The National Register.
London, England, 1815-07-23 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

On Thursday night this Theatre closed for the season; and
rifer' the Opera of theWooduam, Mr. Fawcett read to the ati-
ce: CC (he following address :
•4 I, ;pt ES A ENT!. tMCI4.—I am deputed by the Pro.
rr`etnts of this Theatre to return their most heartfelt thanks
for tite kind and generous patronage they have received
during this season; and after Laving respectfully bade you
ft,c~rzll till the 1 -1111 of September, the day of the Theatre
re opeiting. and presented the Pet formers` siocerest ackpow•
dge:ents.for your ever indulgent and fostering support,
it heroines my duty ter revet t to the dramatic events
'which have distinguished the season now concluding. The
Proprietors, though they are thankful for the approbation
which has genet ally attended the dramatic novelties pro-
(hued, do not hesitate to ascribe the success of the season to
the unprecedented attraction of that highly-gifted daughter
of Melpomene, who in her range of vaiied and arduous cha•
lacters, has been adjudged by the public, worthy of succeed.
ing her great predecessor, whose recent loss to the Stage was
try many thought irreparable. The name of Miss O'Neill
need hardly be added. Her admirable talents (aided. and
snppoited by a Dramatic Company which has the honour-to
stand favourable in y•ur estimation have proved so produc-
tive, that although the receipts on the nights Miss O'Neill
did rn t perfollll, have been considerably lessened, vet the.
Avlinle season has been suflViently advantageous to enable the
Proprietots to satisfy their annual heavy demands, the weight
cf which seemed likely to overwhelm th(m.
In every boon the Plow ietors have hitherto solicited or re•
ceived frcin the liberality of the public, they have not been
infinenced 1)% avarice—no ! their objects have been to be
enabjed to furoisl, aereFtable entertainments for their en-
lightenedrpatrous, and also to discharge those pecuniaty obli-
gations which the visitation.of misfortunes has brought upon
them.

They beg to put in their claim for a share of tint feeling
so dear to every respectable breast, the pride and comfort of
able to pay every man his own.
These imperions circumstances can only he met by your
accordingto them a boon, a,s trifling to the individual as it is
important to the welfare of the Stage in general. It Nrill be
a fresh stimult.t e
ns. p their exertions for your accommodation
and entertainment, to which end their whole thoughts, time,
and attention, will be incessantly occupied. It is, Ladies and
tlentlemen, only to grant, on the first price of admission to
that eligible situation the Pit, the small addi!ion of sixpence.'.
Upon Mr. Fawcetes announcement of the requisition fm.
an additim.al pi ice of admis::ion to the Pit, the hisses were
tra and universal. Several voices calied up-n Mr. Faw-
“•tt ; but he retired from the stagt., and
Mr. Evans addressed 11:e audience from the boxes, as well
as we conld collect, in substance as follows:

" LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—In rising to submit to
ur consideration a few temarks on the address which has
just been delivered, I beg leave to state briefly the motives
which induced nie, the other evening, to appear this busi-
ness. I assure ou that 1 was not influenced by the re-
motest desire of cbtrodiog myself upon public attention. I
should have been Clad, indeed, if some other individual had
undo rt.,!;en the task ; but as no one presented himself, owing
probably to the circumstance that the pubic were taken by
Sul wise, I thought it my duty to object to the proposal.
For, however humbly I may estimate myself, my feelings
would reetuach me if I pet miitted any sense of my humility

to restrain me from resisting any imposition upon that pub-
lic, of whom I am a member.
" With the same views I now take leave to address this
audience. Towards the Proprietors and Managers of this
Theatre I have no personal objection whatever; but a regard
for the interest of the public, and a determination to pre-
serve my own consistency, render it necessary for me to re-
peat the opinion which I lately urged at the other Theatre,
and to declare, that that opinion has been in no degree al-
tered or affected by any thing which I have since heard.
The conduct of the Managers of Drury-lane Theatre, in suf-
fering the endeavour of the orchestra to stifle my voice, was
most unfair and reprehensible. It is creditable to the Ma-
nagers of this Theatre that no such interruption is attempted
on the present occasion, and as the people can wish for no-
thing more than justice, that their wish will be gratified—
that if my arguments should prove correct, the claim which
I prefer on the.part of the public will not be slighted, either
through the volatility of pride or the arrogance of power.
have heard that some persons were sent into Drury-lane
Theatre with free admissions, in order to carry the point for
the Proprietors; and this I assert was a most unwarrantable
proceeding. I.ri ancient times the business of Theatres was
not so conducted. On the contrary, among the old Romans,
inspectors were appointed, to ascertain whether any persons
were hired to applaud, in order that if such hirelings were.
discovered. they. should be consigned to punishment and dis-
grace—so anxious were that great people•to prevent undue
influence or .ranfair practices in dramatic concerns —Would

that a similar jealousy prevailed in this great country !
" Ladies and Gentlemen—The Proprietors request your
consent to the addition of 6d. to the Pit, which would be a
tax upon those who are, perhaps, the greatest amateurs, and
generally considered the best connoisseurs of the drama,
which would he a tax indeed upon the middle orders of the
people, who, God knows, under existing circumstances, can
ill afford it. And what are the pretences assigned for this
advance ? In 1809, the Proprietors of this Theatre had to
plead the loss of a'Theatre destroyed, and the expence of a
Theatre erected. For this loss and expence they were amply
remunerated by An advance -upon the boxes, which advance-
was arranged•by a party of persons who profsscd to act for
the people with the principal Manager of this Theatre, upon
the understanding that no further advance would be acquired.
Mr. Clifford with a few others acted for the people, Mr. Rem-
hie for this Theatre; and would that I could repel the re.
presentations which have been ever since afloat, that on that
occasion the public interest was compromised. The Mana-
gers, however, had in that instance, in addition to what I
have already stated, to plead the depreciation of our cur-
rency, and the enhancement of prices: but now, thanks to
the late glorious events, the depreciation of our currency
can no longer be stated,' and the fall of prices must naturally
be expected from the approaching peace; but, in truth, what
advance of prices can our Managers at present seriously al-
lege. Miss O'Neill, to whose extraordinary merit lam most
ready to subscribe, is stated in the Managers Address to have
enabled the Proprietors fully to meet their annual expences.
Mr. Kean. at the other Theatre, has been equally successful..
Yet the salary of Miss O'Neill for an entire week, is equal
only to half the sum formerly paid to Mrs. Siddons for a sin-
gle night, and the salary of Mr. Kean bears the same propor-
tion to the sum not long since paid to Mr. Kemble at this
Theatre. Mrs. Jordan, too, who was also expensively paid-,
is no longer connected with either of the Theatres.—..
Whence then the apology for this extra demand
If the Theatres had full houses, it cannot he pretended
that they would not be secure of ample remuneration at even

LY 2S.

. _ .
the old Box prices. How are they to procure full houses ?
Ey attractive performers, who are to be found, if industri-
ously sought after. How Mr. Kean was obtained is pretty
rotorious. But how are you to excite the Managers to-look
fter meritorious rerfor niers ?—Not by augmenting the price
cf admission, but by making it their interest to collect large
rndiences, and large audiences are only to be collected by
good performers. Again, a material objection arises to the
proposed advance, from the monopoly which the Theatres
enjoy, In the days of that great patent and ornament of our
drama, Shakspeare, London, with a population of about
300,000, contained no less than seventeen Theatres, at
which the plays of that matchless writer were performed;
vet now, when the population of this great city exceeds a
million, we have only two regular Theatres. Paris,. Berlin.
and Vienna, each of them much smaller than London, con-
tains a greater number of Theatres, which are judiciously
erected in different situations, but here we have only two
Theatres within a few yards of each other ;.what then must
Le the consequence if these two Theatres conspire to exact
their own terms ?—The Public must either submit to
their demand, or be deprived of the pleasure of witness-
ing those dramatic representations, which all ages and all
nations have approved, not only as necessary relaxations,
but as the means of improvement in morality and taste. If
the seller of any article demand a high price, you charge
him with injustice, but you need not stiffer by him, while
many other sellers are to be bad, while several shops are
open to you ; but here you have only two shops—[Loud
p!auditsj—which confessedly combine, i® this case, although
rivals on every other point. This combination, however,
is the natural result of a monopoly that ought not to exist.
But all monopolies ate odious in the eyes of Englishmen
and of justice.—Lord Coke says, that by common law the
monopolist was punishable—" for," adds that great autho-
rity, " they are ever without law, although never without
friends."—And Dr. Adam Smith %%as equally adverse to mo-
nopolies, especially with regard to the drama. If, then,
the Proprietors of this Theatre think proper to hold their
monopoly, and to resist the erection of other Theatres, they
are at least not warranted in raising their terms of admission.
By preventing an honest competition, they forfeit all claims
to indulgence, and should not be suffered to exact any ex-
traordinary demand."
Here the tumult, which continued with little intermission
throughout, increased upon Mr. Fawcett's reappearance on
the stage. Mi. Evans joined with many in requesting that
that g. entleman should be heard. On silence being obtained,
Mr. FAWCETT stated, that the Proprietors begged it to he
understood, that the advance alluded to in his Address, they
only asked a; a boon, and that it was their wish, that any
Clentleman who thought proper to address the House upon
the subject, should be attentively heard."—[Sunk applause
curd hisses.]
On Mr. Fawcett's retiremert,

Mr. IiVANs resumed, and after complimenting the audi-
^rice for its attention to Mr. Fawcett, observed—"sorely
Ladies and Gentlemen, it cannot be seriously alleg-d, that
theatrical property is not a profi'able concern. For we
know, that very recently a proposition was made to take
Drury-lane Theatre upon Lease ; and with all its inetn»ln an-
ces, to secure to the proprietory an ample per ventage; while
the large sums paid for the shares of this Theatre, pf)sstssed
by the late Mr. Lewis and by Mr. Martindale, are matters of
public notoriety.—Besides, who are they who can live in
:core splendour then theati ical Fersons ?—certainly not one
fourth of the •zal!.tpt Ucrierals c.f Waterloo.--t Gnu. ri;; AT-

475

" Ladies and Gentlemen,---I am peisuaded that the Pi.ro.
prietors of this theatre will best consult their own interest
and character, by abandoning the unseas•mable project of
raising their prices Skluld they, however, persevere, at;di
should the public ilkapprove of their conduct, I tiust the'e
will be no attempt, as on a former occasion, to resort to co-
ercion. For in a theatre
"To clap or hiks till I+al, en e9lOl Chaim,
The roblc7's right's the sante ;
Ail join for tilt it subsistence, all r xpect
Free leave to praise th,ir worth, their faults cor,eet "

On the tertninati3n.of Mr. Evan's speech, the cry of O.
which commented upon the conclusion of Mr. Fawcett's Ad—
dress, became peculiath, loud. Ivdeed, this cry was soda
throughout the• temainiler of the night, that the farce %%as
merely a dumb show, the Pei formers being totally inaudible.
The cry and -confusion had nut ceased when we left the
Theatre, some time after the performance closed.

Several other Gentlemen addressed the house from the pit
and boxes in the course of the evening, but we could nut
distinctly hear them.

ENGLISH OPERA. OPERA.

This interesting Temple of the Operatic Muse was thrown
open to her worshippers on Saturday sennight, and the full-
ness of the numbers, proved the unabated fervour of their
zeal, as well
.as the unaltered purity r f their taste. The
service of the altar was once more performed by Mr.
Cooke, whose qualifications for the Office of High Priest, few
can equal, and pile alone can perhaps surpass. Neither the
Wowing up of the Dr-rirs Bridge, nor the. dignity of its
owner, sources of powerful attractio❑ at any time, excited so
much interest, as the first appearance of Air. Cooke in.a
character, the medodies of which seemed exclusively Bra—
ham's, not only because he composed them, but because his
execution imparted to them a degree of expression, which
it was not expected any other lips could produce. Real ta-
lent, however, feels his strength, and instead of desponding.
emulates. The free execution, tasteful and not too luxuriant
ornaments, and the expresive cadences of the new Count
13elino, fell at once on the ear and on the heart. The past
was forgotten, and had not the dialogue sometimes-reminded
us that Mr. Brahain by attention and study had at lost
bt-
come a good actor, and that Mr. Cooke ought to follow his
example, we should have found it difficult to know on
to bestowed the palm of excellence. The numerous cncori
which doubled the enjoyments of the public during the
evening, show that our opinion of Mr. Cooke's merits was
not singular.

-Mrs.—Cooke in Rota/vino ably supported the exertions of
her husband ; and Mr. Harley, who for the first time appear.
ed before a London audience, without causing us to forget
Lovegrove in -Marcelli, worthily supplied his place. This
performer is a valuable acquiition to the nietiopolis.
telligence and spirit form the characteristics of his play lie
successfully adopts the various changes of passion which the
part requires, and his countenance does not remain a blank
whilst his lips utter the language of benevolence, anxiety, or
hope.

In the Boarding Ifotiv7 at 1;111'/11on, he also assumed Mr.
Lovegrove's celebrated character of Peter Fid.:et. To say
that, with all the exclleneies of his predecessor in our mind,
we WQI e highly pleased with his pc' formances. is °tile to do
him justice. His hustling activity is not inferior, and in
several passages he has contrived to avoid copying, without
weakening the effect of the character. Ills leception W3l
!?CA i;:.salving than just.