The National Register. — London, England, 1812-10-11 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. OCT• i 1 ,_ OPENING OF NEW DRURY. Yesterday the doors of this Theatre were placed in a state of blockade at an early hour. Notwithstanding an intima tion bad been given that .every box in the Theatre bad been taken for son:e days, public anxiety was so great that num bers pu , hed f o rward tegardless of all that could be said to re strain them, till at length the guards stationed at the door were obli,e I .to repress the crowd by main force. All the avenues to the 'neat e were crowded to such a degree that it was with the greatest difficulty that coaches could pro— ceed at all. In Russell-street the drivers of several carriages 1 ' who attempted to pass through the crowd were pelted by the 1 populace, as well as tit se who occupied the vehicles they I drove, and we re, n ;ret to.be obliged to add, that several per sons sustained considerable injury from the miysiles used bv the mob. At about half-past five the doors of the pit and galleries were thrown open, when the immense crowd, whi.h b.d been for hours collecting at each, attempted to rush in. The crush was tremendous, and in a moment loud cries of distress burst on the ear from every quarter. • At the pit, the pressure appeared to be particularly great, and the heat was found so oppressive, that it wirs thought necessary to break the wig dows to give tie sufferers air. The outer doors were then shut again fur a short time, and part of the crowd thrown out, among whom pickpockets seemed most active. The eagerness manifested by the public to witness the open ing of this Theatre greatly exceeded that evinced at the first performance at Covent-garden. In one respect those who went to the pit and galleries had an advantage over those who went to the boxes, for having once entered they had no farther difficulty to contend with. This was not the ease with those. who resorted to the boxes. Having pene trated the outer-door, they had then to fight their way to the paying place, and after that it was no easy matter to obtain a seat, Those who had boxes taken were not altogether bet ter accommothted than those who had not thought such a precaution necessary, as the instant a box was opened those who were near the deor endeavoured to burst in, and great ex ertions on the part of the door-keepers were necessary to resist them Those who had places taken in the upper boxes were more generally disappointed than others, as on repairing to their respective boxes, they were told that Mr. DUNN final given elders.for them to be thrown open, to a'l who wanted places waile the boxes below were vigilantly guarded. We know not the cause of this regulation, but to us it appears highly injudicious, as by this the proprietors ate exposed to all the incouvenienees of being summoned before the Court of Uonscieece, not only for the shillings pa i d for places, but the admission money paid. on the presumption that place, so taken, wert!ci be (as others in more favoured situa ti,als Were,) properly fecu cd. On entering the Theatre, those who were fortunate enough to gain places to their liking, manifested their joy at being i i i the house, or out of danger, by shouts of applause a'pd exultatmes. .The appearance of the Theatre was beau nla beyond description, and that of the audience singulat'. lie4ant ; but it , was remarked that not mote than ten or a duzetk females could be discerned in the pit. At ha.f pi , st six the curtain, which reptesents a beautiful an4sc aP" , row fur the first time, and the Corps Prainalivec tame forward to sing, " Cud SaVe the Sing." The first trods were completely lost in the shouts' of -the andience; after , a time. th e tutnalt 4 gratulation dithsidea , and the vfluein clin g wises were distiuctly heart!, •and rapturously ap plauded- The actors wete• whan an encore re c”.ipded. throu:rh the Theatre, and they ad v ced, bat in" ate4l (of 4eivaticts the • isrtheta. tre had jot " l l' tirY • • struck up the truly national air of "Rale Britanuia," whicli was honoured with equal approbation. Mr, ELLISTQN now came fbrward to speak the ardently anticipated* Address. Among the audience, at this tine, it was easy to trace in the countenance of many poets who had sent M contributions of this kind, the anxiety with which they waited the delivery of the first line, which etas to sink them into the -scale of disappointed candidates, or , elevate them to the. Olympic crown. The opening verse. ! " la tile dread iiiilit t i i i., City sow slid siulted," ' drew many a sigh from those who had befie e bete mostsan . - 1 - i guiee in their expections. Mr. ELLISTON spoke the Ad- a dre , s with considei;able abiLity ; •but not with , all the effect: that might have been looked for, as lie was fiequently inter— ruptt•d, and much noise prevailed throug,hout the ThCane... • The Address comMenced will' a tbscriptive allusion to the calamity which laid the lwe Theatte in ruins, reminded the audience that there a SITMONS had first delighted them,. and a(I AttatteK sighed his last adieu. After a compliment -- to Mr. SHERIDAN, as the British Mc-winder, it proceeded to exist ess a hope that the new farm of the muses might lass • found not unwot thy of that patronage with which the former Theatre had been honoured. The Address altogether was a. pleasing level production, but not calculated to give us a very high opinion of the poets of the peseta dry, front ' whose effiarts thit was selected as the best : a proof that either the •bards, or the judges of our time, are but indif— ferent. I . It was reported in the Theatre to be from the pen of Lora BY RON. The play then commenced; but we have no time at pre sent to notice the meths of, the petrol nuts. 'lime scenery ' was beautiful and appropt iate, and the coup fl'a'il striking, and magnificent. The performances were the tragedy of Hamlet, and the farce of The Devil to Pay. Having described the opening of the Theatre, for the • satisfaction of our readers, we add the following particulars respecting its internal construction and arrangements. The stage and all its ingenious appendages, were eon ; sttucted by Mr. LEONARD ))RORY, who has displayed his. abilities to the greatest advantage, and has supplied amidst. means of producing the grandest spectacles. The machinery though, as might be expected, mcst complicated, is most complete; and acts with so much ease, as to give to the i t various changes of scenery, the appeatanee of being the work of magio. The scenes are painteit by Mr. GREENWOOD I and Assistants, w.th a partica'ar deg , ee of excellence and 1 el:Pect. .The armoury in Pam./et is particularly beautiful. The cieling which is ;.•,iinttal to iinitile thit of the dome„ I and the ft out of the boxes, in tredaLions 'rep , e,enting classical: i subjects, arc exquisitely finished by Mr. 1)1x u is. who has also executed the front drop. The two veld antique pillars On each side the stage, with the griffins that support the two I thirty-six-light chandeliers, produce a gaited attic In iliiant effect. The. frieze, though merely' a painting, h;as; all the itiirlozii singee i a d nen ea! thanof ! l is t a l (eventit y . a, r.hyec_e,riiit.re and x t e t s . a l i{ t• :c t i 7 f, girt. nearer t i e t :r e .. r . • iOld Drury. This is occasioued by the breadth of the house. which is more considerable tau its depth, and lenders i'k I particularly well calculated for hew lug and for seeing. The ' pit has only 17 seats, but they extend the whole breadth of the house, the two entfatrers heitig at the back, so that there. - is no occasion for a passage to walk rotted. The orche-tra seems cut out of the pit,-the seats of which ate eontitasted up li both sides ...f it, close 'to the al:eite. The two galiet lea cant '! 1 mend a most excellent view of the stas.e , to which they are by ni any feet hearer than an at Coveart- garden. Tbe two . shiliani; gallery contains ten rows of scat., and the one shil— ling gal:ery si,a i boll' have a lar,se tesliky at the back. • • . • . IT