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VAUXHALL. These delicious gardens, the delight and envy of strangers from every quarter of the civilized world, opened on the King's birth-day with many improvements. 4,000l. have been laid out on this place, the boxes in which are now all newly painted, and, amongst other ornaments, are exhibited a variety of new transparencies-Victory-Wellington-Cochrane, &c. The vocal performers are as usual, Mr. Dignum, Miss Feron, and Mrs. Bland, to whom are added Miss Acres and Mr. Terrail, very promising singers. Mr. Dignum sang a new song, descriptive of the improvements in the gardens, "I don't know tho'," and several others. The fireworks were more splendid than ever, and the whole scene was a species of fairy vision, from which the throng with reluctance tore themselves away, long after the sun had dim'd the lustre of the illuminations.

THEATRICAL CHIT-CHAT.

Mr. Cumberland is a great mover in the attempt to procure a third theatre. While this matter was pending at Whitehall, Mr. C. met Mr. Kemble, when he presented him with The Widow's only Son, saying "Tho' we are rivals, Mr. Kemble, I will shew you that I am too generous to wish the entire ruin of your house-there, take that comedy!"

The British Press of the 11th June, tells us, that "The Widow's only Son," will be reserved till next season"—that is, read this day three months.

On the 11th June, Mr. Kelly had a benefit at the King's Theatre. The Honey Moon-a scene by Catalani-Psiche, with the corps du ballet. On the 13th he found it necessary to advertise that the pressure at the doors was so powerful as to do away the office of money taker, and to render his great house a small benefit. To prevent this, he conjures the defaulters of both sexes to send him his due, and we hope that they will have honour enough to attend to his appeal.

G. T. rebellion. A riot has taken place for many nights, and for what we know still continues to occur, at the Surrey Theatre. It is a contention respecting Miss Giroux and Miss Taylor, two rival columbines, and the row is kept up by the miscreant Jews, and other refuse of society. The parties wear the initials of their favourites, G. and T. in their hats, and afford Mr. Elliston the great gratifi cation of making many speeches to assure them of his labour in vain to make that house respectable.

Drury-lane Theatre. Mr. Sheridan has got the bill through the Lords for rebuilding of Drury. The exhibition, on this occasion,

was very ludicrous. Mr. Sheridan stood behind the chancellor, and cheered all those who spoke for him, and shook his head at those that did not. The Duke of Norfolk was not satisfied, and said he should like to have the patents laid on the table-at which Sherry's face burnt blue. However, he carried this point, and who ever doubted that he would; but touching the money to be raised, it is possible that same query may arise!

New Theatre, Tottenham-Street. In addition to the attraction of Mrs. Paul, the manager of this pretty little theatre has engaged Mrs. Harlowe, of the Drury-lane company, and has produced, in his own altered shape, The Padlock and The Frize. In the latter Mrs. Harlowe played Caroline, and with very good effect in the extra caricature of the performances at this house, which are very diverting. Lenitive was acted by Mr. Herring, an odd fish, being lively, and by no means mute. Mr. Lee, in Heartwell, sang "Beware of Love," in very good style. We advise the manager to give him more to sing and less to say. The Label of Mr. Fitzwilliam shews some comic humour. No change has been found necessary in the pantomime, which is excellent, through the graceful and grotesque exertions of Hollingsworth, Madame Louis, Laurent, his son, and Fairbrother.

ASTLEY'S AMPHITHEATRE. On the 18th of June, after The BloodRed Knight, which was then played for the fiftieth time with unabated admiration and success, The Erroneous Fortune Tellers, or Harlequin's Judgment, was performed. This is a new comic pantomime, the fertile invention of Mr. Astley, jun, to whose genius the ground-work of all the powerful attractions at this theatre is owing, and what he so ingeniously imagines, Mrs. Astley as admirably puts into execution. We speak of her heroine in the Spectacle. In the pantomime Mrs. Parker takes the lead, and is well supported by Messrs. Crossman, Bryson, and Southby. The latter piece exhibits the new scenes, and is replete with surprising metamorphoses, ingenious tricks, and whimsical fancies. These exertions have their reward. Not to except the regular theatres at any pe riod of the winter, we never witnessed any place of public amusement attended by a more elegant assemblage of persons. This is not on one, two, or three nights, but every night in the week is the circle at this house filled to an overflow of noble and fashionable spectators. The singular merits of The Blood-Red Knight, and the total exclusion of all improper characters from the lower boxes, may account for the marked distinction and preference bestowed on this theatre.

PROVINCIAL DRAMA.

Theatre Royal, Glasgow. This theatre opened in Dec. under the management of Messrs. Bartley and Trueman. The company is well selected, and of the first provincial celebrity. Bartley's skill, as a manager, is equal to his ability as an actor, which cannot be surpassed on this side the Tweed. The pieces were judiciously cast, and got up with the utmost correctness. Madame Catalani performed here seven nights, and receipts were near 1,000l. DONALD,

THEATRE ROYAL, NORWICH. As I observe our theatre has not for some months made its appearance in your pages, I shall now venture to solicit room for a few remarks on our performers. Fitzgerald unquestionably possesses a greater versatility of talent than most actors whom it has often fallen to my lot to see. He is an old and a deserved favourite. His Jews and Irishmen are among the very best imitations of their kind. Vining is our present hero. He is quite a stripling, and neither his figure nor his voice will permit him more than a limited range of business. He has spirit, vivacity, and imagination enough—perhaps too much. His arms and legs are in perpetual motion. But when a little more experience shall have mellowed his style of acting, he may become a very respectable performer. I only hope he does think himself so now. Bennett is a useful actor, there is a great deal of real nature in his painting, tho' the colouring is frequently too broad. His country louts are excellent, but I would remind him that there is no absolute necessity for their all being bandy-legged. Bellamy is another of our comic actors, and a very respectable one he isthere is great richness and true conic taste in many of his repres sentations, but I would suggest to him that the broad grin which is so constant an appendage to his countenance, might occasionally be dispensed with. Nursey is our best singer-he has a good toned voice, and very correct taste. His acting is “ poor indeed." Faucit is a mere ranter, I don't recollect to have seen him play one part well, except it was the country looby in “Love, laughs at Locksmiths." Beuchem is an imitator of his old master Brunton, and his predecessor Powell, but at a very long distance. Smith gives out his words with such dreadful hardness and monotony, that it really is quite painful to hear him delivered of a speech. We have no other actors worth notice.

310-VOL. VII.*

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Mrs. Fancit stands pre-eminently great at the head of our actresses. She possesses every advantage of person, countenance, and voice, necessary to form a really-excellent performer. She is the actress of nature, and her appeals to the heart are most power ful. Miss Greville stands next to Mrs. Faucit. Her figure is neat, but the expression of her face is not remarkably fortunate. She is a pretty singer and a tolerable actress certainly an improvable one. Mrs. Jones is very clever in old women, and Mrs. Binfield a correct and pleasing singer. Such, Sir, is the Norwich Company, in the opinion of one who frequently visits its representations, and I believe the picture will be allowed by impartial judges to be a faithful one.

Norwich, June 1, 1810.

W. L.

THE THIRD THEATRE.

(Continued from P. 400.)

THE following Notice, to the Drury-Lane company, has been stuck up in the Green-room of the Lyceum theatre.

Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane.

By order of the proprietors, the performers are informed, that the Drury-Lane patent, under the sanction and securities of the Lord Chancellor's order, will be the authority under which the company engaged, or to be engaged, will be called upon to perform for the ensuing season.

By Order of the Proprietors,

Friday, April 27, 1810.

R. PEAKE, Treasurer.

It was immediately torn down by the performers, who consider themselves as disbanded, that is, no longer the Drury-Lane company, and utterly refuse and deny the power and authority of Mr. Sheridan. His innumerable arts to suppress this spirit have all failed. They are further resolved never again to embody under the pitiful management of Mr. Arnold, who has pensioned himself, Colonel Greville, Mr. Sheridan, and his needy relations and dependants, on the produce of their labours, to the exclusion of many unhappy suf

ferers of inferior rank in the late establishment, who must have starved, had it not been for the private bounty of their brethren.

Under these circumstances, in this day of petitions, they had at the levee, on the 9th of May, one presented to his majesty by the Lord Chamberlain. It states the nature of their situation, how dispersed and distressed, and exposes the hopeless condition of depending on the energies, resources, and promises, of Mr. Sheridan. As to the new theatre, with respect to which he had so long been vapouring, they say, 66 a most formidable uncertainty presents itself, that it ever can, or ever will be built." If this be the case, and it is probable almost to the absence of doubt, they put in their claim to the right of building another theatre, and promise that it shall have these two recommendations-first, that its size shall afford the advantages of "seeing and hearing ;" and, secondly, that its profits shall, as far as they will go, leave none of their co-partners in misfortune, without relief and protection. The petition was signed by thirty-two performers; and Mr. BRAHAM appears at their head, as the high priest of this covenant.

This, and the threat of a further exposé more at length, made Mr. Sheridan bestir himself, and, on the 15th of May, behold a short letter from him in the Morning Chronicle, where he cunningly conceals himself, under the title FACT. Here we are told that there is "not one syllable of truth in the allegations of said petition." And on May 16, the committee for the subscribers to the petition, Messrs. Wroughton, Johnstone, Dowton, Russell, Mathews, and Decamp, give him the retort courteous, by publicly stating that "there is not one syllable of truth, in all that Fuct has advanced." Now the parties are at issue. Of the two governments, the monarchy of Mr. Sheridan, and the mobarchy of the thirty-two players, we should prefer the latter; but merely because we are convinced that none can be so pernicious and destructive to prosperity as the policy of the former.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

A Romance in three volumes, intitled "THE SPECTRE OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GRENADA," is in the press.

EDINBURGH REVIEW, No. XXXI. An Oxford man having pub

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