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MR. YATES'S INVITATIONS.

Dec. 9 1862

Never, perhaps, did two “entertainers” come before the public with stronger à priori recommendations than Mr. Edmund Yates and Mr. Harold Power. The former is son of one of the most popular comedians of a day in which first-rate artists were by no means scarce; and Mr. Harold Power is son of the famous Irish actor, Tyrone Power, whose loss in the ill-fated President, some twenty years ago, was one of the severest the British stage ever sustained. If these two gentlemen inherited the talents of their renowned sires we should have preferred seeing them exhibiting on a larger and more capable arena than the Egyptian Hall—on the stage, in short, where freer and broader scope would be given them. But we must be satisfied at present with the kind of amusement presented us and the sphere of action which they have selected for their earliest efforts before the public. Mr. Edmund Yates is well known as a literary gentleman of considerable acquirements. Mr. Harold Power is unknown beyond private circles, although we believe his histrionic abilities have been tested somewhere out of his own country. Sufficient was known of both gentlemen, nevertheless, to invest the new entertainment with the liveliest interest and curiosity, and Albert Smith himself in the heyday of “Mont Blanc” or “Constantinople,” never perhaps attracted a more crowded and eager audience than that assembled last night at the Egyptian Hall to welcome the two debutants, and cheer them on in their new field of labour. That entertainments monological, duological, and triological, are more than ever popular, it would be useless to deny. Albert Smith supplied them with a new stimulus, which has been kept alive ever since with unflagging spirit by Mr. Woodin, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Matthews, and Mr. and Mrs. German Reed. In fact, these entertainments have resolved themselves into a fashion and a necessity, and Messrs. Yates and Power have only added a new unit to the number.

The “card of invitation” issued by Mr. Yates in the form of advertisements, has been perused by universal London, and its whimsicality and novelty must have stimulated curiosity in no small degree. No doubt, unusual mirth was anticipated last night, and everybody was on the alert for all sorts of fun, puns, jokes, hits, strokes of satire, exaggerations, and absurdities. This is the very age of caricature, therefore the introduction of exaggerations and absurdities was but a concession to the prevailing taste.

The new entertainment is divided into two parts, as usual. The first is devoted to “The Evening Party.” Mr. Yates is awaiting his guests in the drawing-room, when Mr. Harold Power arrives. Precise nature of the entertainment discussed. Several distinguished musical amateurs exhibited, orally and pictorially, among whom Dr. Dobell Dee, Baron Yodel, and Mr. De Tweedle. Their vocal efforts. Effects thereof. Arrives Dr. Goodrych. His success—and interruption. Jack Bagot, the buffo singer and funny man, sings his song of “London Society.” A “Regular Evening Party” analysed, and a variety of characters introduced. Part I. concludes with a ferocious description of the fashionable social complaint “garrotting,” illustrated by a musical account of the London Bandits.

Mr. Yates and Mr. Power divide the descriptions between them, the former having the largest share of the discourse, which is counterbalanced by the latter “doing” all the music. The entertainment is capitally written—almost too well, indeed, since the good things come tumbling so thick upon each other that many of them are necessarily lost in the laughter and applause of the audience. Mr. Yates—exceedingly nervous at first, but sufficiently self-possessed when the warmest encouragement met him from all sides—has an excellent delivery and clear articulation, while his humour is sententious and solemn, but not the less telling on that account, as it stands out in vivid contrast with Mr. Power's manner and style, which are light, airy, and effervescent. Mr. Yates, in short, is good old port and Mr. Power sparkling champagne. Mr. Yates carried off all the applause at first, but Mr. Power came up with a wet sail in his imitations, and fairly drew down the house. So have we read in accounts of many battles of the light infantry coming up in the heat of the fight and for awhile carrying away the honours from the dragoons. Mr. Yates, however, came again and wrested the laurels from his coadjutor, and so they continue in friendly rivalry, knocking each other on the head throughout the entire entertainment. We must state here that Mr. Power's imitations of certain actors—Buckstone, Paul Bidford, Webster, and Charles Kean—were among the best we ever heard, and that his singing was capital, showing that a tolerable voice and a very correct ear have not been thrown away upon him. His singing of the “London Society”—a merry and neatly turned round of verses— the “London Bandits,” and, still better, a German lied in his falsetto voice, supposed to be warbled by a young lady by moonlight, were all received with shouts of applause.

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In the second part we are taken to a fashionable watering-place, and a very amusing account is given in turns by the two gentlemen of the various phases and attractions of life by the sea side. We can say no more at present than that the second part was fully as comical and exciting as the first, and that the curtain descended upon one of the most genuine successes we ever witnessed. Not that we think all has been achieved which will be achieved; on the contrary, after a few nights' repetition the entertainment, we have no doubt, will go many times better; and we feel confident that a very long and prosperous run is in store for “Mr. Edmund Yates's Invitations.”