The Sun.
London, England, 1832-10-02 00:00:00

CO VENT- GARDEN.

This theatre opened for the season last night, under the
management of LAPORTE. The interior has been entirely
re-decorated (to use the expression of the hill), and a very
splendid new chandelier has been suspended from the
freshly-ornamented ceiling. The gilding is all new, but
the devices remain nearly the same, and the ground on
which they are placed appeared to us, by candle-light, a
fawn colour. The Merchant of Venice introduced " a
young gentleman," whose name, HEDWIGGER, was nut
mentioned in the bills. His performance of Shylock, if
lie really have never before acted, may be called clever,
but it was clever rather as an imitation of KEAN, than as
an original effort. His person is diminutive, and in his
face, too, he somewhat resembles KEAN, or, at least, he
contrived by dress to look like him. The applause he
obtained was considerable, but the audience seemed,
towards the close, to grow tired of a mere copy;
for what might be very well endured for a single
scene, became almost wearisome throughout a whole
play, and accordingly we several times distinguished marks
of disapprobation. From some touches we discovered here
and there, we fancy that this new candidate may have
some pathetic powers, but the part of Shylock is not fa-
vourable to the display of them. Mr. FORESTER, from
the Strand Theatre, played Gratiano about as well as was
necessary, and we mention him particularly as one of the
first proofs since the late inquiry that Minor Theatres may
afford actors, and may, in time, become a good school of
acting. Miss SYDNEY, from Madame VESTRIS'S house,
sustained the part of Nerissa rather prettily, but she never
cm be very efficient in a theatre like Covent-Garden.
Miss ELLEN TREE was the Portia, and gave us very great,
if not complete satisfaction. After the play a new military
spectacle was produced, founded on an incident which is
said to have happened to the Duke of MARLBOROUGH in
his first campaign. The plot of the piece is simple enough.
It represents the esteem in which Churchill is held by the
English and French commanders (the Duke of Mon-
mouth and Marshal Turenne), and the danger he incurs
of losing the approbation of both by an attack, which,
though victorious itself, threatens to defeat all their well-
concerted schemes, by exposing their plans, and putting
the enemy on his guard. These difficulties are avoided in
consequence of an interview between Turenne and
Churchill, in which the former condescends to explain the
extent of the mischief and the quick genius of Churchill dis-
covers a remedy. Into this simple plot, however, there are
many amusing and some lachrymose scenes introduced.
There is an underplot of love between St. Denis Odillon,
a French orderly dragoon (LaroaTE), and Gertrude, a
Flemish Bottler (Miss H. CAwsE) ; and in the develop-
ment of this there is a happy opportunity afforded for the
Frenchman to play off one of those stratagems of war,
which, according to all poetic and military rules, are per-
fectly allowable in an enemy. He holds a mill against a
hundred Dutchmen, and obtains by his ingenuity honour-
able terms of capitulation. In this scene LAPORTE Was
most admirably supported by the acting of Miss PooLx,
who, as a little drummer-boy, formed with himself the
only " garrison" on duty in the mill. Mr. FORESTER,
who appeared as Gratiano in the play, took the character
of Captain John Churchill i❑ the afterpiece, and looked
it better than he played it. As a military spectacle, this
afterpiece is likely to prove very attractive, although in the
early part of it the allusions to the union between Eng-
land and France against Holland were carriel a little too far,
and excited some slight marks of disapprobation. Mr.
PLANCHE, to whom the authorship is attributed, can easily
remedy this defect. LAPORTE gave out the afterpiece for re-
petition on Wednesday next, and the announcement was re-
ceived with loud and general applause. The house was
very well attended front the beginning, and towards the
close of the evening was quite filled.