The New York herald., 1869-08-28
THE ENGLISH STAGE.


the Theatres.
LONDON, August Q. 1859.
There was good old time when there were only
two generally acknowledged theatres open OF the
same time in London. The managers Of Drury
Lane and Covent Garden, the patent houses par
e1ceUence, had right to unbar their portals when
they pleased, but they invariably preferred TO keep
them closed during the summer months. In the
warm interval company, usually selected from the
troupes OF both theatres, acted at the 'lite Hay
Market" as il was formerly called, the privilege
OF which, embodied in patens granted to Sam
Foote, was confined to right Of performance during
the weeks when she rights OF the ''Majorsn were
In abeyance. The Lyceum was also o summer
theatre" in tho olden time but it was
called the "English Opera House,n and
It's entertainments were generally more or
less operatic in their character. Travelling was
| unknown to great multitude Of the LondOners, and
occasional visit to the Haymarket and the Lyceum
! was an item In their summer programmes. The an
cient MANAGERS Of Astey's, once 30 popular as the
only equestrian theatre never began their season till
Easter Monday, and shut their doors soon as DAYS
grew short. The more modern Adelph and olympic,
the other hand were condned to winter, and their
opening at Easter tide in the year 1887 was IN conse
quence Of a release from Old restrictions granted by
! the Lord Chamberlain.
When theatrical free trade, or as the French phrase
it. Ia A6err6 dss thedtres was established and every
body could do he pleased, proclIvIties IN general
took winterly direction. Increased facilities for To-
| comoton had rendered the practice of going out of
| town almost universal, and at several houses which
had once chiefly fourshed in the summer 1t long
deemed hazardous to remain open even until WHIT
suntlde Towards the end Of July at least the theat
rical critic considered that his annual holiday had
begun ana that he need not think seriously abOut
| his tolls before the end OF September.
dNf n1le
are now more frequent than ever; but the custom OF
| closing theatres during the summer months seems
| altogether TO have vanished from the managerial
| mind. Mr.. Buckstone the manager Of the Hay
market once the summer theatre especially, Is a.
most the only manager VINO mas voluntarily smut up
! by the engagement OF Miss Bateman, and he lett
| Miss Amy Se0gwick to supplant him with failure.
| The Lyceum Is shat Simply because no one can be
| found to open 1t, SO many having performed that
operation to their bitter cost The ST. James-a
risky houseis bdiug Its time, while the theatrical
pubic auxiously conjecture whether Mrs. J. Wood,
who is the present lessee, VIII prove more fortunate
than her predecessors. But the theatres generally
may be divided into those which have opened in
July and August and those that having previously
! opened remain open still.
where, as you already know, Mr.. +. B. Chatterton
commenced his season on tine 9th inst, with Mr..
| Dion BOucicauts new DRAMA "Formosa, or the Rail-
road to Ruin" Make no doubt OF the success OF the
piece. It WAS on the 18th OF August last year tina.
at the Princess, and made people stare
at the grand railway sensation that about
|
in New York. Napoleon !. said that he was by ma
ture republican, but that fate and the opposition
same spirit Boucicault may say tnat nature made
him writer Of comedy but popular tendencies
made him ''sensationallst." It's bad sign Oh the
times when we find that where man Of talent does
his best he least succeeds One Of the prettest plays
that Boucicault ever wrote was short comedy with
Down" This was produced at the St. James' and
extremely well acted, yet 1t made no Stir and nobody
created faror and its railroad eject was upheld at
| the Surrey and at Sadler's Wells.
Some wiseacres were half afraid Of his new play,
| "Formosa," because the lady SO named Is q "thng
OF naughtN and the Traviata, though she was well
coined when sne sang IN Italian was insulted when.
ever she Yentured to talk English. But really the
fear was unfOunded. The moral senstiveness or the
people has quietly diminished since they first saw
| the snowy virtues OF POtiphar's wife depicted by
| Mile. Schneider In LA Grand Duchesse." and, even
were It otherwise, Formosa is the most inonensive
OF tOrettes. She repents too, with such velocity
it does ones heart good to behold her conversion.
No one understands the London public better than
Mr.. Dion Boucicault. Though nominaly the prnci.
pal theatre In London, Drnry Lane is by no means
aristocratc, and q "mlxed" audience are to be
strongly impressed with the belief that virtue and
very limited income are closely allied, II not CON
vinced OF the law OF cause and effect. The notion
his daughter leads life Of brilliant prOnigacy at
Fulham is delightful 70 their hearts and this fact is
perfectly known by the skilful dramatist. Talk as
you will about the yearning Of our people for the
diffusion OF education, the masses who pay their
money TO occupy the pit or gallery OF Drnry Lane
certain at the bottom OF their souls that good
honest ignorance, accompanied by rude manners are
worth all the book learning and polish in the world.
Sam Boxer, the father Of FOrmosa, and hts plain
spoken wife, are the true moral ideals for British
public.
John Bull too, loves 'sportn with an intensity nm.
known to the European continent. The French.
man, subject to malignant Anglo mama consents
to patronze the races but there Is no "Derby day''
In Paris, and many who frequent the 'c0urses''
are all the while reqrettlng their cigar aud
"oxford and Cambridge boat race which 9stners s
all the democracy OF the town to applaud contendng
arlsocrats who represent the most exclusive univer.
ses In the world. In his "FOrm0sau Dion BOuci
cault contrlves that his audience shall follow not
only the fortunes OF snowy courtesan and her VIC
the Thames Not only the happiness OF Tom Bur.
roughs the stroke oar Is at stake but the nteresb
Of the "OXford eight are impered likewise and
the former cannot be insured without the prevention
Of the latter 1t is to be regretted that scene Itself
isnot better executed. Never was seen suon a set
OF odd little boatnen as those that bob backw ards
and forwards ike card puppets in the presence OF
very ilpalnted crowd. Formosa's villa at Ful.
ham is on the other hand gem Of decorative art,
and is only fairly honored by Che universal call for
Mr.. Beverly, the painter The exterior Of the villa
covers nearly haf the Stage but the INTERIOR brightly
Int up is visible, and the Thames sparkling in the
moonlight makes long background. A villa on
tnc names IL snouid be remarked, is one Of the
highest OF London luxuries
There are mourners for the ''legltimaton who can
not bear to see '.Od Drury'' associated with any
thing but the Shakspearian drama. Their lamen-
tstions are reasonable enough coming as they do
from persons who have no pecuniary interest In
theatrical enterprises But poor Mr.. Chatterton has
fought brayey TO make his house the home of
Shakespeare and finds tina. he must give 1t up as a
udu yOp MI fhelpS Is al very wen Wnen he gives
O series OF tragedies and comedies at the beginning
or end OF season, but the series must not last too
longs and the public, when 1t cannot have its Christ
mas pantomime, lnstnctiveiy remains outside the
walls OF big theatre, unless it be pulled by some-
thing sensational. Mr.. Andrew hallidsy's ''Great
CITY," piece OF the CATER Darkr school, was great
"ht;" was his "King o. Scotsr which gained extra
respectaoiity from the TACT thar the plot taken from
Sir w. Scotts Ngel,' was placed In the seventeenth
century; and Mr.. ID. B0uclcaults "Formosan will
prove another.
Talking OF Mr. Halliday paper war has arisen on
the subject OF Mr. John Bfougbems 'farcical
comedy" "Among the Breakersu IN which Mr.. John
s. Clarke las achieved great success at the strand
where he is an Immense Iavorlte Before the pro.
ducuon Of Mr. Brougham's piece another sfarccal
comedy entitled "Checkmate," written by Mr.. Hal
liday, mad been brought out at the Royalty, where
1t was charmlngy played by a competent little CON-
pany, headed by Miss Pattie Oliver, ana the two
Pleces ha9 certain ipeideqls y common. Moreover,
the fact tfahBpred that some time ago copy OF
lIaIIol. aIn,s nlax had been LETT ut The RnIalLY