Monsieur Alexandre (1823)

Compiled by Steven Connor. as part of The Dumbstruck Archive, a continuing, online supplement to Dumbstruck: A Cultural History of Ventriloquism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

Olympic Theatre

On Monday Next, May 12th, 1823 Mons. ALEXANDRE Will (for the FIRST TIME) present the Public with an entirely NEW and ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE, in Three Acts, written expressly for him, and calculated to display his peculiar Powers of VENTRILOQUISM, and other astonishing Conveyances of the Voice, under the Title of NICK and the DEVIL! or, ASMODEUS IN LONDON. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS

Nicholas, an Old Friend, in quest of a new Friend,............................................................... Mons. ALEXANDRE
Asmodeus, a Devil in a Bottle................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Monsieur Lavement, A French Apothecary,..........................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Watchman,..........................................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Hackney, a regular Number Coachman, and a great enemy to Chariots and Cabriolets.............Mr. Ditto.
Chelsea, a Short Stage Coachman, and an enemy to all Stages but his own,............................Mr. Ditto.
Cockney Passenger,}...........................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Dandy Passenger, } to Chelsea.........................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Grumpy Passenger, }..........................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Mr. Fidget, too late for the Stage..........................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Register Office Keeper,........................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Monsieur le Chevalier autre fois cidevant Jobardier &c. &c.,..............................................Mr. Ditto.
His Dog,.............................................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
His Cat,..............................................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Chisleum Plane, a drunken carpenter...................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Donnerblitz, an Ex-Prussian Serjeant....................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Polichinello, a very old acquaintance with a new face............................................................Mr. Ditto.
Alderman Guzzler,..............................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Mr. Boozey,....................................................................................................................,....Mr. Ditto.
Mr. Exquisite,.....................................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.

Drunken Porter, much fonder of the name of his profession than the work attached to it........Mr. Ditto.
Master Byeblow, a roaring boy of one month old.................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Hazard, }.........................................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Drawcard, } connoisseurs at Whist and Bone Soup.............................................................Mr. Ditto.
Nicksey, }..........................................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Hopeless, an Amateur of the above, and rather a sufferer by his attachment............................Mr. Ditto.
Mob, Passengers, Coachmen, &c. &c.,...............................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Mrs. Lavement, the little Wife of the great Apothecary..........................................................Mr. Ditto.
Miss Shortride, a young Lady, Passenger to Chelsea........................................................... Mr. Ditto.
Cicely Homespun,..............................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
A Puppy who follows her,...................................................................................................Mr. Ditto.
A Dog of more consequence, who hates Puppies,................................................................Mr. Ditto.
Ma'amselle Parlevite Parfumeure, of Pattypan Place, Pimlico,............................................Mr. Ditto.
Celestina Christiana Evelina Evergreen, a blooming Maid of fifty-nine...............................Mr. Ditto.
Miss Fanny Freelove, a blooming Maid of nineteen, not at all ambitious of retaining the title,.Mr. Ditto.
Mrs. Caudlecup, a careful Nurse on careful occasions,.......................................................Mr. Ditto.
Ladies at Supper, at Play, in Coaches, and in the Streets,.....................By Messrs. Ditto, Ditto, Ditto.

THE SCENERY AND INCIDENTS

Embodying, and calling the above Characters to action, may be classed as under.

Act I APOTHECARY'S SHOP.
    How to make Physic and how to take it - how to get out of a Row, and how to get into one - how to Raise the Devil, and how to profit by it.
HACKNEY COACH STAND
    How to hire a Coach, and how to be too late for the Stage - how to be honour'd with the title of Father to other Fathers' Children, and how to get rid of it. Act II REGISTER OFFICE FOR HIRING SERVANTS.
    The Devil's in the Office! - Nicholas in the Plot - an old Emigrant Officer in a passion - Puss in Boots, and Dog in a humour to bite - Cicely Homespun in want of a place - a Puppy in a pet - a Carpenter in-ebriate - a French Lady in a hurry - a Prussian Serjeant in a cloud - and Polichinello in a pucker. Act III A STREET IN LONDON.
    Honest Watchmen - Nick and Old Nick.
SUPPER PARLOUR.
    Nothing new - Fly not yet, and all bid good night.
LADY'S BOUDOIR.
    Love made a-la-exquisite - an unwelcome intruder and a narrow escape; or, when Children cry at the door,     Love flies out at the window - a new way to fill an empty box.
GAMESTER'S ROOKERY.
    More Tricks than true men, and more Knaves than honest hearts - Seven's the Main, and Eleven a Nick. PIGEON'S RETREAT.
Or, The Ruin'd Spendthrift's Chamber.
    The Author does a bit of Morality, the Gamester has done a bit of Mischief, and after doing a bit of Reflection, does what he thinks a bit of Justice, but does wrong to the very last.
APOTHECARY'S SHOP AGAIN.
    Rendezvous of Characters - a Bottle full and a Box full - an Explanation - Bon Repos - and Leave moved for the Boxes to be filled again.

The whole of the above will be recited, acted, sung and gesticulated, by

Mons. ALEXANDRE, without any assistance, collusion, confederacy or accompanyment; and having only his own Voice in his favour, he hopes to prove himself most industriously anxious to merit and obtain the VOICE OF THE PUBLIC.

British Library, A Collection of Playbills for the Olympic Theatre For the Years 1822-1845 Playbills 329 (1822-31) f.240

Playbill f.241, advertises the `last week but two' (undated): beginning `Notwithstanding the highly distinguished Patronage which nightly overflows the Theatre, to witness Mons. ALEXANDRE'S new Entertainment of NICK & THE DEVIL! in which he personates 36 Characters and changes 69 times: - the extraordinary Exertion has so much impaired his Health, that he can only have the honour to perform FOUR NIGHTS IN EACH WEEK'

It made it clear, beneath list of characters, that there would also be `Planeing, Sawing, Striking Fire, Making an Omelette, Dogs barking, Cats mewing, &c.' Act II said `To conclude with (BY SPECIAL DESIRE) the celebrated CELLAR SCENE, which shews, in a peculiar manner, the astonishing power of VENTRILOQUISM, and justly ranks Mons. ALEXANDRE the first Artist in the Science.
f.241 f.242

Playbill announcing last four nights, Monday June 30th and Tuesday July 1st 1823, the 29th and 30th nights of Nick and the Devil `Thursday, July 3rd, Mons. ALEXANDRE'S Benefit: On which Occasion he will give a greater Variety of ENTERTAINMENTS than were ever presented on ONE EVENING; and deliver a FAREWELL ADDRESS. And on SATURDAY July 5th, HIS LAST APPEARANCE IN LONDON.' f. 242