The Padlock
Padlock, The,a comic opera by Bickerstaffe , with music by Dibdin , performed with much success in 1768 .
The elderly Don Diego is the temporary guardian of the young Leonora and is about to make her his wife. But, in spite of a large padlock on the door, Leander, a young lover, presents himself during Diego's absence, cajoles the duenna and Mungo, the Negro servant, and gains admission to the lady. Diego returns unexpectedly, but sensibly accepts the situation and handsomely endows Leonora. The story is taken from one of Cervantes 's novels.
The part of Mungo (taken in the original production by Dibdin himself) provided the London stage with its first black-faced comedian, and created a sensation: for a while his lines ‘Mungo here, Mungo dere, Mungo every where’ were a catchphrase. As feeling for the oppressed Negro grew, the role appears to have been played with increasing stress on sentiment.
[The entire page is 159 words long]
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