Transcription
INTELLIGENCE FROM THE ROYAL GROVE,
WESTMINSTER BRIDGE.—Last night new Pantomime made its appearance at Astley’s, called The Rival Sorcerers, or Harlequin Vanquisher;--the scenes were all new, and perhaps the best of the kind ever exhibited; a greater number we never beheld in any one Pantomime, and we can safely say, which gave the greatest satisfaction. A scene of rocks and ruins, seemingly divided into three parts—here Harlequin and Columbine are closely pursued by the old man; at this moment one part of the rock changes to a triumphal car, in which are seated Harlequin and Columbine, drawn by lions in full career. An second part of the rock changes to a drove of bullocks—and a third part to an ungovernable ass. The old man appears mounted on the ass, vigorously maintaining his seat, while the drove of bullocks are tossing the clown, which terrifies the ass; and the whole being on a gallop forms perhaps one of the most pleasing and and [sic] comic scenes that ever appeared at any theatre. For this outrage, Harlequin meets his disaster in turn; for being seated with Columbine at the door of an inn, in the height of glee, the old man and Clown arrive with a Magician in their interest, who changes the cot into the banks of a fiery lake where Columbine is seized by Daemons, and Harlequin by Faeries. The second Sorcerer and his party arriving, and seeing the precarious situation of Harlequin, gives battle to the rival Sorcerer and hi party, during which Columbine is seized and taken down to the infernal regions, but is immediately released by the Sorcerer (her friend) and restored to Harlequin. During the combat on the fiery banks, dragons and other animals join in the conflict, pouring out torrents of fire. This scene produces a wonderful coup de theatre; so much so, that if proves the inventor (said to be Young Astley) not only a great mechanic, but a complete master of stage effect.—We could no ice a third scene,a [sic] Farm Yard, which changes into a most noble and grand procession of the sea gods, &c. in fact, the whole interior of the sea and its inhabitants were exhibited in a manner entirely new, and seemed to make a very striking impression upon the spectators:--this change is doe the amusement of Columbine; and a second, for the same purpose, represents a most magnificent palace and garden.—In short, the Pantomime has a great delivery of scenery, machinery, and characters, which we could not follow, on account of the changes being so quick, and the whole must have been attended with a very considerable expense: it was well received, and not undeservedly; the business is whimsical, and Young Astley could not have hit on a better title to have displayed the scenery, machinery, and music, than that of The Rival Sorcerers, or Harlequin Vanquisher.
