The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-10 00:00:00

THEATRICAL CHIT-CHAT.

The Managers of the two Metropolitan Theatres
have each engaged one of the most experienced and
successful of our Dramatic Writers, to decide upon
the fitness of all new pieces, presented to them for re-
presenation—Mr. Reynolds at Drury-lane, and Mr.
Moreton at Covent-garden. Charles Kemble and
Liston are in Paris, where they will perform a
limited number of nights at the English Theatre; in
the Rue Favart, the opening of which, in conse-
quence of some intrigue between the French actors
and the Minister at the head of the Drama in France,
was delayed until the 6th or Bth of September. If
the Eaglish Theatre in Paris should succeed—of
which we entertain considerable doubts--Kean,
Macready, Young, 'William Farren, Miss Kelly, and
Madame Vestris will occasionally act there. Mr.
Price, the lessee of Drury-lane, has, we understand,
matured his plans, and completed his engagements
for the ensuing season, upon an unusually exten-
sive scale. In the Musical and Operatic Depart-
ment, Price will be unrivalled. Braham, Miss Pa-
ton, Miss Stephens, Horn, and Phillips are all en-
gaged by him. Charles Mathews, Liston, Jones,
Harley, Dowton, and Wallack, in comedy, present a
powerful phalanx ; and the Manager has fortunately
availed himself of the popular talents of Miss Foote,
as a counterpoise to Madame Vestris, at the rival
Theatre. In the department of Tragedy, it is said
that the loss of Kean, engaged at the other house,
will be supplied by a Great Unknown. The actors
and actresses of any prominent merit, who were em-
ployed at this Theatre last season, are retained. Mr.
Walrack, whose ill-stir-try and popular manners, as
snanwr, were sc veil app;'eciated last season, re-
tain-541'4s post. Mr. Winston, the Deputy Manager,
4etires. M. Kenny has a Comedy, in five acts,
quite ready for this Theatre, and Mr. Poole has
iike:l7;efr engaged to produce a drama soon after the
opening, We believe Mr. Beazeley has a Comedy
at the came Theatre, and that two new Operas and
Mc, now Farces are likewise in progress. The
management of Covent-garden - Theatre de-
volves on Mr. Charles Kemble, certainly oue
of the most accomplished actors of the time ;
be, however, will be assisted in the stage
department by that experienced and sterling perfor-
mer of the old school, Mr. Fawcett. Charles Kern-
ble, Kean, and, Young, by their united efforts, will
give a brilliant personetion to many of our favourite
plays—for instance, Othello, Venice Preserved,
Richard the Third, the Merchant of Venice, The
Gamester, King Lear, Hamlet, Merry. Wives of
Windsor, Julius Ccesar, Macbeth, and some of
Massinger'e and Ben Johnson's Plays will be admi-
rably acted. There will, certainly, be an inferiority
in the Operatic department at this Theatre. That
excellent actress, Miss Kelly is engaged, and Ma-
dame Vestris remains at Covent Garden, where
aided by Fawcett, William Farren, Wrench, Keeley,
John Reeve, and Mrs. Glover, sterling Comedy
will continue to be admirably acted, notwithstanding
the transfer of Jones's fine talents to old Drury.—
Miss Chester is said to have retired from
the stage ; she has resided, during the summer,
at a little cottage built by herself, on the borders
of Windsor Forest. Her loss, in the present
state of the Drama, will not easily be supplied, un-
less the report be true, that the liberal and acute
Lessee of Drury-lane hae discovered another Miss
O'Neil, in the person of a beautiful young lady,
whom chance pointed out to him whilst on an ex-
cursion in the provinces. The scene-painters and
machinists in both the theatres have been sedu-
lously and actively employed the whole summer.
The melo-drama, pantomimes, and ballets, are di-
rected by young Barrymore at Old Drury, and by
Farley at Covent Garden : powerful rivals. Both
Theatres intend to open on the Ist of October, and
each to perform six nights in the week, from the
commencement. Planche, Poole, Moore, and Barry
Cornwall, are said to have dramas in preparation for
Covent Garden. The comfortable little theatre at
the Haymarket will el a very profitable season, not-
withstandingits occasional disappointments. Kenney,
and Planche by the success of their comedies are likely
to reimburse Mr. Morris. The English Opera House,
under the direction of Mr. Arnold, continues to be
well attended. The opera of the Freebooters rises
in popularity and attraction every night it is acted,
notwithstanding the unfortunate absence of Miss
Paton, who, we understand, is rapidly recovering.
Terry and Yates open the Adelphi, which theyhave
newly cleaned and decorated, on the Ist of October.
Yates, aided by Mrs. Yates, has been giving his
" Characters, Sketches, and Imitations," at Guern-
sey, to many crowded audiences. Elliston has en-
tirely revived the character and credit of the Surrey
Theatre, by the well selected dramas which Le has
introduced, and his own admirable acting. The
King's Theatre, next season, will be managed by
Mr. Gro-orn, and otha assignees of Mr. ChaMbers.
Bochsa is engaged to superintend the musical de-
partment, and arrangements have been made with
Madame Pasta and Mademoiselle Sontag, each to
perform during the season.

The enormous amount of law charges has
•
been repeatedly complained of by us, more especially in re-
from 1501. to 200/. for being virtuall
ferring to verdicts in actions for libel, in which parties have
often had to pay
. acquitted by farthing damages, and by the certification'
of the Judge. The evil is growing rapidly on us ; it
tends to violate the fundamental principles of all Eng-
lish prosperity--11 denial of justice--and produces the
most oppressive results on individuals. Our readers will
find in another place, a letter from Messrs. Lane and Croft,
Solicitors, which we extract from a Sunday Paper. It is
a fearful exemplification of the nature and magnitude of a
bill of Costs. We shall simply state, that the narrative
contains the particulars of a Bill of 159/, of which all
but 291. was .taken oft' in taxation ! We make no com-
ment on this, but.leave the fact to speak for itself. With
respect to the system of Attorneys' coats, taking the
matter up generally, we must say that the Legislature
are bound to •
interfere ; society will otherwise he beg-
gered and devoured by an evil which grows by that it
feeds on.' It is to be hoped that this will he done for
the sake of the respectable part of the legal profession,
as well ar of the public; for if the monstrous system of
extorting undue sums in coats proceeds, the Lawyers gene-
rally, to use the strong language of a contemporary, will
come to be considered as the pests of society, and provoke
• the same feelings of hatred add desire of extirpation as that
which existed in England hi former times against the
troops othungry and devouring wild beasts,
which their
:ire scarcely effectual to restrain, and which kept
.!,t.„,r;Ju inz'rt..o4,e of perpetual fear for their existence.--
Sunday 21tnea.

SMITHFIELD M.

ARKET.

This day's market was well supplied, and numerously
attended L: buyers ; Beef and Pork (the former owing to
the marsh-men and stall-feeders being busy amongst the
young half-fat Beasts, the latter just coming into season)
sold with some degree of briskness, at about 2d. per stone
beyond, Mutton and Lamb dull, at about as much be-
neath, Friday's quotations ; in prices of Veal:no alteration.