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THE STAGE:
BOTH BEFORE
AND
BEHIND THE CURTAIN,
FROM
"OBSERVATIONS TAKEN ON THE SPOT."
BY ALFRED BUNN,
LATE LESSEE OF THE THEATRES ROYAL DRURY LANE AND
COVENT GARDEN.
"I am (NOT) forbid
To tell the secrets of my prison-house."
HAMLET, ACT 1. SC. V.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty.
1840.
301
CONTENTS
OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
-
Reduction of prices, and consequent reduction of character-Differ-
ence of views taken in and out of Parliament-Mr. Kemble's the-
ory and practice opposed to one another-Mr. Farley-" Stars"
self-nominated-Olympic company superior to the Covent Garden
one-Cheap postage no benefit Auber and Rodwell- · Doctor
O'Toole and Doctor Yates-The Provost of Bruges-Mr. R. B.
Peake's frolics-Proposed illumination for the return of legitimacy
-Not enough money taken to pay for it-Miss Joanna Baillie and
Sir Walter Scott-Theatrical funds, and their annual dinners-
Tom Dibdin, and his aunual dinner-Marriage certificate of Mali-
bran Page 1
CHAPTER II.
Overclouding of the horizon-Refusal of a good part, and acting of a
bad one-Difference between pageantry and performance-The
Bridal Contract-Breach of promise-Reading a new piece-An
actor's benefit and a manager's benefit by no means the same-
Various views of degradation-"The ruling passion strong in death”—
Pieces and after-pieces-Temper, and the effects of a bad one-
Practice and preaching-Mr. Macready's quarrels with all his ma-
nagers-No one's opinion of him equal to his own-Mr. Grattan's
nose Mr. Serjeant Talfourd-Mr. Macready's appearance and
speech at Covent Garden-Presentation of Ion-Talfourd's law a
libel-Difference of attraction between Malibran and Macready as
great as between their talents-Talfourd's ideas of himself and his
Tagedies 25
CHAPTER III.
Illness and recovery-Production of the Maid of Artois-Criticism
on Madame Malibran-Brilliant result of drinking a pint of porter
-Ingenious mode of supplying it-Receipts to the performance of
Shakspeare's representative" pitted against the receipts to Madame
Malibran-Average of the monies taken during her respective
visits to England-Cooper's speech-Advertisement for a tenant-
Benefits, or otherwise, of an Act of Parliament-The late and pre-
sent lessee of Drury Lane-Elliston, and the late Mr. Calcraft
M.P.-The worth of a patent, and the number of claimants upon
it-A"feast of reason and a flow of soul" at the "Piazza -A
speech, and an advertisement extraordinary
57
CHAPTER IV.
The manager's last sight of the actress-Kean, ou Désordre et Génie,
exemplified in the actor and the dramatist-Kean's sugar and
water, without brandy-Taglioni and Malibran, "the two stars in
one sphere"-6,000l. too much to pay for enthusiasm-One of
Beazley's many jokes-A supper at Brompton, and a breakfast in
the morning-Malibran's death-Funeral-Mourners at it-The
Moseley arms and the coffin-De Beriot-Dr. Belluomini-La-
blache-De Beriot's grief, and his sister's letter-Report of the
Festival Committee-The Duchess of St. Alban's-Malibran'