The National Register.
London, England, 1814-09-18 00:00:00

'Mr -NATIONAL ItEGISTEa.

SEPT. 18.

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

This house opened for the season on Monday night. The
body of it has- been cleaned and retouched—the gilding
repaired and new burnished. In place of the green curtain,
we are presented with a new theatrical ornament. This is a
curtain of which the ground is of a light blue, and on which
the at ms of the Prince Regent are richly emblazoned. The
king's arms, we understand, were not placed on it, because
these, as they appear immediately over the state, would !save
given a repetition of the same object, which it was thought
desirable to avoid. The rose, the thistle, and the shamrock
are tastefully intermingled over the whole
,curtain. These
ornaments, intended to correspond with the decorations sup•
plied last season to the fronts of the boxes, do not offend the
eye, but have not all the interest and importance which might
be expected. A deep fringe adorns the bottom of the
curtain, surmounted by a representation of the insignia.of the
several national orders of knighthood. The effect of the whole
is grand, and the audience were not a little pleased with it,
oin its novelty. We cannot, however,help giving it as our
opinion, that when this is worn off, it will cease to be pre-
fer red to that for which it is offered a 3 a substitute, and theye-
nerable green cur tain will again be restored to that rank in
the Theatre, of whiclt, for centuries, it has held undisturb•
ed possession.
-But the principal alteration which has been made since
last season is to be found in the lower saloon. Ilere, enter-
ing from the Bow-street side of the house, we have a -grand
elliptical arch to the right, with steps ascending from each
extremity of the apartment to two new doors, which open
into the lobby of the boxes, immediately over the dress cir-
cle. A grand gallery, or balcony, is thus formed in front of
these (loots, on the right and left of which a superb glass
meets the eye, and adds much to the splendour of the saloon.
The stairs are formed of handsome wainscotting; and the
outer part of the gallery of mahogany, ornamented with gold
mouldings. Patent rails or balustrades, of solid .brass,
twiited with elegant mouldings in their centre, furnish a
splcndid addiLion to what has already been described.
These are fixed in a bannister or hand-rail, made of maho-
gany beaded, with b ass inlaid, which, descending with a
bold and elegant sweep, terminate at the bottom of ealt
staircase in what is* called a scroll. The feet of the two stair-
ca- es stand on the part lately occupied by the persons fur-
nishing refreshments to those who frequent the saloon.
There is now but one bar, and this is placed without the
graiid apattment, at the farther extremity, near the closet
where the engine hose was kept. The entrance to this from
the saloon is surmounted by the concave of a half dome,
beautifully ornamented with the representation of a rose,
and sprigs of oak, in gold.
The appearance of these staircases and gallery is uncom-
monly noble. The doors opening into the saloon from the
lobby of the boxes on the first floor, will afford great accom-
modation to the public on all crowded nights, and by open-
ing two new passazes for the egress of the audience, will 'ma-
terially dimin'sli the pressure,, inconvenience, and delay,
hitherto experienced in leaving the theatre. In case of fire,
or of any alarm being given, -they might be the means of
saving many lives. It is, however, to be feared that the al.
tliation will not be without its inconveniences, as the room
taken from the saloon for the staircase, which was not com-
plained of before as being too spacious, will be greatly

_ .
m'ssed.

The per.forznnnees of the evening were " Pizarro," anti
" The Millar and b:s which went off in excellent
style.

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THEATRE ROYAL DRURY .L.4.1*.E.

This beautiful edifice is now aimonuct d to be opened for the
emusemeut of the public on Tuesday next, ATe -•a. c
caa e orree-
pondent, who has bad the opportunity of inpeesitig aae ration,
has favoured us with the felliowiag description.
When this .I.lle'd re opened two seasons ago, it was fully fere;een
that the embellishments of the interior would not be pcnnaritut
upon the green wails ; the moisture exhaling 11'011 the bricks aio
plaster would certainly occasion a fading in the colours, ant a tar,
nish in the gilding. To have restored and ornameuted this portion
of the Theatre most affected by Pie exudation, would have produced
the effect of rendering the rtet, by clearest, still more fadc d. The
Committee determined upon a geuercus expeedi t e, ratibeni-sting
the whole, awl the skill of the architect found nut the means/
without occasioning a deduction from the divideeds of the subscrib-
ers, or creather, a burden upon the capital.
The Committee farther considered, Ilia! the expellee of repainting
and rsegilding would be nearly equal to that of a new interim.' they
therefore determined upon giving a new interior, f,r in a Tleatiel
novelty has nu undisputed sway.
'roe grand saloon is painted a lilac !around. harmonizieg
with the c )humor of pilasters ; the %teat seal s,t,e a, d teatime' are
fresh painted and decorated ; the ci ickres of the boxes are divided
into pannele of two shades of delicate glees, with a white Etruseins
border : these lead us to the Interior, the basement is painted ie
rich Scagliola marble. The fronts of the dress boxes are a light blue
ground, enriched by a gold octagonal lattice work, with toses in tbe
centres, and a relief of white in the intersections.
The canopy fronts of the fita tier have alt antique projecting scro4
with gold folirge failing upon relieved Hidings. The second tier ie
embellished by a series of classical subjects, painted in relief upon
blue ground, with enriched homers.
The third tier of boxes is decorated by a gold scroll werk in lOW,
runnieg from the centre ornament of the same character, to rinds
terwination of the sides, upon a blue ground.
The prevailing cohmr, therefore, of the boxes is blue ;• bat it le
relieved, and a warmth of tone produced by Ole back Of the boxee
being painted in a 41A-brown colour, divided into pannels by appros
priate borderings: •
The ceiling is acw, the dome being divided into alternate coin.
partments of blue varnishing into distauce, and scroll enrichment,
terminating In the centre.
Increased accommodation has also been contrived for the gal-
leriee, which, Camel nut evident in the coup &wit wili be felt Ly
the visitors to other parts of the 'flteetre.
It now only temains to describe time alterations made in the pro,
seeninth. It must be' in •the recollection of every visitor of this
Theatre, that the hydrostatic lamps placed upon tripods on cacti
side of the prosceniuma.thongli. very beautiful and humlli,tt,t in their
appearance, were. found, 4)11 practice, too delicate in their eon,
struetion to bear the currents of air. to which they were exposed,
by the rising Ind falling of the curtain; they Wile therefore rer
moved at the close of the first ecason, anti their sepporte, tie tri-
pods' remained as .elegant, bill useless ornaments r ; they are mee
displaced, an 4 the vacancy filled up by two additional prceecaitna
boxes on each side. This iucrease of the national properly, it is
calculated will defray the expence of the new decorations, with!
out trenching in the lea, t Japan the public part of the auditory.
The two grout' columns, in coneidinice with the taste amid &airs
of theatrical criticism, have been' removed, and tee angles lets
have been tilled up by ornaments uniting with the general conlov
of the House, and atforditig to the architect the opportenity Gf
indulging the performers in their favourite wish of stage &ease
Above these dooN, balconies, with suitaale canopies,
and galleries are placed, aendering them both ornamental ill ti
general effect, and serviceable in the rosiness of the Siil4,:e.
Tire grand arch of the prosceniu n has been coutrivea to unite
with this oblique support.
The proscenium bores are fronted I>> reUel enrichments of else,
sisal subjects, and the colours blue, white, t'ind corl•esehmls
ing with the body of the House : the whole is in pct tact harnioey„
This alt.:rat:ea (lathe proscenium has certainly produced gret4
advantage in the scenic effect. .
Before, the spectator wait:red with
his eye the di Lance bra
tweet) the front lamps awl time seei:ery, and the perfot wers aas
,
peered to act iii a large intermediate span:.owt
b.) the
(lectern of the proscenium loxes, the Filo-Owls are carried hart::
in their action, to a line parallel to the new stage door-, by w JAI*
they are blonde(' with the perspective of the scenery, and the (kLi'4
of the picture frame formed by the pr eeveimia 1,, V.; rtHearativeli
lessened untalralf,

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