Blowing up the Pic Nic's, or, Harlequin Quixotte attacking the puppets [graphic]

"Sheridan leads the forces of the professionals against the amateurs of the Pic Nic Society, who are performing on a small, elegant stage, rising (without orchestra) from the boards in the foreground where these enemies advance. He is dressed as Harlequin; the tight chequered dress (slightly torn) accentuates his obesity; an empty purse hangs from his belt; in his left hand is a hat with a tricolour cockade (emblem of Jacobinism). In his right hand he flourishes a large pen whose feather makes wide swirling curves, terminating in firework-stars, and inscribed with the names of newspapers: 'Courier', 'Morning Post', 'Morning Herald', 'Morning Chronicle'. He is masked, to indicate that he has been writing anonymous squibs against the Pic Nics. The swirls of his pen partly obscure a figure of Comedy, meretricious, and half-naked, holding up a mask which decorates the left pilaster of the proscenium. The actors follow in characteristic attitudes. Kemble (as Hamlet) wearing a ribbon, ranting in tragedy, directly behind Sheridan, staggers back with legs astride, both arms raised. On the left is Mrs. Billington, singing as in BMSat 9765, left hand on her breast. Mrs. Siddons (? as Lady Macbeth) clutches a dagger. Behind is the head of Lewis (see BMSat 9915), with a comedian's smile, wearing a cocked hat. Crowds of actors pressing on from behind (left) and in deep shadow, are indicated by arms holding up banners; the chief one with the head of 'Shakespeare', badly torn. Others are 'Otway Rowe'; 'Kotzbue', and 'Schiller', both tricolour (indicating the supposedly revolutionary tendencies of modern German drama, cf. 'The Rovers' in the 'Anti-Jacobin', and BMSat 7054); 'Jonson', 'Congreve', 'Addison'. In the foreground, through splintering boards, the ghost of Garrick rises, a mask in his hand. ..."--British Museum online catalogue