1822.] London Theatres-Haymarket. OF THE LONDON THEATRES, No. X. [With Engravings of the old and present Theatres.] (Continued from vol. LXXXVI. 1. p. 207.) THE Little Theatre over against the Opera House in the Haymarket.. The Haymarket Theatre. The foundation of the original Theatre thus named, was commenced on the sole speculation of one Potter, a builder or carpenter, and the whole fabric was completed in 1720. The proprietor did not possess a patent, nor appears to have expected the grant of a licence, or been in any way engaged with a company of young amateur performers, that about the time of building the House acted with some applause at a tavern in St. Alban'sstreet. The ground of speculation (if any) upon which Potter might have depended, was the chance of letting the House to "The French Players." Parisian dancers, or an Italian singer, was an exhibition partially patronized by the audience from the earliest establishment of the English drama. During the 17th century dancing and singing formed a distinguished portion of the bill of fare, and served to eke out an evening's entertainment instead of a regular after-piece. Indeed so ingratiated were these exotics with the public, that any capricious refusal (like sudden illness) upon the part of a performer, to go through with the announced dance, or sing a song, most frequently created (in theatrical technicality) a riot. On some occasions we find a French play tolerated at the Patent Theatres, and generally once in a season a benefit for "The French Players," but we believe the opening of this Theatre was the first attempt to form a permanent company for acting regularly pieces in that language, and which afterwards met with a signal and absolute defeat within the iame walls. The announcement of the opening of the House appeared in a daily paper of the 15th Dec. 1720, as follows: "At the New Theatre in the Haymarket (between Little Suffolk-street and Jamesstreet), which is now completely finished, will be acted French Comedies, as soon as the rest of the actors arrive from Paris, who are daily expected." The first performance was thus ad vertised: "Never acted before. By the Company of French Comedians. At the New GENT. MAG. March, 1822. de Paris. 201 Theatre over against the Opera House in the Haymarket, this present Thursday, being the 29th day of December, will be presented for the first time a new Comedy, called La Fille à la mode; ou le Badeaut The Pit and Boxes to be put together; and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be delivered out this day at Mr. Slaughter's Coffee-house in St. Martin's-lane, and at the above Theatre, at 5s. each. With a new Prologue, and several Entertainments of Dancing.-Gallery 2s.-To begin at Six o'Clock. On Jan. 2, 1721, the prices were fixed-Boxes, 4s. Pit, 2s. 6s. Gall. 1s. 6d. During part of the following season, 1721-2, the bills announced: " By his Grace the Duke of Montague's Company of French Comedians." This Theatre was not occupied by an English Company until near three years after it was built, and a new play then was introduced to the public, on the night of the first opening for the season, by a still greater novelty, an entire new company. "On Thursday, Dec. 12, 1723, (says the Universal Journal) a new Play-house was opened in the Haymarket. The Company, we are informed, consists of persons who never appeared in public before. The first play they entertained the Town with was a Comedy, intituled, The Female Fop, or the false one fitted." be per In the Preface to that play the author states, "That it was to be play'd by a new Company, unknown to and unheard of in Town;" adding, "it might have afforded a strong argument against us, but that it was to formed by persons who never appeared on the stage before, and their first play too." Who was the manager to this "young Company," does not appear, nor how long they continued acting; probably their season was a very short one. At first the bills were printed without the names of the actors, but they were afterwards inserted. In 1724 we find the French Comedians there, who announced, "no person to be admitted into the boxes but by printed tickets, which will be delivered at the door." 1725. Several Concerts performed there. On April 11, 1726, "The Company of Italian Comedians just arrived," commenced performing by subscription; and, as the season advanced, Signora Violante with rope dancers and 202 London Theatres-Haymarket. and tumblers also performed and continued there during the following season. The popularity of the latter enter- Datt costa de brave gentry no more as Dat make a de poor English veepe, Because de vill troupe home again† ; A very, &c. "De toder place be Mademoiselle Violante Shee jump upon de rope ten storie high, During the season of 1730-1, this Theatre was opened" by the Company of Comedians," as their adver [March, tisements announced §, and probably collected by Henry Fielding. "On the 3d Dec. 1731, a prize was fought (says a public Journal) at the French Theatre in the Haymarket, between Mr. Figg and Mr. Sparks, at which performance his Serene Highness the Duke of Lorrain, his Excellency Count Kinski, and several persons of distinction, were present; when the beauty and judgment of the sword was delineated in a very extraordinary manner by those two champions, and with very little blood-shed. His Serene Highness was extremely pleased, and expressed his intire satisfaction, and ordered them an handsome gratuity." In April 1732 the English Opera of Amelia, by Henry Carey, was performed" after the Italian manner," with additional songs by Miss Arne ||Pit and boxes laid together, at 5s. Gallery, 2s. 6d. And tickets and places had at Mr. Fribourg's, maker of rappee snuff at the door of the Theatre." Signora Violante, having in a trip to Dublin 1, collected a new Company, commenced here in September 1732. *The Rape of Proserpine was first acted, Monday, Feb. 13. 1727, after the Cheats of Scapin, at Lincoln's Inn Fields. Receipt of the first night was 216l. 12s. 6d.; second night, 2031. 19s.; third night, for benefit of John Rich, 2051. 2s. It was probably the joint production of Theobald and Rich. + This had long been an accusation against these birds of passage. The Epilogue to the Comedy of the French Conjurer, acted at Dorset Gardens Theatre in 1677, as spoken by Monsieur, has the following lines: "Here dull comedian spend ten tousand pound, Build house, and act togeder seav'n year round: We presume it was either husband or relative of this lady, and one of her company, that performed the following feat: Last Thursday evening [June 1, 1727], about 8, M. Violante, an Italian, descended head foremost, by a rope, his legs and arms extended, from the top of the steeple of St. Martin's Church, over the houses in St. Martin's-lane, to the farthest side of the Meuse opposite thereunto, in the space of half a minute's time. 'Tis computed to be about 300 yards. There were present a great number of spectators: the young Princesses, and several persons of quality were in the Meuse; where a featherbed was laid at the bottom of the rope to receive him, but he leaped from off the rope within a few yards of it." British Journal, 3 June, 1727. "By the Company of Comedians, at the New Theatre in the Haymarket, to-morrow being Wednesday the 23d of December, will be presented, The Author's Farce; in which will be introduced an operatical puppet-show, called, The Pleasures of the Town. The part of Luckless the Author, by Mr. Mullart; Whitmore, Mr. Lacy; Marplay, Mr. Reynolds; Sparkish, Mr. Furnivall; Bookweight, Mr. Jones; Scarecrow, Mr. Wathen; Harriott, Mrs. Lacy; Goddess of Nonsense, Mrs. Mullart; Don Tragedio, Mr. Ayres; Sir Farsical, Mr. Davenport; Signora Opera, Mrs. Nokes; Dr. Orator, Mr. Jones; Somebody, Mr. Wathen; Nobody, Mr. Cross; Punch, Mr. Reynolds; Joan, Mr. Hicks. To which will be added, the comical Tragedy of Tom Thumb; in which will be introduced a new act, called, The Battle of the Poets; or, The Contention for the Laurel; between Coment Profound, Sulky Bathos, Fopling Fribble, Noctifer, &c. With the songs proper to the same. The part of Fopling Fribble by Mr. Woodward. Printed books of the poets will be sold at the Theatre." &c. &c. Sister to Dr. Arne, and in 1734 married Theophilus Cibber. ¶ Her first performance in Dublin was in 1727. The The following note upon this Opera, when first produced, is taken from an unfinished and unpublished volume printed in 1812, called, "The Prompter." The authority was a manuscript register of plays kept by Charles Moyser Rich, one of the proprietors of Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, and obligingly communicated to the Editor by Mr. Kemble: "By the enumeration of Mr. Rich, this popular Piece was only performed sixty-two nights in the first season, which ended June 19th, 1728, while other accounts state the number as one night more. A circumstance mentioned by the Author in a Letter to Swift may explain this variance. He relates, that on the thirty-sixth night, it was substituted at a benefit, a performer being suddenly taken sick, and the audience would not suffer any other Play to be acted. As this was contrary to all rule,' probably Rich did not chuse to notice the fact, and therefore registered Hamlet,' for the benefit of Mrs. Barbier. The Money and Tickets amounting on that night to 1634. 10s. proves the demand to have been made by a very full House. The whole money received for the sixty-two nights was 11,1997. 14s. In the following statement, the benefits of the Author are particularised, that it may show how little exertion he used in the customary disposal of Tickets. £. s. d. 5 6 The twelfth, probably for the benefit of the Author, though not so expressed ...170 Card Tickets.... ..........162 8 0 13 10 The twenty-first "the King, and Queen, and Princesses were at the House"....163 14 0 "The following season commenced in September with the same Opera, and on the New Year's day of 1729, it was acted" by the Lilliputians," the Prince of Wales being present to a House that produced 116/. 11s. The novelty of these pigmy prodigies served to amuse the town for fifteen nights, and were favourably supported, the lowest receipt being 371. 25.; hile the Tragedy of Macbeth, acted a short period after, brought only fourteen guineas. "On December the 7th, 1732, the New Theatre in Covent Garden opened, and as early as the ninth night, "The Beggar's Opera" was produced, with the novelty of Miss Norsa performing the character of Polly. On that occasion, it was acted at Drury-Lane for the first time, and for three nights played in rival competition at both theatres. There the contest ended, and the piece was continued at Covent Garden through twenty nights. On the second night of performance the receipt amounted to 1221. 11s. a larger sum than had been before received at that theatre, notwithstanding the novelty of its being new built, and the price of admission to the Pit having been made for the opening, equal to the boxes. "This piece was not again revived within the period of the Register kept by Mr. Rich. "Mr. Quin adopted it for his benefit at Lincoln's Inn Fields, March 19, 1730, and performing Macheath, it then produced the third best house of the season, there being in money 112. 13s. 6d. and by tickets 931. 16s. making 206l. 9s. 6d. Of the two nights that exceeded, there was performed Hamlet, the part of Grave-digger by Mr. Leveridge, for his own benefit, when the amount was 2351. (but the portion of tickets is not specified); and the Recruiting Officer for the benefit of Mr. Wood, Treasurer, who received 2161. the tickets disposed of being 1971. 10s. The money receipt, which is the truest standard of public opinion, might therefore be in favour of the Opera. However, as a stock piece it shared the same fate as attended the productions of our Immortal Bard, in not being able occasionally to draw an audience. "Dismissed the Beggar's Opera," occurs in the Register for Covent Garden Theatre the 26th of May and 27th of June, 1737; and, rather extraordinarily, at Drury-Lane on the 17th of May, 1740, is "Dismiss'd the Beggar's Opera for the benefit of Mr. Walker." If this was Tom Walker, the original Macheath, such a neglect of public patronage can only be accounted for by the known dissipation of the actor." |