THE THEATRES.
Butweit's play, The Dutchess of La Valldre, is postponed, after al, till the New Year.: SHA KRPEARE'S plays, as they are now acted at Covent Garden, derive increased power of attraction from the short remaining term of CHARLES KEMBLE'S continuance on the stage. The duties of his new office of Licenser oblige him to retire ; and Friday next is fixed for his leave-taking. He has chosen the charac- ter of Benedict—one of the best—for his last appearance ; end as lib; daughter, Mrs. BUTLER, is in London, itis possible that she may be the Beatrice of the night. In the mean time, he is to play Petrachie and Mercado : he is Charles the Second to-night. He still insists on Hamlet and Macbeth : well, we should not grudge him that satisfaction, melancholy as we may think it. By the way, the form in which the postponement of Mr. BULWER'S play is announced—the paragraph being headed " The Dutchess ql La Valli?re anti Mr. CHARI.ES KEM- ELE," in large capitals—has a most suspicious look : we are therefore anxious to assure the readers of those scandalous chronicles the play- bills. that there is nothing wrong between the parties. Mr. FORREST, WO, is to make his farewell bow on Monday ; on which occasion he is to appear as Virginias, SHERIDAN KNOWLES playing Dentatus. This premature termination of Mr. FORREST'S engagement, and the too often empty benches that have caused it, are proofs of' the failure of the American tragedian, that the difference of prices at the two Great Houses will not explain away. Though this may have had some influence, it would not have been felt in the ease of a really great actor. Mr. FORREST should join the Covent Garden company : he would gain a reputation as a coadjutor of MACREADY, Which he cannot attain to as the sole hero of SHAKSTEARE'S plays. KNOWLES'S melo- drama is not so popular as we anticipated it might prove to be. If The Wrecker's Daughter, with its beautiful poetry, thrilling interest, and exciting acting, does not attract, it proves that the taste for hor- rors is limited to the other side of the water. The public are better judges of what is really good than managers and dramatists may sup- pose. That Drury Lane should continue open, and the lessee at large—for he is confined to the theatre only, and by an injury sustained through an accident—is surprising to those who are conversant with matters behind the curtain. We are not retailers of green-room gossip, and do not trouble ourselves about the private business of managers and actors. Accounts of a meeting of the Drury Lane company in the the. atre, a few days ago, have found their way into the papers ; from which it appears, that the house is only kept open by the forbearance of the actors, who are reduced to half salaries, and those not forthcoming. The foreign dancers, who insist on being paid down on the (toe) nail, and the subordinates, who receive less than 41. per week, are the' only performers paid regularly! BONN, it seems, had promised to meet his histrionic creditors, but he sent his "treasurer," Mr. DUN, instead : had the treasury been full, this would have been more agreeable and satisfactory, but the box returned an ominously hollow sound to the angry knocks of the claimants. BONN begged for credit till after Christmas, trusting to the chapter of accidents: the actors demanded security—the answer was, there is none to offer. His plate, furniture, horses, and carriages were mentioned ; and it was urged that he had a "saleable place at court." BURN is one of the Gentlemen Pensioners— an office whose name has outlived its character. But no answer was made to this appeal; and, after some grumbling remonstrances from the gentlemen and some indignant comments on the manager's conduct from the ladies, Who were most eloquent on the subject of their wrongs, the company were fain to accept Bune's guaranteee for payment when he has the means. What that is worth, those who are content with it know best. But the actors, bearing in mind the homely proverb, "half a loaf is better than no bread," are glad to get what they call: and doubtless, a consideration for the condi. tion of their poorer brethren, in the event of the theatre being closed, influenced them. Some awkward questions were asked as to BONN'S receiving weekly payments from the receipts, in his character of adapter of the Siege of Corinth. It was denied that he drew 25/. per week. The answers were far from satisfactory, however ; and the whole business wears a bad aspect. Berne is said to be living in princely splendour at Fulham ; but this cannot last. So much for the great "upholder of the legitimate drama," and the benefits of the "patent monopoly." 1-W1.i/tit's opera, the Village Coquettes, wins upon public favour by its simple flowing melodies and graceful harmonies. FORRESTER has now taken the part of Mr. Flam : he looks and acts it much better than BARNETT. It so happened that this drama was the first that came under the censorship of the new Licenser. KEIHRLE is too old an actor not to keep up the farce of his office; so he struck out a harmless phrase or two, proforma.
The theatres are all busy preparing the Christmas pieces; till which time there will be no novelties.
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