The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-04 00:00:00

THE WINTER THEATRES.

HISTORICAL NOTICES of the WINTER THEATRES
COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.
Covent-garden Theatre was built by subscrip-1
tion, under the direction of Mr. Rich, in the month of Jan.
1731. The sum of 60001. had been obtained towards its erec-
tion, and a design for the building was prepared by Jas. Shep-
pard, Esq. which met with general approbation. It appears from
the public papers that the Crown was at this time in treaty for
Lincoln's-inn-fields theatre, to use as an office for the Commis-
sioners of the Stamp Duties. In Feb. workmen began to take
down several old houses on the site of the intended theatre. It
did not rise, however, with the rapidity of our modern theatres;
for it was not until the September of the following year (1732),
that it was ready for decoration, in which month we find the
following notice in the Whitehall Evening Po3t :—" We hear
that Mr. Hervey and Mr. Lambert have been for some time
employed in painting the scenes for the New Theatre in Co-
vent Garden, and that Signr. Amiconi, who painted the Lord
Tankerville's excellent staircase in St. James's-square, is to
shew his art in the ceiling of that theatre, and in order thereto
hath prepared a design, in which Apollo is represented in an
assembly of the Muses, who are dignifying Shakespeare with
the laurel. And as the several hands employed are stated to
want some further time for completing their undertaking, we
are informed that the theatre in-Lincoln's Inn-fields will be
opened in a few days, it being now determined not to act
in that of Covent Garden, until the decorations are quite
finished."
The magnificent arched entrance from the piazzas, destroyed
by the fire of the last theatre, with columns and enrichments of
the lonic order, was erected with the rest of the theatre, a few
weeks afterwards • and the newspapers mention the theatre as
completely finished in the November of that year, and that it
was to be opened on the 27th of the month, which took place
accordingly, when the following lines made their appearance :
" Thespis, the first of the Dramatic race,
Stroll'd in a cart for gain, from place to place;
Ms actors rude, his profits came but slow,
The Poet he, and master of the show.
To raise attention, he employ'd his art
To build another and more costly cart ;
New asses he prepared to drag the load,
And gain'd the shouts of boys upon the road—
Awhile the gay machine spectators drew,
The people throng'd, because the sight was new ;
Thither they hurry'd once, and went no more,
For all his actors they had seen before :
And what it was they wish'd no more to see—
The application, Lux,* is left to thee."
Mr. Harris (who had then become sole proprietor of Covent-
Garden Theatre), found it necessary, in 1782, to raise the roof
eight feet, and to make other alterations to benefit himself, and
accommodate the public. It was then that the Theatre was
adorned with those genuine ornaments in the Grecian style, ,
which have since given place to strange substitutes of painted
boards, which we have witnessed in subsequent alterations of
this Theatre.
Comparing the exterior of the theatre, at this period, and in-
deed its interior, with the present large and magnificent build-
ing, it must certainly be acknowledged to fall vastly short; It
was, notwithstanding, according to the ideas then formed of
theatres, an elegant building, and much better adapted for
hearing and seeing than our great modern theatres. The stage
was roomy, and possessed every convenience, and the scenery
and machinery were the production of the first artists. The
present house arose in consequence of the late destructive fire
here, but the interior of the old house had long before been re-
built, that it might vie with the new-built Drury-lane Theatre
erected in 1792. Its inside has been once or twice altered since
the building of the present house in 1809. The decorations of
this season are merely the customary ones which take place on
each re-opening, and cannot be properly classed under this head.
DRURY-LANE THEATRE.
To enter into a detail of the various alterations of this
Theatre, from its building in the time of Charles 11. by Kil-
ligrew to the present time, would far exceed the limits of a
newspaper article. We shall merely state that it was much
improved in 1762, by lengthening the stage, enlarging the
boxes and pit, and rebuilding the galleries. The managers,
(the principal of whom was Mr. Garrick) intimated, on this oc-
casion, that nothing under full price would be taken at the
performances, which caused a contest between them and the I
public, which was not ended without great difficulty, and by
the final concession of the proprietors to the public demand;
and half price was accordingly again taken as usual.
Very considerable alterations were made in Drury-lane
Theatre some years subsequently to this disturbance, viz.—
before the opening of the season in 1775, and which added
greatly to its consequence. Frequenters of it before that
period describe the interior as being very little better than
an old barn; but the reader may himself form some idea of
it from Ilogarth's prints of the Laughing and Crying Au-
diences, which are intended to represent the inside of this
theatre as it then. appeared, with its meeting-like chande-
liers, sconces, &c. as that of the riot at Covent Garden
Theatre, about the French dancers, near the same time,
does that of Covent Garden. The alterations at the period
alluded to, consisted in raising of the ceiling twelve feet, the
removal of the side-boxes, and substituting of others supported
by slight pillars, ornamented with looking-glass, and the open-
ing of new passages to the boxes, from- Brydges-street, where
a handsome new front was erected next the Rose Tavern, still
remembered by numbers, of which there are also several gra-
phic representations. These improvements seem to have en-
titled it to that approbation which it received, until entirely re-
built in 1792, of which we shall give a slight account:—
The Old Theatre being generally supposed, neat the above
period, to have arrived at that state of decay, which rendered the
safety of a crowded house at least problematical, the proprie-
tors determined to entirely re-edify it, on an enlarged and mag-
nificent plan. In order to do this, they hired the new Italian
Opera-house in the Haymarket, for theatrical performances,
in 1791, while their own theatre was in
.progress, and an ad-
vance in the prices of admission, of 6d. in the pit, and is. in
the boxes, took place, as it was said, to reimburse the extra-
ordinary expences of the measure. The corner-stone of the new
structure was laid on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 1792, with the usual
cereniony of depositing coins under it, &c. and the work com-
menced with great alacrity. The plan on which this- theatre
(which was the one before the present, and which was destroyed
by fire in 11108) was rebuilt was extremely magnificent, and pos-
sessed every facility of accommodation. It was almost a square, a
grand piazza was intended to run round three of its sides, but two
sides only were completed, which were, however, well worthy
of admiration. It was entirely cased with stone, and nothing,
we think, could excel the interior in lightness and elegance.
Its dimensions, and other particulars, were given in the Gentle-
man's Magazine for 1794 (the year it was finished), and are as
follow :
" The New Drury-lane Theatre contains in the pit 800 per-
sons,. the whole range of boxes 1828, the two shilling gallery
675, and the one shilling gallery 308 ; total, 3,611, amount-
ing in price to 8261. 6s. There are eight private boxes on
each side the pit ; twenty-nine all round the first tier, and eleven
back boxes ; twenty-nine round the second tier, of which ele-
ven are six seats deep; ten on each side the gallery, third tier;
and the boxes in the cove are nine on each side. The diameter
of the pit is fifty-tbree feet ; the opening of the curtain
is forty-three feet wide, and its height thirty-eight feet. The
height of the house from the pit floor to the ceiling is fifty feet
six inches."
* The name by which Ricir, the then proprietor, was pecu-
liarly known to the public.

CONFUSION AT PARSON CHURCH'S CHAPEL—
Wednesday evening last, according to notice, the Baptismal
Ceremony was performed upon thirty adults at the above Cha-
pel, in the Borough-road.—Soon after seven o'clock, the place
was literally crammed, when the seats at the back of the Cha-
pel gave way, and a vast number of persons, men, women, and
children, were precipitated to the ground from an immense
height. Many persons were contused by the accident, but not
materially.
The following anecdote is related in a German
paper, perhaps with the design that the conduct
of a former Sovereign of Prussia, with respect to
the Stadtholder, should be a lesson to the present
how to act towards the King of Spain ; for where
the Holy Alliance is in full vigour, it is only by
insinuation that a liberal opinion in politics can
be given :—" Count Hertzberg earnestly endea-
voured to persuade Frederick the Great that he
ought to lose no time in adopting vigorous mea-
sures in consequence of the situation in which
the Stadtholder of Holland was placed. The
King heard him patiently, and replied,' If I had
always followed your advice, I never should have
had a quiet day in my life. The Stadtholder is
j the servant of the State, and is therefore bound
to obey the Constitution. I can do nothing for
him but give him good advice. It is not for
me to interfere' in the internal affairs of other
I countries.'",