The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-20 00:00:00

THEATRE-ROYAL

The'present plan of trusting to the strength of /tie stock
company, adopted by the new lessees, has been greatly ob-
jected to by some of the playgoers ; and really, by the thin
attendances, one would suppose, on the first blush of the
matter, that the object had failed. That the plan will even-
tually answer, there is little doubt ; but just at present it
is not fashionable amongst certain circles to patronise the
drama, and an excuse perhaps is set up that those who take
the lead in modish matters want to be stimulated by the
engagement of stars. But the stars, we fancy, will have to
shine, if they can, elsewhere—we say "if they can," because
some of the metropolitans who periodically vagabondise at
this season of the year, are dimming their pale and ineffec-
tual fires " at some of the provincial theatres to £3, £5,
£lO, and £l5 houses. We have been told that Mr. Farren,
Mr. Harley, and Mr. Somebody-else, have been honoured
with several " rushes of two to the pit" during their present
tour. That they might do well at Liverpool, there is 140
doubt; but the rapacity of these metropolitans has closed
the doors of the Theatre-Royal against them. They ask
such terms, that the management had better be content with
half houses without them, than three-quarter audiences with
them. " Why don't they engage Miss Kemble?" has been
the cry. Miss Kemble wants, it is said, £lOO a-night for
herself and troop. Of course, the orchestra must be aug-
mented, supernumeraries taken on, and much additional
expense incurred. Would the public guarantee a bumper
house whenever she played ? Take the starring system of
the past season : what did Vestris draw ?—Macready ?—that
horrid set of vulgarities, the Adelphi company ?—what the
German company, or Cerrito ? The Germans drew good
houses, it is true; but look at the expense attendant upon
them ! Cerrito at first was attractive, but, after her quarrel
with Guerra, her influence was lessened. We see that she
has been feted, and followed, and almost worshipped, during
her late trip abroad—flowers thrown everywhere in her path,
bands of music attendinc, her, and all sorts of nonsense be-
sides. Taglioni too—she has been drawn through the streets
at St. Petersburgh in a carriage, with silver-spoked wheels,
and entertained by the Emperor of Russia, and made a still
greater fool of, than Cerrito elsewhere. There is no account-
ing for taste; but how the magnates of any land can lower
themselves by countenancing so absurdly those who, in the
scale of intellect and birth, are distant from them " far as
the poles asunder," is surprising. A man starves and rots
in gaol, whose mental wealth and intellectual riches have
given amusement and instruction to thousands and thou-
sands ; while here we have a woman with a strong muscle in
her toe, and who can lift up her leg as high as her nose,
is feted, petted, and golden-calfised, until it makes a sensi-
ble man sick to read or think of—to see such things would
kill him outright.

The drama In Liverpool is at a discount ; it is not fashion-
able with the intellectual classes ; while tumbling, mouute-
banking, and rubbish are only appreciated by those who have
small means and less good sense. But a change must surely
come.

The spectacle of the " White Cat," produced on Monday
last, for the amusement of the Whitsuntide holiday people,
is a very gay, showy, and amusing production. It is well
done, and exhibits the usual care and attention to stage effect
that distinguish all dramas got up under Mr. W. J. Ham-
mond's direction. The plot is taken from the old nursery
ballad of the King who had three sons, and who were sent
to seek their fortunes. After a twelve months' absence, the
one that returned with a dog small enough to pass through
a thumb ring was to ascend the throne, the old gentleman
abdicating in his favour. The three sons (Prince Paragon,
Miss Gardner; Prince Precious, Miss Honner ; Prince
Placid, Miss Chaplin) depart. We are only favoured with the
proceedings of Prince Paragon and his friend Jingo (Mr.
W. J. Hammond). While they are talking of their journey,
the scene suddenly changes to a deep forest, (capitally ma-
naged, by the way): a portion of this opens, and the portals
of the White Cat's palace are discovered. An invitation t 0
the wanderers in search of the bow-wow is given. They are
waved forward by hands the possessors of which are invisi-
ble. A gorgeous scene of fairy land is next exhibited, being
theinterior of the White Cat's castle. Here the prince is
hospitably entertained with feastings and dancing. The
TVhite Cat (Miss Webster) favours him with a minuet,
danced by herself and Herr Grimalkin (Mr. Jonas). A
pretty Chinese dance and a pas de deux (" paddy ducks"),
by Mons. and Madame Schmidt, are also performed, very
much to the satisfaction of the prince, as well as the audi-
ence. The prince is warned to depart home. Previous to
his departure the TV/site Cat gives him an acorn, in which a
dog is enclosed. He returns to his father's kingdom, and
finds his brothers assembled there also, each with great
quantities of dogs. The old King (very humorously and
cleverly played by Mr. Baker) is now unwilling to abdicate,
therefore adopting the advice of his minister, as other so-
vereigns do—to temporize with his son who has fulfilled the
command given him, of bringing a dog of " immense small-
ness,"—sends his children on another errand, to bring
back the " most beautifullest of all beautiful ladies ;" on
the production of whom a real abdication should take
place in favour of the possessor. The princes again depart.
Prince Paragon and Jingo visit the White Cat once more.
The Prince tells her the object of his present journey.
She desires him to cut off her head and tail, and, by cutting
off her ends, his own would be gained. This the gallant
Prince refuses to do at first, but at length consents to per-
form. On doing " execution to Cawdor," a beautiful prin-
cess appears in the person of pretty Mrs. Barton. With a
fine retinue, the Prince returns home, and " cuts the big
figure" before his revered parent, who is told that he has no
necessity to resign his kingdoms, because the " White Cat"
has a great quantity of her own, some of which are bestowed
upon her husband's brothers, while the rest are annexed to
" Neverminditsnamia." The dialogue of this extravaganza
is full of pleasant hits and capital puns, some of which told
very well, and were taken up instantly by the audience. The
scenery is very pretty, and the transformations are rapidly
performed. The interior of the TT kite Cat's palace is a gor-
geous hall of Fairyland : the last. scene is also splendid.
Mr. Baker, as King of Nevermmditsnamia, dressed like
" Richard," and created immense laughter by his occasional
imitations of a well-known tragedian.

Miss Gardner plays the Prince extremtly well ; shows her
pretty legs, and looks a sweet little sprig of royalty. She
sang the pathetic willow song, "All round my Cat," and
obtained an encore. Miss Webster danced with Mr. Jonas
the Cat's minuet very neatly. Miss Chaplin and Miss lion-
ner have too little to do, as the Prince's Brothers, to need
comment. The " White Cat" has plenty of fun in it, and
will please those who honour the theatre with a visit.
" The Soldier's Daughter" has been performed this week
excellently. The Widow Cheerly of Miss Bennett is the
gayest of the gay. Mr. Baker's Governor Wearily is one of
his best specimens of old men. We like Mr. Baker in this
line as well as any one on the stage. In some characters he
outrivals all competitors.
Since writing the above, the following statement of theatri-
cals in the provinces has come under our notice. We copy
it from the Morning Herald of yesterday :—A curious ex-
posure of the state of theatrical affairs in the provinces was
made a few weeks since at the Plymouth theatre. Mr. Hay,
the manager of that circuit, has just resigned the theatrical
management at Plymouth into the hands of the corporation,
from whom he had leased it ; and they, in consequence of its
non-success, are about to use the building for other than
theatrical purposes. In taking his leave of a Plymouth audience
Mr. Hay entered at length into the particulars of his manage-
ment.- He had, he said, come to Plymouth under the auspices
of the late Earl Morley, of General and Mrs. Ellice, Sir Geo.
and Lady Whitmore, Major Palk, Sir H. Blackwood, and
others, who had absolutely canvassed the town in his behalf,
and taken every step in their power to secure his success. He
brought to the theatre an admirable company, including Phelp
and other actors now on the Drury-lane boards ; he had an
orchestra competent to perform operas, and Col. Hamilton
Smith gave him his gratuitous services as a designer of
scenery and embellishments. He also secured at different
times the assistance of various actors, including young Kean
and Macready, who, lie said, drew plenty of money, but un-
fortunately took it all away with them. But despite of all these
auxiliaries, of few of which provincial boards can make
boast, Mr. Hay sustained a loss of from £3O to £lO a week,
during several successive seasons. Mr. Hay entered into
particulars of this loss. " I brought out," he said, "in
this theatre a favourite opera, not only for the first time
here, but for the first time in the provinces, and the receipts
only amounted to £2 25., while I paid £5 extra for an
efficient orchestra alone. Hamlet has been played here to
a house with 10s. in it, while the gas which is now glimmer-
ing around you cost me 275. a night." These direful
losses Mr. Hay attributed to various causes. "In olden
times (he said) the drama flourished, for our forefathers
were accustomed to go abroad for amusement; now music
is most generally cultivated in our own families—our sons
and our daughters play the best productions of the first
masters ; this operates unfavourably. The same with danc-
ing, and the late hour of dining. The excessive coach hire
in winter evenings is also a great tax to those who would
visit the theatre, and in the summer the attractions of this
place and the charmsi of the neighbourhood tend to render
the theatre deserted, for few are inclined to shut themselves
up in a warm building and lose the pleasure of the many
natural charms without. lam afraid, ladies and gentlemen,
(said the manager, in conclusion,) I have given you rather a
tedious history. I know that in the present day some make
a joke of these things, but in faith it has been no joke to
me."