Covent Garden opened on Monday, just as it closed three
months ago: every thing is ia stela quo—the chandelier alone excepted ; and its lustre is felt to be impertinent ; it should be dimmed, to harmonize with the surrounding dinginess. All else is in perfect keeping, both before and behind the curtain. The faded robes, tarnished tinsel, and battered scenery and properties, are en suite with the dirty panels of the boxes.
The play was Macbeth. KEHBLE, having a cold, bad lost his voice ; a deficiency which Mr. PRITCHARD, who played Macdie, seemed anxious to supply by the strenuous efforts of his lungs ; while KIMBLE himself appeared no less desirous to atone for his lack of energy in other respects, by a painstaking deliberation of utterance and gesture and extremely elaborate by-play. Poor Mrs. W. Wesr, as Lady Macbeth, looked like the resuscitated corpse of that queenly character, and her hollow tones sounded like the awakened echoes of last season's declamation. G. BENNETT, as usual, measured out that portion of the dialogue that fell to his share as Banquo, so as to make the most of it ; and strode about like a ghost before he became one ; dad 2Ir. THOMPSON looked fondly benign as "the gracious Duncan." The ":armies " were in fine mouldy condition, as if they had just been dug. out of a damp cellar, where they had been stowed away during • Since this w is written we have learned that the catastrophe is to be altered on the next representation of the piece. How readily a " tragic drama" is metamorphosed into a simple •• pl..y the recess ; we could almost have sworn that the six supernumeraries composing Alnedujr s forces, actually held in their hands the self-same sprigs or bay that represented of yore " the moving grove." The ghosts having been "laid," for some time, it was but natural they should feel strange at "revisiting the glimpses of the lamps ;" and the "black spirits and white " may be excused for not having all assembled at the witches' summons, and therefore furnishing a chorus corresponding rather with Hecate's vocal powers than the demands of MATHEW LOCKE'S fine music. M'IAN, who personated one of the witches, intro- duced an innovation upon established custom, by dressing and acting picturesquely ; but his compeers stuck to the old nondescript bundles of rags. The scenery was all alike venerable, though the Norman hall of Macbeth's castle was fitted with a roof in the Louis Quatorze style, by way of variety. Altogether the spectilele was as perfect a specimen of the modern antique of the stage as any theatrical old-clothesman could furnish ; it was "gorgeous tragedy" at second-hand—actors and all.
The pantomime of Guy Faux was the afterpiece. C. J. SMITH'S drollery in the character of Guy, and the laughter it created, is suffi- cient excuse for its revival thus unseasonably.
T1 e performances are only on three nights of the week at present,— as many too often, till MACREADY and FARICEN appear, which will not be till the beginning of next month. These "stars " could not desire duller foil to their brilliancy.
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