Sept. 28. Beggar's Opera *.-Portrait of Cervantes. Oct. 30. Grecian Daughter.-Poor Soldier. 3. Macbeth.-Portrait of Cervantes. 5. Hamlet.-Who wins? 7. Stranger+.-The Forest of Hermanstadt, or Princess or no Princess. Oct. * Unless all the rest of the performers would consider this piece as a burlesque of the Italian opera, Mrs. Dickons certainly sings much too finely in Polly. + The Stranger is far from being at home in this large and comfortless habitation. Mr. Kemble played the part with his usual judgment, but not with his usual energy-this might proceed from indisposition. Mrs. Siddons, in consideration of the added rotundity of her figure, ought to dilate the dimensions of her head-dress. Her hair, so sable and compact, made her head resemble the head of Harlequin—the rest of the figure did not remind us of that amusing personage. The part of Solomon failed to exhibit Mr. Emery in all his glory. It is shameful to see this excellent actor so completely out of his element. The part should have been played by Blanchard, who possesses less humour than most men, but more than Kotzebue. After The Stranger, was represented for the first time, a new melodrama from the pen of Mr. T. Dibdin, called "The Forest of Hermanstadt; or, Princess and no Princess." The story and incidents are nearly the same as those on which Skeffington founded The Mysterious Bride. Mr. Dibdin and Mr. Skeffington in battle array! Great authors like these can afford to write in opposition, leaving it to inferior bards, like Garrick and the elder Colman, to scribble in conjunction !-The story is briefly as follows:-The Princess of Bulgaria, about to espouse the Prince of Transylvania, is deprived of her royal robes; by Oswald, the Officer in whose charge she was intrusted. Oswald's sister is imposed on the Prince for Alexina, the true princess, and after a reasonable variety of adventures at an inn, the imposition is discovered. A melo-drama is a species of dramatic absurdity, with which our ancestors were unacquainted. Formerly when a hero exclaimed, “ I can no more,” he was carried off kicking, and the curtain dropped. But the leader of the band now answers that observation by another-" If you can't, we can," and the whole orchestra roars approbation. Mr. Holcroft was the Lord in. Waiting, who introduced his outlandish personage to the majesty of the people. His Tale of Mystery is, we think, the best of the bad. That piece was printed, and in the margin annotations, like the following, were introduced-" Music laughs-Music screams," &c. This was Oct. 10. Macbeth.-The Forest of Hermanstadt, or Princess or no Princess. 12. Hamlet.*-Id. 14. Man of the World.f-Id. 19. Merchant of Venice.t-Id. 20. Gamester.-Who wins? was being music-mad with a vengeance. The attempt was successful: a swarm of imitators naturally followed, and we now cannot witness a single after-piece, without having our nerves fretted to fiddle-strings. The Forest of Hermanstadt was favourably received and well acted. Mrs. Gibbs played admirably, and Mrs. H. Johnston looked exceedingly pretty in her peasant's disguise. There appeared no symptoms among the performers of a defective wardrobe, except in the instance of Mr. Brunton, who exhibited the same boots and inexpressibles in play and after-piece. The "heavy lightness" of this petite piece, has been successfully drawn from a French drama, called La Forêt d'Hermanstadt, ou la fausse Epouse, founded on an incident, which happened to the mother of Charlemagne. Mr. Skeffington, nevertheless, complains most bitterly of Mr. Dibdin; saying that he has "taken out some of the best things in his tragedy, and put them into his farce." It is just, however, to add, that before Mr. Skeffington produced his piece, Captain Hewetson, the jackal of raw provender to Covent-Garden Theatre, had brought to Mr. Harris the original French, which had been put into the hands of Mr. Dibdin. *Mr. Kemble's Hamlet is not on the whole to be equalled. The actor who attempts to rival him in the part, must possess insanity more than sufficient for the lover of Ophelia. · A + Mr. Cooke made his first appearance as Sir Pertinax, and was received with an applause, which would have induced a foreigner to suppose the British public in a league to clap sobriety out of countenance, It is a little surprising that this performer should be so complete a Man of the World on the stage, and so incomplete a one in real life. We recommend to his sober consideration, what Dr. Johnson said of the Savage of his day. "Nothing will supply the want of prudence. Negligence and irregularity, long continued, will make knowledge useless, wit ridiculous, and genius contemptible.". + Portia was performed for the first time by Miss Norton, than whom no one can be more unfit to fill the part even tolerably, to a London audience, after Mrs. Siddons, Miss Smith, and Mrs. H. Siddons. There was a deficiency in every necessary qualification, and Miss Norton, so admirable 2 M-VOL. IV. ** admirable in Sophia in "The Road to Ruin," was in Portia little better than contemptible. The managers do not use her well to use her thus. Miss Bolton has a very graceful figure, and, except her singing, was a very pleasing Jessica. Mr. Munden's Launcelot made John Bull roar, notwithstanding the splendour of the house, which seems in general to check his mirth, as if to laugh out in such a situation, were not to “behave pretty." Mr. Cooke was the Shylock.-As Tom Dibdin would say, he should not undertake so much, when he is so much overtaken, THEATRICAL CHIT-CHAT. The original of a farce by the late Tobin, author of the Honey Moon, is burnt. Shield had composed the music, and it was to have been brought out last season. Mr. Kelly acts no more. Cooke, says an Edinborough paper, is married to Miss Lambe-Alas, poor Lamb! Cooke has probably committed this rash act in his sober moments. It was shameful to take advantage of a man disguised. Mr. Ware's cremona, which was burnt, has been estimated at 3001. but not by Mr. W. who says it was an excellent fiddle, and he would not have parted with it for 501. Mr. Harris had given to Shield the original score of Artaxerxes, in the hand-writing of Arne, which was burnt. Shield valued it highly. Among the humorous losses in this melancholy fire, are Mr. Munden's wardrobe, Miss Bolton's jewels, and Mr. Murray's name. Mr. Munden values his wardrobe at 3001.—but we find comfort in recollecting that when he was wrecked off Ireland, he met with a similar loss in a trunk, which when brought to him, and five guineas asked for the recovery, he flew into a passion, and swore that it was not worth five shillings. As to all Miss Bolton's jewels, the Morning Post assures us that she never had but one, which no fire has yet deprived her of. The loss of Mr. Murray runs thus-He was seen gazing on the flames, and muttering, “ruin-ruin-I'm ruined for ever!" At length a stranger asked him his name "O!!" he exclaimed, "I have no name now-I'm undone !" This nominal loss will not excite much pity. Goose being a green-room technical for hissing, The Fortune Teller was judiciously produced on Michaelmas day. Mr. H. Johnston does not return to the Dublin theatre. Mr. Reynolds has an opera for Mr. Harris. The music by Mr. Mazzinghi. Mr. Sheridan wished to induce Mr. Harris to raise the prices at the theatre, the boxes 7s. and so on-just to try-a prudent mode of making an experiment, and most disinterested on the part of Mr. Sheridan! On the 6th of October the licences of Astley's, the Circus, and Vauxhall, were renewed. Operas by Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Hook have been read at Drury. Lane and the King's Theatre. OLYMPIC PAVILION. Mr. Astley, jur. having closed a very successful season on the other side of the water, transported his troop to this elegant Marquee, which he opened on the 10th of October. We have not room at present to speak particularly of the entertainments, but the company engaged, whose forces are under the direction of the genius of Mr. Astley junr. are enough to ensure the public a perpetual variety of entertainment. ROYAL CIRCUS. The last night for the house was, we believe, on the 8th Oct. but an abundance of benefits succeeded, and still continue, we hope, to succeed. The time of closing is not yet fixed. The profits of the summer have been considerable and well-merited by the exertions of the performers, especially those of Mr. Bradbury, whose attraction here is as powerful as Mrs. Astley's at the rival theatre. THE LATE COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE. So many pens have been employed on this melancholy and interesting subject, that we shall have little more to do than to make extracts, and to correct such little mistatements as our better, because later, information may afford us the means of rectifying. THE FIRE. About four o'clock on Tuesday morning, the 20th of September, a female servant awoke Mr. Hughes, the treasurer, who resides in the house, and told him it was on fire. It was soon discovered that the fire proceeded from the upper part of the theatre, and thus the persons who inhabit it had an opportunity to effect their escape. When the quantity and quality of the combustible matter, of which the building and its contents were composed, are considered, it may be easily conceived, that the flames burned fiercely, and that the fire quickly attained a great height, and assumed a most awful appearance. The crackling of the flames was heard at the extremities of the Strand. As the heavy tim bers fell, the light burning matter was thrown up to an immense height and extent, and the whole atmosphere was filled with floating flakes of fire, which fell in all directions, spreading consternation, and threatening ruin to the whole neighbourhood, on which it fell in a burning shower. The attendance at Covent-Garden Market is pretty full at that hour, and a crowd of people were of course on the spot; but as the fire broke out somewhere contiguous to the upper gallery, and the wind blew the flames to the eastward, the fire had raged within for some time before the alarm became general. About half past 4 o'clock the volunteers began to assemble, and the engines to arrive from every quarter of the town; but nearly an hour had elapsed before any efficient supply of water could be obtained. At this time the whole theatre was one complete body of fire. It raged with most violence on the upper end of Bow-street, the western side of which, nearly as far as the Police-Office, was soon burned down, to the extentof eight or nine houses, including the public house called the Strugglers, kept by Mr. Donne, and Paul's soda-water manufactory. In Hart-street, the flames communicated to the houses on the side opposite the theatre, and four of them caught fire at the same moment; but by the great activity of the people and firemen, they suffered little more damage than a severe scorch. ing. Great apprehensions were entertained for the safety of DruryLane Theatre, as the flakes of fire were carried by the wind with force and in great quantities in that direction. A great number of people mounted the roof, ready, in case of actual fire, to open the immense re servoir of water provided there; a precaution very desirable in all great public buildings, and which, with due care, must for ever preserve that splendid theatre from the fate of its neighbouring rival and sister. They also stopped the windows with wet cloths, to prevent the entrance of the flames, and thus secured the theatre. All the people in the neighbourhood took a similar precaution, and were employed with their servants in picking up the flakes of fire as they fell upon the roofs or in the court yards, and upon the out-houses. It was not merely the light matter that was thus dispersed in a flaming state. Solid lumps of burning cinders, coals and wood, might be seen in the streets as far as Temple Bar. Of the light matter, pieces of books and paper were carried by the wind, which, during the most violent period of the conflagration was at south-west, as far as Moorfields, where they were picked up. Such was the appearance in the vicinity of the theatre, the inhabitants of which were exposed to a shower of fire, with a blazing light around them, reflecting the brightness of meridian day, and those in the immediate vicinity of the burning pile, emptying their houses, and flying in all directions, to a place of safety for themselves, their children, and their property. To the people in the suburbs, or approaching town in the mail-coaches, it made a more magnificent appearance. The scite of the theatre being upon a great elevation, and the building lofty, it was seen at a considerable distance; and it seemed as if the whole quarter of the city, from St. Martin's Lane to Temple Bar, was wrapt in flames. The above, however, is the whole extent of injury sustained in the neighbourhood, but as to the theatre itself, it is totally consumed, and, on the |