The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-03 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

AIR. EDITOR—As an old frequenter of theatri-
cal amusements, I cannot avoid complaining of
a practice which has been introduced within the
last few years, and which must be a great annoy-
ance to the performers as well as to the audience.
It was formerly the custom not to admit the half-
price visitors ,till after the third act of a play,
tragedy, or comedy, or till after the second act
of an opera; but now it is the practice to admit
them at a particular period, whets those respec-
tive acts are not over. What is the conse-
quence ? Why that people hurry in, some
of them half drunk, and others, perhaps, much
more so, while the performance is proceeding.—
This practice not only interrupts the Performers,
but stops the interest which the drama has ex-
cited in the audience. But thii is not all ; quar-
rels are likely to arise, for the tipsey visitors so
annoy the sober part of the audience, who had
attended from the beginning, that they naturally
express their displeasure, which the former often
treat with insolent levity or provoking contempt.
This new and offensive custom, therefore, cannot
be abolished too soon, for the sake of the public,
the interest of the drama, and the merit of
the performers. None but those who pay
full price should be suffered to enter the
Theatre till the termination of the acts above
specified, and even they, though compara-
tively few, are sufficiently troublesome, by the
opening of the doors, raising of the benches, &c.
&c. It is also proper that the box-keepers
should announce softly the names of the visitors,
who delay their arrival till after the play has
commenced, and perhaps not till the first act is
nearly at an end, that they may secure the places
which they had taken. Such tardy visitors
ought not from vanity or negligence to delay
their arrival and disturb the attention of the au-
dience. Tl.ere is another custom, an old one I
confess, and consequently not the fault of the
present Managers, but they ought to " reform it
altogether," as it is as absurd as inconvenient.—
It has long been the practice, when new
pieces are brought forth, to give the names of
the Performers, and not of those of the Characters
which they represent. The audience must
therefore catch the names of the latter as
they can, and in the attempt they probably
lose the interest of the play. The names
of the characters in all the old dramas are an-
nounced, though previously well known ; and
why those of novel pieces should not also be
equally disclosed it is difficult to conceive.—The
stage, under proper regulations, affords the most
moral, diffusive, and instructive of public amuse-
ments, and nothing should be suffered to obstruct
the useful lessons which it imparts for the grati-
fication and improvement of society at large.

THEATRICUS.

On Monday the Gentlemen of his Majesty's
Chapel Royal had their Annual Feast at Free-
masons"favern, when, in addition to some fine
haunches of • venison sent them by the King,
several rarities were produced, which were served
up in a complete and excellent style—there was
nothing to regret, but every thing to praise.—
" Non N obis Domine," " God save the King,"
and numerous delightful Glees were sung.—Sir
GEORGE SMART presided at the pianoforte.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess
of CLARENCE, with their attendants, embarked from Walmer
Castle, on board the Royal Sovereign yacht, about four o'clock
on Sunday afternoon, under a royal salute from the Severn
frigate. About half-past six the yacht, having the Royal
Standard flyin,, at the mast-head, got under weigh, and pro-
ceeded through the Downs in majestic style, with a.fair wind
for the Scheld, in order to land at Antwerp, from_ whence the
Royal party propose to proceed up the Rhine to Frankfort.—
They intend to continue some time with the Princess Elizabeth
of Hesse Homburg, and afterwards go to Stutgardt to remain
during the winter with the Queen Dowager of Wurtemburg._
( Kentish Gazette, July 2.)
In consequence of the unfortunate accident
which has happened to Sir ANDREW HALLIDAY,
Physician to the Duke and Duchess of CLA-
RXNCE, Dr. WILLIAM BEATTIE, late of
Edin-
burgh, has been appointed, pro tempore, to attend
their Royal Highnesses on their Continental
Tour,