The National Register. — London, England, 1809-09-24 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ~ ~t~' . COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE. On Monday night, this Theatre, the first stone of which was formally laid in December, was opened to the public with the tragedy of Macbeth, but under circumstances which made it impossible to hear a syllable that was uttered.— The exaction of 7s. to the boxes instead of 6s. and of 4s. k the pit instead of 3s. 6d. raised an universal clamour, amd the tumult was excessive. We cannot, therefore, 4ttempt to give any description of the _performance, or to render any account of the adaption of the Theatre to dramr.tic re presentations. The eye is struck with the uniformity of the audience part of the House ; and we should think that from the reg. - tiler form of the area the voice will be dis tinctly heard; but we mnst wait for a more favourable occa sion to form an adequate judgment. We lament to see that all the interior staircases have the fault which was so sensi bly ....at in Drury-lane. They arc up and down. The only good staircase is that of the approach from Bow-street. — It was an incessant uproar. The overflow was prodi gious; and before six o'clock the avenues were to tally blocked up by.aulfitudes, who were told by the door keepers that every place was tilled, and that it was vain to attempt to pay the money merely to press into the lobbies. .The :performance went on amidst. the uproar. All &- tempts to be heard were fruitless - . At times the voice of the once irrisistible Siddons was feebly heard ; and her fine • features, over which time has not exercised his tyranny, ' were seen to possess their usual expression. Mr. Kemble strove, in vain, to deliver a very dull and inanimate Ad slress, which we this day give to our readers. And even two or three respectable Ma g istrates actors, turned and came .forward on the stage with the Riot Act in their hands, as if it had been a dramatic piece trot up for the occasion! But the spectators indulged themse lves b only in noise—they were guilty of no violence ; but for hours after the curtain dropt they continued in the house, calling in vain on the Mains tors to announce their return to the old prices. The concession of. public discontent which we have Toiticqd :it this Theatre, .was, on Tuesday and Wed nesday night, still lender and more general. It seem ed to be the proceeding of a well-disciplined and well combined corps, acting under. judicious . and resolute leaders. Every one appeared to understand the justice of the cause for which he struggled, and the means by which it was to be attained. Indisputably, the right which an audience have to applaud at any theatre., its upon the same principle with that which they have censure„ and the exercise of the former can be of little -value, if they are refused the exercise of the latter. Jus 4ice and custom, however, decide against that refusal, anti the audience, aware of that, carried the privilege of censure to the utmost extent. The rising of the .eurtain was the signal . for the commencement of their f operations. Hissiags, whistles, and cat-calls, as usual, rein „forced by trumpets and bugle-horns, immediately pro ,.-elairaed their purpose, and rendered the performance to tally inaudible. The performers, however, did not ap pear to feel, in . the slightest degree, " disconcerted or of - fended, but rather, indeed, relieved; as there was no neces sity for speaking, Occasionally different persons among the . audience addressed them, with an assurance that there was no intention to offer them any offence ; and this we .were happy to hear, particularly with respect to the ,Ladies, - some of whom, upon their entrance, exhibited signs of timidity. So little did the performers feel it ne cessary to attend to dialogue, or ordinary forms, that the whole of the performance, both play and farce, bad terminated by half past nine o'clock. Every box on the first and second tier, presented placards of " Oid Prices;" " Opposition—persevere and you may succeed ;" "John Bull against John Kemple;" No fo relgaers to tax ;we have taxes enough already ;" &c. Soon after the farce concluded, Mr. Kemble, in - conse quence of reiterated calls for the Manager, made his ap- SEPT. 24. pearance upon the stage, and, after some uproar, obtained a helring. He 'said that he came forward to assure the audience of the anxious solicitude of the pr.iprictort; to ac commodate themselves to their wishes, which declaration was received with applause ; but when he added the fol lowing sentence—" Ladies and Gentlemen, I wait here to know what you want," the hissing was universal, mixed with cries of " What ridiculous and insulting alkctation The house, indeed, became quite indignant, and Mr..Kem ble felt it convenient to retire. A gentleman then address. ed the audience from the lower boxes, whoso.naine we un derstand to be Leigh. His speech was - saluted at every. sentence by acclama tions of applause, unalloyed by a single hiss, and this cir cumstance, by the bye, furnishes a tolerably conclusive proof as to the general feeling- 6 of the audience. • Alter some interval the audience way agAin addressed by Mr. Smyth, the barrister, who by a few impressive obser vations, succeeded in obtaining their unanimous promise, that if Mr. Kemble were to come forivai-d, told the cause of their discontent, that gentleman should be atten tively heard. Mr. Smyth, thererore, requested a gentle man ,in the manag - er's box to communicate this to Mr. Kesuble, who accordingly came forward and spoke to the following effect LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—I wait upon you to know your wishes. Our wishes, said Mr. Leigh, I shall tell you in three words -44 TAB OLD PRICES." LADIES AND GE: NTLEM EN.---4 feel most gratefully impressEd by the attention with which you now lionotir me.—The propos ed advance in the price of admission to the boxes and the pit, is, if I am not mistaken, the cause of your objections (" What af fectation, you know it is," exclaimed several voices) You have been told that the former prices were quite suflcient, were amply abundant to remunerate our expellees, to reward our exertions; but I beg you to raect that the price of admission to the pit was 38. so far back as the reign of Queen Anne [hisses and some applause.] Tne galleries were the same rate then that they are now, and in these we do not propose any advance. For a century back there has been no advance in those rates of admission, although every article we had to purchase was ad vancing in price, and although, I can assure you, that for the last ten years, the Proprietors of this theatre have not divided six per cent. upon their capital.—l beg you, Ladies and Gen tlemen, to take this circumstance into your consideration, and to combine with it the known precariousness of this description of property, the expences to which we are daily exposed—the ha zardous speculations in which we are obliged . to engage—the certain loss to which we are sukjected by the ruin of a single play—(Hisses and applauses). It .was said by a Gentleman, J. understand, last night, that no part of the propo,ed advance would ever go into the pockets of the Performers, and that if it did, you would not be so disposed to complain. I can assure that Gentleman, that he is mistaken in his view of the subjec for, in point of fact, the Performers are, and will be, materia. bonetitted by this advance, and they are ready to come forw' in a body to testify it. To benefit them, indeed--to encour talent, by securing it an adr-ouate reward--to promote the terest of our profession—to provide suitable performers and fortnances for your entertainment, was the pi incipal mo which suggested the propriety of this small advance—( AL and applaans).—W hen you. Ladies ard Gentlemen, reLleci those points with your accustomed candour; when you cons the iattnemeexpence, no lets than 150,000/. which has been out in providing for you the finest Theatre in Europe—when take into account the still further expellee which must be. in red in purchasing a suitable wardrobe and scenery, together w the numberless articles necessary to a Theatre, whirs have of late years been enhanced in price, 1 can have no hesitatio trusting to your liberality and justice, and to the liberality justice of the country for a decision in our favour. Here Mr. keinble bowed and retired, amidst hissing some slight applauses. The latter, however, soon subsided and after above an hour spent in venting their discunte the audience gradually dispersed. The 'Theatre was extremely full on Thursday nig hundreds failed to procure seats. Pantomimes are ways attractive ; and the public arc uow glutted w ject ; icily ward rage e in-. per- itive • F lSSeti CI OU iider laid pia with r all and and Lied ; ent, lilt I 5 with pm-