Old and New London, A Narrative of its History, its People and its Places. Illustrated with Numerous Engravings from the Most Authentic Sources. vol 3
Thornbury, Walter
1872-78
Chapter XXIX:Covent Garden Theatre.
Chapter XXIX:Covent Garden Theatre.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We have seen that was frequently spoken of as and naturally enough, for the theatre in was not built until the year . The latter was a speculation of John Rich, the celebrated harlequin, and patentee of the theatre in , who removed hither with his company in . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hogarth's caricature of of which we give a copy on page , refers to this removal. The progress of the building was thus commented on in the for :--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The same paper for , states:--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The performance at was advertised in the following manner-- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It was doubtless apropos of some such comedy as the just mentioned that the remarks:--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Here, as Mr. Timbs reminds us, Rich and Lambert, in , founded the Beefsteak Club; and here, in , Garrick played for the season. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The site of the theatre was leased to Rich for a term of years by the Duke of Bedford, at a yearly rental of . It held before the curtain , which was at that time reckoned a good receipt. In Shakespeare's day was considered profitable; and says Colley Cibber, in his
In , further to increase the profits, seats were built on the stage sufficient to accommodate a large number of persons; but this arrangement was such an obstruction to the actors that it was abolished by | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p.229 | Garrick. At the time of the death of John Rich in , the ground-rent had been raised from to per annum, and the property was estimated at . In , when the Duke of Bedford, as ground-landlord, granted a new lease, it was at the rate of a year. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It was at Covent Garden that Handel, in , produced his great oratorio, the . The fashion of the day was against him, though he was supported by the court, the mob, and the poet of common sense, Alexander Pope, who records in his how, on finding it impossible to hold his own against the Italian faction, Handel quietly withdrew to Ireland for a year or so, till the tide should turn in his favour. writes Horace Walpole in , And well was Handel avenged. In a few years the Italian Opera House in the went out of fashion, and the nobility set up their own rival house in . observes Charles Knight, As usual, Horace Walpole has a cynical story to tell upon the subject. He writes thus to Mr. Conway, in :--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It was at Covent Garden that the fascinating Irish actress, Margaret Woffington, made her appearance upon a London and her last upon any stage. Her choice of a character for her , in , excited the surprise of the public, being that of but so captivating did she appear in it that Garrick, with whom it had been a favourite part, gave it up from that time. Her best was that of in , to which, in , she was speaking the epilogue with all the saucy piquancy peculiarly her own, when she was suddenly stricken with paralysis, and carried off the stage never to return to it. According to Dr. Doran, a bitter source of jealousy existed between Woffington and the beautiful and notorious George Anne Bellamy, whose written by herself with an | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p.230 | astonishing absence of reserve, were formerly read and quoted by every lady of fashion. says Dr. Doran,
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rich lies buried in Hillingdon churchyard, near Uxbridge. A vignette of his tomb, and a fac-simile of his autograph, attached to a agreement with Charles Fleetwood respecting the receipts of , will be found in
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A few years after the death of Rich the theatre, having been sold by his heirs for , was opened in by Messrs. Harris, Colman, Powell, and Rutherford. In Mr. Colman sold his share, and from this time, the theatre was virtually under the management of Mr. Harris, who had by far the largest interest in the property. .In it was almost wholly rebuilt, and was further altered and enlarged in . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Covent Garden is rich in names famous in histrionic annals, each of which is a landmark to point out the progress of the drama during the last century and a half. Among the earliest of these is that of Charles Macklin, the comedian and centenarian, who frequently peformed on its boards, and unless absent from London on engagements at Dublin, lived constantly almost under its shadow --mostly under its piazza; or hard by, in , , or Tavistock Row. Having once retired from the stage in middle life, in the hope of making a fortune by establishing a tavern and coffee-house in , he returned to it after the failure of his scheme and his consequent bankruptcy, and for many years, whilst quite an old man, played leading parts with some of the fire of youth. His last appearance at Covent Garden was on , he being then years of age, when he attempted the part of for his but was unable to proceed with the performance. But in spite of his loss of memory he still lived much abroad as usual, haunting the scene of his former triumphs, telling his stock of anecdotes over and over again, and, evening after evening, frequenting a public-house in Duke's Court, close by, where a large concourse would repair in order to hear the anecdotes of so aged and remarkable a person, who remembered the days of the dramatic giants of an earlier generation. As the infirmities of age increased on him, he would wander feebly about the neighbourhood of Covent Garden, sometimes looking in at the theatre, though he went thither rather more from the force of habit than from any gratification that he could receive, except, perhaps, from the music between the acts. On these occasions the audience, it is said, would always venerate his age, and compassionate his condition; for on his entrance into the pit, however full the house might be, room was always made for him in his accustomed seat--the centre of the last row next to the orchestra; and when the performance was over he would walk home leisurely by himself across the square of Covent Garden to Tavistock Row, where he lived and where he died, a veritable centenarian, in . His which originally appeared in the but were subsequently re-published in a volume, furnish us with some curious information respecting society in London and the manners and habits of the gentry and professional classes a century ago. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Macklin does not say much for the morality of Covent Garden and its neighbourhood, or of the taverns and public-houses by which it was surrounded, or of the still lower public-houses near , which were the resort of -rate actors, and theatrical critics of Grub Street or , who The ordinaries of the time, it appears, were charged from sixpence to a shilling a head--in the latter case being supplied with courses, and attended by superior sort of mixed company; though there were private rooms besides for wits of the higher order, and for such of the nobility as liked to frequent such places, where conviviality was often carried to excess. Macklin says also that the habits and manners of the dramatic as well as of other professions were very different from those which now prevail. The merchant, at that time, scarcely ever lived out of the City, his residence being always attached to his counting-house, and, indeed, his credit being in a great degree dependent on his observance of the established practice. According to Macklin, the migration of the London merchants to the westward dates only from , when a few of those who had already made large fortunes removed to . The lawyers, too, he used to tell his hearers, used at that time to live mostly in their inns of court, or else about Hall; and in like manner the actors around the great theatres. Thus, as we know, Quin, Booth, and Wilks lived almost constantly in or about Bow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p.231 | Street, Colley Cibber in , Billy Howard in , and Garrick, for a considerable portion of his life, in . The inferior players lodged in and about Vinegar Yard, , and the lesser courts round the theatres; says Macklin, What he would have said on this subject if he had lived on into our own days may be easily inferred from these last remarks of the father of the theatrical world a century ago. But we must return from this digression to the theatre itself, from which we are in danger of wandering with the actors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stephen Kemble made his appearance here, as in . Possessed, like all of his family, of considerable dramatic capabilities, his talents were unhappily obscured under a load of personal obesity, which had, however, the advantage of enabling him to enact the part of (his best character) without stuffing! Charles Incledon-- as he loved to be termed-made his as in , in . His voice is said to have been the most melodious, as well as powerful, of his time; and his manner of singing such songs as
and has never since been surpassed. In Charles Kemble, and in Mrs. Glover, made their appearances here. In George Frederick Cooke achieved a great success as --a performance spoken of as In John Philip Kemble purchased a part of the property of the Covent Garden patent, transferring his own services, with those of his sister, Mrs. Siddons, and his brother Charles, from to Covent Garden. In William Henry Betty, at years of age was filling the theatre to overflowing, and a detachment of the Guards was posted outside, with a large body of constables inside, to preserve order amongst the thousands who had assembled hours before the opening of the doors. His salary was at a night, but, after performances, was increased to ; and at years of age he quitted the profession with a handsome fortune. years later he returned to the stage; but the performance of his maturer years was not considered to fulfil the promise of his youth; and disappointed at the coldness with which he was received, he again retired into private life. He died in , aged . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On the morning of the , was totally destroyed by fire; a calamity which involved a fearful loss of human life- firemen being killed by the unexpected fall of a part of the ruins. The splendid organ left by Handel, and the stock of wine belonging to the Beefsteak Club, shared the fate of the whole building. The loss of property was estimated at , of which were covered by insurances. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Kemble, who had invested his all in the share so recently purchased, met with universal sympathy, which, in some notable instances, did not confine itself to words. The Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV., presented him with ; and the Duke of Northumberland with , which Kemble declined as a gift, but accepted as a loan, giving the duke his bond for the amount. On the , the Prince of Wales laid the stone of the new theatre, and the Duke of Northumberland sent Kemble back his bond, enclosed in a letter, saying that, The architect was Sir Robert Smirke, and the model selected, the Temple of Minerva in the Acropolis at Athens. The Doric portico in , with its fluted columns, and statues of Tragedy and Comedy, were by Flaxman, and the long panels in the upper part, with representations in basso-relievo of ancient and modern drama, were by Flaxman and Rossi. Some of the cost of the construction was received from the insurance offices, and the remaining was raised by subscription shares of each. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On the , the splendid edifice was opened at a proceeding which the management considered necessary on account of the enormous cost of the building. These new prices were by no means approved by the public, and led to the well-known riots. On the opening night of the new theatre, a cry of (afterwards diminished to ) burst from every part of the house. This continued and increased in violence till the , when rattles, drums, whistles, and cat-calls having completely drowned the voices of the actors, Mr. Kemble, the stage-manager, came forward and said | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p.232 |
was shouted from all sides. Their names were declared. bawled a wag from the gallery. In a few days the theatre re-opened; the public paid no attention to the report of the referees, and the tumult was renewed for several weeks with even increased violence. The proprietors sent in hired bruisers to mill the refractory into subjection. This irritated most of their former friends, and amongst the rest the annotator, who accordingly wrote the song of which was caught up by the ballad-singers, and sung under Mr. Kemble's house windows in . In the end Kemble was obliged to give way, and after a humble apology, which was graciously accepted by a crowded audience, peace and the were simultaneously restored. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For many years after this inauspicious commencement Covent Garden enjoyed a run of uninterrupted prosperity, the receipts between and averaging each season. The largest annual amount taken at the theatre was in the year -, when the sum of was received at the doors! The annual expenses during this period averaged -an outlay which required a skilful and liberal management to insure the large amounts just mentioned. It will be sufficient to mention the names of the principal performers at Covent Garden between and to show how powerful was the dramatic force there assembled:--In tragedy, Messrs. Kemble, Cooke, Macready, Young, &c. &c.; Mrs. Siddons, Miss O'Neill, &c. In comedy, Messrs. Liston, Munden, Charles Mathews, sen., W. Farren, &c.; Mesdames Jordan, Brinton, Foote, C. Kemble, &c. In opera, Messrs. Incledon, Braham, Pyne, and Mesdames Catalani, Bolton, Stephens, and Tree. Stephens made her appearance here in ; Miss O'Neill, in ; Macready, in ; and Farren, in . Several of these actresses and singers afterwards married noblemen; and the of the late James Smith, published in , contain various poetic effusions upon those ladies. We will quote a few, which will interest our readers: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The , in allusion to Miss Farren, Countess of Derby, runs thus:--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Another verse is in honour of Miss Brunton, Countess of Craven:--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Of Miss Bolton, Lady Thurlow, whose celebrated part was in The , the poet says-
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Of Miss O'Neill, who made prize of a baronet in the matrimonial lottery, he writes:--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appended to these verses is from another pen, written some years later, immortalising the lady who afterwards became Countess of Essex :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miss Foote, although not celebrated in verse by the author of was another actress of this period who was elevated from the stage to the peerage. She made her appearance at Covent Garden, in , as in Mrs. Inchbald's comedy of ; and became Countess of Harrington in . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Among the many good stories and anecdotes relating to and Covent Garden Theatres to be found in abundance in the anecdote biography of the last centuries, the following, relating as it does to Miss Farren, may be repeated here:--Lord Derby once applied in the greenroom to Sheridan for the arrears of Lady Derby's (Miss Farren's) salary, averring that he would not leave the room until it was paid. said Sheridan,
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mrs. Siddons retired from the stage in ; her brother, John Kemble, followed her example in , presenting his share of the theatre (-) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p.233 | to his brother Charles. In Mr. Harris, who owned -twelfths of the property died, and from this time the fortunes of the theatre declined. Differences arose between Mr. Henry Harris (who had succeeded to his father's share) and Mr. Charles Kemble, resulting in legal proceedings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In Mr. Henry Harris resigned his management, and the property was thrown into Chancery. Nevertheless, the Shakespearian play of was put upon the stage here in , though Mr. Kemble was doubtful how far any attempt to improve the costume would succeed, being afraid lest he should be considered an But in this matter he listened to the advice of Mr. Planche, and the introduction of appropriate mailarmour and helmets of the century was thoroughly appreciated by the public, : | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In spite, however, of these and other undisputed successes, the theatre, in , was seized by the parochial authorities, advertised for sale, and was only rescued by public subscriptions and voluntary contribution's of the company. Charles Kemble's administration was not so fortunate as that of his brother, although the last years of his management were brightened by the triumphs of his daughter, Miss Fanny Kemble, afterwards Mrs. Butler. Here was performed, in , Lord Francis Egerton's tragedy Edmund Kean made his last appearance on these boards. In the same year the great theatres of and Covent Garden were united under the management of Mr. Bunn, but the union was of short duration. In Covent Garden was leased to Mr. Osbaldistone, and the experiment tried of reducing the prices. Charles Kemble, Macready, and Miss Helen Faucit were the principal stars under this management, which only lasted years, when the theatre passed into the hands of Macready. A Shakespearian revival now took place, and ., and were produced in a style of gorgeous and appropriate magnificence. The profits were, however, by no means commensurate with the expenses, and within years Mr. Macready retired from the management a considerable loser. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In was taken by Madame Vestris, the most fascinating actress of her time; Mr. Planche, as he tells us in his agreeable acting as superintendent of the decorative department, and introducing great reforms in the matter of costume, and acting also as of plays submitted to the manager by unknown authors; but in spite of the almost unrivalled attractions afforded by a company which, in addition to the talented lessee and her no less talented husband, Charles Mathews-including Messrs. Harley and Keeley, and Mesdames Nisbet, Humby, and Keeley, &c.-the speculation was a losing , and was resigned at the end of the season. About this time Dickens wrote for , by way of helping the manager, a farce about which, the actors could not agree, and which he afterwards turned into his story of
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In , Mr. Charles Kemble again essayed the direction of the theatre, which opened with the opera of , Miss Adelaide Kemble being the prima donna; but Mr. C. Kemble, in spite of the prestige of his name, and his great success as an actor, was not destined to be fortunate as a manager, and the smallness of the receipts obliged him to withdraw the following November. The Christmas of the same year found the indomitable Mr. Bunn in possession, the entertainment offered being a curious olla-podrida, compounded of Shakespeare, English opera, and pantomime. Mr. Bunn's brief management ended , and the theatre was then let to the Anti-Corn-Law League, who used it for the purpose of a bazaar. Next, M. Jullien installed himself there for a season of winter promenade concerts, which were highly successful; and on , the given in England during the present century took place at Covent Garden, under his auspices. During the spring of the same year Antigone was performed, the theatre being under the direction of M. Laurent. M. Jullien's concerts and again attracted large crowds during the season of -. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mr. Planche, in his in contrasting Covent Garden with at this period, speaks of the former as To a certain extent this remark held true down to a recent date; and in proof of the latter part of the assertion, it may be said, without fear of contradiction, that Covent Garden has always been celebrated for the gorgeousness and brilliancy of its pantomimes. In fact, so gorgeous were the spectacular entertainments here, that on occasion we find Mr. Planche complaining to Mr. Kemble, the manager, that a were often lavished on a Christmas pantomime or an Easter spectacle, whilst the plays of Shakespeare were put upon the stage with of the degeneracy of the drama (proper), and of the rising taste for Byron writes-
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It was at this time the project was formed of opening a rival opera-house to the in the ; and in , after undergoing important alterations and additions, commenced its new career as The company consisted principally of seceders from Her Majesty's-hitherto the only Italian opera-house in London-and comprised the famous names of Giulia Grisi, Persiani, Mario, Tamburini, and even the great leader of the orchestra-Michael Costa himself. No wonder the alarmed lessee of Her Majesty's made strenuous efforts to prevent the threatened rivalry, in virtue of a privilege having been of old granted to the (the name by which it was known previously to her Majesty's accession) the same document containing a stipulation that That this exclusive right was no dead letter had been proved by Mr. Bunn in , when the entire company of had performed for night only in at Drury Lane--a performance immediately followed by a dignified protest from the Lord Chamberlain. A period of a dozen years, however, produces a change both of times and of Lords Chamberlains, and Mr. Lumley found out, as he tells us in his that he was under a government which discouraged monopolies of all kinds; and, his opposition notwithstanding, the Royal Italian Opera House, Covent Garden, was duly opened,
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The of , remarks:-- Yet, although Grisi, so long the popular idol, still held her own, in spite of the Jenny Lind mania, and, supported by Alboniwho made a triumphant during this yearinsured a full house every night, the expenses were frightfully in excess of the receipts. years | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p.235 p.236 | sufficed to involve Mr. Delafield, the lessee, in bankruptcy, although he had commenced his speculation with . The reconstruction of the interior, by Albano, had cost ; the vocal department, in , cost , of which Alboni drew , and Grisi . The orchestra cost ; the ballet, ; gas and gasmen, ; properties, ; carpenters' work, ; advertisements, ; wardrobes, ; printing, ; bills of performance; ; hairdressers, ; salaries of officials, ; law expenses, ; and fireworks, ! The whole expenditure in was ; the aggregate receipts, including cloak-room, saloon, &c., . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A curious contrast to this lavish outlay is to be found in the modest charges of a play acted in the year , on the Feast of St. Margaret, of which the expenses were as follow:--
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In Covent Garden passed into the hands of Mr. Gye. At the commencement of Mr. Gye let the theatre for a few weeks to Professor Anderson, the whose short lease terminated on the with a masked ball, for which Mr. Gye's reluctant consent had been extorted, after repeated refusals. It was not, as we have seen, the or the time that had been employed for the same purpose; but Mr. Gye's objections were in this instance unfortunately prophetic. The festivities were just concluding with the performance of the at a.m., there being then only about of the vast crowd of revellers left in the building, when the alarm of fire was given, and in a few hours nothing remained of the splendid structure but a heap of smoking ruins. Happily no lives were lost, although little else was saved in the general destruction, except the facade, and Flaxman's statues and bassi-relievi. The origin of the fire was never ascertained. Such a catatrophe, occurring at a period when the preparations and engagements for the coming season were on the point of completion, was calculated to daunt the stoutest heart; but Mr. Gye's courage and fertility of resource were equal even to an emergency like this. He at once engaged the Lyceum for the season, made a manly appeal to the public to support him, and opened his temporary opera-house on the to a brilliant and crowded audience. Early in the following year Mr. Gye obtained from the Duke of Bedford a lease of the site for a new theatre, at a rent of for years. This site included not only the ground on which the late theatre stood, but also that occupied by the Hotel, together with other tenements, the whole being equivalent to more than an acre. The funds for the new building were raised by loans; amongst the contributors being the Duke of Bedford, ; Messrs. Lucas, ; Colonel Meyrick, ; Mr. Billings, ; Mr. Maynard, ; Sir E. Majoribanks and Mr. Antrobus, ; besides Sir George Armytage, Mr. E. M. Barry, Mr. Turner, and others. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The yearly interest upon this large capital is necessarily considerable, and the securities contain a proviso that if the interest be in arrear over months, or the premiums of fire insurance be not paid, the lessee is to be considered as a tenant at a rental of per annum. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
These preliminaries arranged, the work of rebuilding the theatre commenced, and progressed with extraordinary rapidity, and with every improvement in the way of lighting, ventilation, decoration, comfort, and precaution against fire which modern science and taste could suggest. In contemplating this, of the largest and most magnificent theatres in Europe, it is difficult to realise that it was begun and completed within the short space of months. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The edifice occupies a space of ground measuring feet on the south side, next the Floral Hall, feet on the side, and feet along the end, where there is an enclosed portico projecting about feet. The portico is about - larger than that of its predecessor, adorned by Corinthian columns feet high, and by the figures and basso-relievos of Flaxman from the old building, which were cleverly adapted to the new , and have been insured by the Duke of Bedford for . The area of the stage, exclusive of the bow in advance of the proscenium, measures feet by , and the cost of the stagemachinery and various appurtenances was nearly . There are main staircases, besides minor ones, all of which are fireproof. In addition to the usual entrances there is a private in , with a staircase attached, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p.237 | leading to the royal box, and also a separate entrance and staircase leading to the box of the Duke of Bedford. The architect of this splendid structure was Mr. E. M. Barry; the contractors Messrs. Lucas; and the sum originally calculated, , but the actual cost has been computed at more than . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The new theatre is said to be of the same size as La Scala at Milan, which up to that time had the reputation of being the largest theatre in Europe, or perhaps in the world. The interior decorations are of a very chaste and elegant design, being of pale azure and white, relieved with rich gilding. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It was opened on the , by Mr. Harrison, in conjunction with Miss Louisa Pyne, with Meyerbeer's opera of which was performed to an overflowing audience, the numbers present on that occasion being in excess of the estimate of a and it was under their management that Balfe's celebrated opera of was produced with the greatest success. It was called by the critics of the time Balfe's
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It would be a work of supererogation to mention the names of the great artists who within the last years have made their world-wide reputation upon these boards. Who of the present generation needs to be reminded of Adelina Patti, who rose upon the horizon of the musical world in , and has reigned ever since queen of song and of hearts; of Pauline Lucca, equally fascinating and capricious; of the stately Titiens, always in splendid song, the only soprano that recalls to the musical connoisseur the singing of Pasta, Malibran, or Grisi; of that peerless contralto, Trebelli; or of the young Emma Albani; of Santley, Faure, Nicolini, or Tamberlik? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For years after the opening of the new theatre in Covent Garden, the lessees of the rival operahouses were fully occupied in endeavouring to solve the vexed question whether such establishments simultaneously carried on, in opposition to another, could be made to pay. In the belligerents, believing that the solution of the problem was to be found only in a coalition of forces, entered into partnership; but difficulties beset them from the very commencement, and the ultimate result was far from satisfactory, and, to begin with, Sir Michael Costa, the dignified at Covent Garden, declined to countenance the scheme, and withdrew his august services Signors Arditi and Li Calsi being thereupon appointed to conduct by turns. Next, differences of opinion (to speak very mildly) arose among the of the amalgamated companies, and terminated with the secession of Mdlles. Nilsson and Di Murska, and Signors Foli, Santley, Arditi, and others. Finally, the general public began to be dissatisfied, for a brisk competition between those who cater for its amusement is always an advantage, and monopoly of any sort invariably ends in mediocrity. Before the conclusion of the year the fusion had terminated in Messrs. Mapleson and Gye had dissolved their brief partnership, and the season of saw them again engaged in the amicable warfare which would seem to be the normal and natural condition of the principal theatres of the metropolis. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adjoining the theatre, on the southern side, is the Floral Hall, erected about the year , somewhat on the plan of the original Crystal Palace in ; but of this we shall have more to say in a subsequent chapter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It may be interesting here to make a note of the fact recorded in Forster's that when he was about years old he applied to Mr. Bartley, the then manager of Covent Garden, for an engagement at that theatre, and that a day was fixed for him to make trial of his powers. When the day came he was laid up with a bad cold, and could not appear; his trial was therefore postponed till the next season. In the meantime he had made himself famous by his pen, and so he took to literature instead. Possibly to that we owe
and
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It may be stated here that owing to their being the patent theatres, and Covent Garden have each at their doors a guard of honour of soldiers, furnished by the household troops. We have no doubt some of our young friends think they have something to do with the pantomime; but this, we can assure them, is a mistake, for the guard, we believe, is the sole relic of the exclusive under which these theatres so long existed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We have thus endeavoured to compress into a few pages an outline of the history of the leading theatres, and, indeed, for many years, the only theatres of London. But the whole neighbourhood around Covent Garden teems with theatrical reminiscences, for which a volume, in reality, would scarcely suffice. We will, however, endeavour, in the following chapters, to skim lightly over the ground, yet carefully, and as exhaustively as possible, rambling about from street to street, as the bee flits from flower to flower, and sipping here and there from the stores of past history of the Stuart and Hanoverian ages. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
