The Sun.
London, England, 1817-09-22 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA,I4OITSE.

Saturday Hight the fillowing announcement was
made. by Mr. BART! EYi• tbe•Stage-manager : • ,

" .dritiress, ez' NewPlicu for Changing the Order
,q: Dertniedie • Performances.. at J/iis ; Theatre,- delivered by
Mr. BAaTi.Ey to the Audience,: on Saturday, September
20th, 1817.

11.11 LADIES AND GENTLI4EI,I, —The depressed state of all
Theatrical' Property, and the obvious decline of Public inte-
rest or the mice favourite amusements of the Drama, are in-
creasing'evils which hate been ascribed by various conjec-.
torts to various Ca ASC9. 'l•u comment, generally, open these
Wipold in this' place be impertinent; ,but, antongst others, a
large portion 'orthe Public have advanced, that the early
}rr►ear of cOnOnencing the performances renders it impossible
to attend au ;onuses'', nt,i,v hid' interferes with the late hours
of slimier, or the protracted hours of business., and a no less
cuiasiderable body of the comnomity have complained; that
the late hours to which the representations of the Stage :ter
extended, upterially derauge the ordinary habits of life to
which they are" accustomed. All parties, however, have
agreed' in tbndetuuing, as with .one 'Voice, the length of
Theatrical performances, in which the attention of the Audi
tors can rarely he kept alive florin:, a period of at least
fire•hours; and never• withnut fatigue7both of body and mind.
'' In sonre•'degree, to remedy the evil complained. of by
those whose habits of• life or avocations 'would not permit
their early mtendance at Theatres, the custom of taking
Half-Prier was introduced. But it mos► be wivlobs to every
one., that this plan has been found incompetent to its object.
Many persons who would he 'desirous to witness the early part
of a lorformance, are indisposed to pay the price of a whole
evening's entertainment for that Portion of it olify which
they car► en.2loy ; and it may reasonably, he supposed, that
thousands who .might wish to enter a 'Jimmie at at later hour
(as at the 'Wool time of second price), are wholly exclud-
ed by the certainty of finding the best seats occupied.—
'rhos numberless persons, from :the our or the other
cau,e, are deterred from Irequenting.the amusements of the
Stage.
"-Long experience and tunch•reflection on these contend-
ing difficulties, have suggested to the Proptietor ,this
Theatre a mode of reconciling them. It is obvious, that to
accommodate one principal class of the patrons of theatres,
the performances must commence at an early hour; and to
gratify another, no les: important class, tliey must he coli-
tis's:Ed to a late one: and as the man of leisure ezmoot, be in-
duced to forego his ;Present habits of 'dining at the old Eng-
lish supper time ; and as a man of business, and other per-
sons of early and domestic pursuits, cannot he prevailed up-
on to abridge their hours of sleep in order to compliment
with .their company the perforMance of a midnight• 11. to
Drama, it is become necessary, to the interests (if not

the 'erry. existence) of Theatres, that:some measures should
adsipt eil to meet the vvistits and tioiNg ut both lielS,eS, ew
heir pFospetity s., immediately s.
If'i II this view, it is prriposed as.att,txperitnetit for the
few r! ,iiights of this si•aso,,, toi.ry the., lan iso no-
rut , to ai re4ittar ,lioatre) of r) Vieithig's cuter-
•iiiio tutu irvitinct parts or performances. Each
!lei toroonice to consist -of a toll "nne.,- cL ()Iowa:. or of
slitl•Opera, t ith.i 410., or a Nliisical •Eatertaiiiinent.
~FittST PERFOII,MANCE (lop tOoIES at • half-
past, fire) to beKin at 'ix o'cl,.ck prt cisrly, And to last till
.itiolit ••• , • ' „

1' rite ‘4.cnsn Pnat'oi.v.iNct in begin, at h.ilf-past
and to 'conclude . . , , .
" Aithoo'gh„.as the einertaiiiincitts of the Theatres have
increased in length, it has never hero propii*ed on that ac-
count to increase the prices iit admission. et, now that it
is iiit,iided limit their .duration, it is .respectably and
cheerfully p;-oposeil I 11;it the .followin4 reduction ,had take.
: the Ilrices of Admission to cheer Perforniatite will he,
tio.tes JS.—(p• Gd• .. • ...
liuxe :nut places will i,e talie.n.for either performance;
and the eltti it admired d•coratioii.; will.U4'
,Ippropriate.), by a 110%, auxugrnteut, 10 111, use of the emu,
pany visiting tlie,lio.xes at the second lu r orioance, and A
promenade for the cmitpany to wait for their.. carelau,s 611
leaving the boxes at the conclusion ut the early eniertain..
. . merits

" We are fUlly aware that we.shall hart. ta'enCounter many
professional jolseS upon this occasion ;, aud ,we believe it k
pretty wed known that we have had exery thing to struggle
against from rival TheatVes, t hat ingenious. opposition could
devise. %%re, do nut (111;irjel with ,opposition;. because it is
(lona naturailhat eveilltan shutildjiiinli.firit of • himself •
and study his awn int ertsst preference,to,the interests of
another; but we are alike piepared to,tmile, at the.goode
humoured raillery.of our friends, and the hostile attempts of
our enemies,•wlao.ionay,iiiith, perhaps, he iiielined, in difte—
xent tu t "a scheme.!! Let
them call, it what they we toltiAV that our•sole aim is to
exist. he your favikir by.de-eising all ,iheans• fur your
ruceive an honest ti ivard
for our I•abbutAs.:l
. -1r