The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-16 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

ILAym.trtricT.—Last night concluded a very
successful season at this cons'enient and agree-
able Theatre. The dramatic pieces on this oc-
casion were the popular Comedies of Quite Cor-
rect and Paul Pry. Though it must be acknow-
ledged that these Comedies possess considerable
merit in themselves, it must be admitted that
they were not a little indebted to the support
which they received from the respectable assem-
blage of comic performers engaged by the liberal
Proprietor. Among these were Mrs. GLoyEa,
her daughter, Mrs. DAVISON, Mrs. Iluaiav, and
Madame VESTRIS, FARREN, WILLIAMS, RAY..
stoxn, W. 'WEST, and, that ATLAS of the comic
world, LisToN. The house was crowded, and
the dramas went off with unabated spirit, though
LwroN, according to report, was labouring under
a very severe lumbago. This painful visitation,
however, seemed to leave him on all his returns
to the stage, in his zeal to gratify the audience
to the full extent of his humorous luxuriance.—
T:-,e following is a copy of the expression
of the thanks of the Proprietor and Performers
for the public protection experienced through
the season. LISTON appeared to be reluctant to
undertake the task of delivering the customary
tribute of gratitude—
" lie would be woo'd, and not unsought be won."
But the other Performers on the stage, conscious
of his powers,and vvilling to promote the pleasure
of the audience, forced him forward, with an ami-
able zeal, and he uttered the following speech ra-
ther as if it were an impromptu than as a prepared
Managerial State Paper :

" LADIXS AND GE:',.TTLEMEN—The Managers have ap-
pointed me their spokesman on this occasion, and
really, he-
-tween you and I, for it shall go no further, they have acted
very wrong, because I am not in the habit of speaking in public.
—(Laughter and applause.)—Now, seven months is a long
season, summer season I mean, unless we mean the winter to
last till July. During this period they have brought out several
new pieces which have had a very great run—no, I mean, a to-
lerable great run ; and I think, between you and I (for I make
it a point never to pry into any body's affitirs but my own) that
they will he able to make both ends meet. The Performers
also return you their milt sincere thanks (and between you and
I, I think they ought to do so) for your patronage. I, myself,
as one of them, thank you with all my heart, and take leave of
you pro trumpery only, and as you have been liberal in your
patronage this season, which was (speaking freely between our•
selves) very kind of you, so may we hope fora continuance of
it next season.—(Great applause and laughter, in the midst of
which Mr. Liston, after bowing repeatedly, retired, but soon
returned.)—l beg your pardon, but I hope I don't intrude; I
just dropped in to get my umbrella, which I left in the corner,
and which, if I do not get now, I shall be obliged to go with-
out till next April, which is a long time you'll allow."
The bursts of merriment, arising from the
quaint, ludicrous, and original manner in which
this speech was uttered by the Performer, in his
dress of Paul Pry, were vehement and universal,
and it may be truly said that" he sent his hearers
ksughing to their homes ;" nor did they seem a
little gratified in learning that the Proprietor had
wisely engaged him for next season, and we hope
for many future.

THEATRICAL CHIT-CHAT.
[From a Morning Paper.]

The Drury-Lane Management found it neces-
sary, in the case of Miss Kelly, to depart from
the announced inteetion not to pay more than
201. a week to any actor or actress; but in the
recent engagement of Mr. Liston, a still greater
example of the folly of " making rash resolves"
is perceptible. Mr. Liston is to receive 151. per
night for four nights of each week, being three
times the amount of the highest weekly salary
ever paid to John Kemble. The engagement with
Mr. Liston was concluded by Mr. Calcraft, on
behalf of the Committee, who saw with alarm
the deserted appearance which the Theatre,
presented every night—an appearance not very
difficult to account for, when it shall be recol-
lected that of the company which Drury pos-
sessed two years ago the following members
had withdrawn, viz. :—Braham, Mundell, Lis-
ton, Kean, Macready, Miss Stephens, Madame
Vestris ; and Ellistott absent from indisposition.
Mazurier (the Polichinello) at Covent-garden is
paid the enormous weekly salary of 1501., being at
the rate of 251. per night. Previous to his treaty
with Mr. C.Kemble,Mazurier was applied toon the
part of Mr. Elliston, and refused to take less than
401. per night, and sixty pounds cachfor the masks
which he might require ! Those indispensibles
are certainly master-pieces in their way ; Mazu-
rier's eyes alone are all that can be seen of his'
own countenance. The mask is so firmly fitted
to the face as to be susceptible of the most mi-
nute contraction or expansion by the motion
of the actor's muscles. However much the
late severe illness of our favourite, Knight,
of Drury-lane Theatre, was to be regretted,
we have some expectation of compensation
in the shape of an Opera, which he is said to have
written last summer, while residing in the Isle
of Wight, for the recovery of his health, and
which we believe will be produced at Drury
during this season. Our readers are aware that
a son of this deserving actor, treading in his
' father's steps, and astonishingly like him in per.
son and voice, has already attained considerable
fame at the Provincial Theatres. Of his per-
foimance of Tom Tacit at the theatre of that
taly'', the Wakefield Journal speaks in these
terms :—" It may with truth be said, that wl4le
the son lives the father will never die. In voice,
in form, and in manner, we could imagine we
were addressed by the paternal actor, and in
, the character of Torn Tacit, we must have had
a very similar treat to that which was enjoyed
on the same evening at Drury iastale,e
part."her
we are told the father was acting the .
m
Braham, with Miss Stephens, and Miss Hallaude
are now performing in Dublin. Braham has
always been a favourite with the Irish. His first
engagement (for twelve nights) at the Dublin
Theatre this year (even when unsupported by
Miss Stephens), netted to him 1,5001., being half
the profits of the House.

The Government have, for some time, had 11
acres of ground near Norwood, in Middlesex,
between Hounslow and the Uxbridge-road,
wholly converted to the purposes of brick-making;
recently 9 acres more, adjoining to such ground,
have been bought for the like purpose. The
contractors to make the bricks for Government
have now got those '2O acres filled with brick-
makers.