Time—at your own plodding pace—must he test of them.
I ’ve kindly admitted you still have some “ go,”
But you haven’t yet mastered the big Dynamo.
John\Bull. No, that’s what I fear ; my own knowledge is scanty,
And L can’t decide between you and Ferranti ;
But, if we are licked by Berlin, I must try
To stir up the slugs of the “ London Supply.” _
Edison. Ah ! do so, dear boy ; you are slow to begin,
But when you have once made a start you may win—
Oh ! that wink was quite friendly!—you ask Sir John Pender—
And L wouldn’t tread upon corns that are tender.
The sprite Electricity ’s wide in its action,
Why shouldn’t you use it for lifts and for traction ?
Electrical Bailroads—we’ve thousands of miles
In the States—you ignore, and a Yankee it riles
To travel half-choked in your “ Underground ” Tophet,
Which lasts in defiance of pleasure and profit.
Britons must have a love for discomfort and mull, for
They stick like grim death to dark, choke-damp and sulphur!
John Bull. Then stay, Spirit, stay, tiU my guides are enlightened!
Edison. Great Scott, what a prospect! I feel fairly frightened.
No, no, John, I’m off. You are muddled, no doubt,
By Monopoly, Prejudice, all the old rout
Of obstructives that tangle your pathway like wires,
But putting your foot down is aU it requires.
Au revoir ! I can’t stay any longer this bout,
I am off to invent something else ; and no doubt
By the time I come back with a startler or two,
You’ll have got London lighted. But, hurry up, do !
For I can’t make a"pause in the Progress I love
Till the big British Behemoth chooses to move.
Ta-ta! You can do fairly well, if you try.
For the present, you dear darned Old Country, good-bye!
“Mining Boyalties.”—There’s a Commission at work to look
after these interests at home. Abroad the Ultra Beds constitute
themselves into a Commission for Undermining Boyalties.
FROM THE ADELPHI TO DRURY LANE.
It must be confessed that it is not surprising to find, in one of the
principal scenes of Messrs. Simms and Pettit’s “new” drama, the
Swan of Avon turning his back upon the characters. Certainly the
work of the stock playwrights of the Adelphi on this occasion is
A “ Scene ” in Leicester Square.
scarcely Shakspeare form. In fact London Day by Day (with a title
evidently suggested by a standing column in a popular morning
newspaper) reminds one more of the Family Herald than the Gentle
Bard. Perhaps the piece is none the worse for that—at the Adelphi.
The plot is simple enough. A gentleman called, amongst other
names, De Belleville, imagines that he is the elder brother of the
hero of the piece. But it is unnecessary to pursue this point further,
as it leads to nothing. The hero of the piece gets into the hands of
some unscrupulous money-lenders, and, with the assistance of the
villain, backs an accommodation bill. But it is superfluous _ to
further refer to this matter, as it leads to nothing. The Heroine
No. 1 of the piece, wrongfully accused of a theft, as the holder of a
ticket of leave, neglects to report herself to the police. _ But this
too, is an affair of no great importance, which leads to nothing. The
HeroineNo. 2 of the piece lives in Leicester Square—apparentlybecau.se
she thinks she should, as she has married a Frenchman,—and, having
abused her husband, gets murdered. But, as a matter of fact, the
murder leads to nothing. Then we are introduced to some dear old
Adelphi guests—quite the genuine articles—walking about together
twos and twos, courteously explaining to one another the beauties
Good Old Adelphi Guests behave in the Good Old Fashion.
of the [furniture—in a Bohemian Club, where the hero insults the
villain, and the father of the hero (a General, in complete evening
dress, save the gloves, which are of purple kid) calls the Yillain a liar.
But this, again, is merely a detail, and (as usual) leads to nothing.
Then we are shown a scene depicting life in a police court (nothing in
it), and the exterior of the Docks. In this last cheerful locality all the
characters appear. They seem to be suffering from a weird mania,
which takes the unusual shape of a wild desire to quit their native
land as passengers on board the Bordeaux boat. Then the Yillain is
arrested, and the Hero and Heroine No. 1 plight their troths. Both
events afford great satisfaction to the General in the purple gloves,
who raises his imperial-hued hands to give a benediction. But the
benediction leads to a very pleasant something indeed—the final fall
of the Curtain I Of the acting much may be said in praise—by those
who are pleased with it. For instance, Mr. Alexander will be con-
sidered excellent, no doubt, by those who are weary of the robust
style of Mr. Terriss, and prefer something more delicate. M. Marius
is a most agreeable villain, and Miss Mary Burke as a murdered
woman renders valuable assistance to the management by not moving
a muscle when the stage-carpenters carry her bodily off as a bit of
scenery while changing an interior into an exterior in the neighbour-
hood of Leicester Square. For the rest, it may be hinted that the
false nose of Mr. L. Bignold, as a Hebrew usurer, is not (as
“ W. A.” would put it) “entirely convincing.” Still with all its
many merits—its clever characterisation, its sufficient illustration,
its welcome “ guests”—London Day by Day, is not quite the play to
see Night by Night for many evenings without a certain sense of
weariness.
That The Royal Oak at Drury Lane should have excellent
scenery, capital mise-en-scene, and good acting, goes without saying,
for is not Druriolanus imperator at that admirable temple of the
Drama ? Since the first night the play has been cut to very great
advantage, for it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Perhaps it may he a little above the heads of the Stalls as a historical
drama ; hut if it is, as a natural consequence it should be quite to
the taste of the Dress Circle, Upper Boxes, and Gallery. From a
literary point of view, it is quite worthy of the National Theatre,
and gives a very good notion of the condition of affairs in 1651. The
great scene of the Royal Oak is a magnificent stage picture, and the
excitement of the chace after Charles the Second is effectively
combined with what may be aptly termed the humours of a comic
luncheon-party. The final tableau of Tower Hill is valuable as a
lifelike representation of an execution in the seventeenth century.
As the piece contains all the ingredients of a sensation drama of the
better class, it will be a matter not only of surprise but disappoint-
ment if it does not keep its place in the bills until the time arrives
for clearing the stage for the grand Christmas Pantomime.
“SWEET SPIRIT, HEAR MY PRAYER! ”
John Bull. Stay, Spirit of Light, the most scintillant star
In the glorious Star-spangled Banner—by far,
Stay, Spirit of Light, yet awhile, and convince
Ferranti, and Pender, and Gordon, and Ince,
And other, my own lesser lights, if you may,
That obscurantism—in Lighting—won’t pay.
Edison. Nay, Bull, my well-meaning hut blinkered old ’oss,
You must do that yourself, or put up with the loss.
I have dropped you some tips, you must just make the best of
them;
Time—at your own plodding pace—must he test of them.
I ’ve kindly admitted you still have some “ go,”
But you haven’t yet mastered the big Dynamo.
John\Bull. No, that’s what I fear ; my own knowledge is scanty,
And L can’t decide between you and Ferranti ;
But, if we are licked by Berlin, I must try
To stir up the slugs of the “ London Supply.” _
Edison. Ah ! do so, dear boy ; you are slow to begin,
But when you have once made a start you may win—
Oh ! that wink was quite friendly!—you ask Sir John Pender—
And L wouldn’t tread upon corns that are tender.
The sprite Electricity ’s wide in its action,
Why shouldn’t you use it for lifts and for traction ?
Electrical Bailroads—we’ve thousands of miles
In the States—you ignore, and a Yankee it riles
To travel half-choked in your “ Underground ” Tophet,
Which lasts in defiance of pleasure and profit.
Britons must have a love for discomfort and mull, for
They stick like grim death to dark, choke-damp and sulphur!
John Bull. Then stay, Spirit, stay, tiU my guides are enlightened!
Edison. Great Scott, what a prospect! I feel fairly frightened.
No, no, John, I’m off. You are muddled, no doubt,
By Monopoly, Prejudice, all the old rout
Of obstructives that tangle your pathway like wires,
But putting your foot down is aU it requires.
Au revoir ! I can’t stay any longer this bout,
I am off to invent something else ; and no doubt
By the time I come back with a startler or two,
You’ll have got London lighted. But, hurry up, do !
For I can’t make a"pause in the Progress I love
Till the big British Behemoth chooses to move.
Ta-ta! You can do fairly well, if you try.
For the present, you dear darned Old Country, good-bye!
“Mining Boyalties.”—There’s a Commission at work to look
after these interests at home. Abroad the Ultra Beds constitute
themselves into a Commission for Undermining Boyalties.