ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE, ADELPHI
Mr. Arnold opened this small house on Easter Monday, merely with a view to keeping his company together while his own theatre is rebuilding. A new opera, Philip of Anjou,—founded on a German story, of which a translation appeared some years ago in a collection of Tales by the Misses Corbet,—composed by the Mr. Martin who lately succeeded H. Phillips as Leporello, was performed for the first time with some success. Two or three old favourites have since been brought forward, apparently to the satisfaction of the town, for they have drawn numbers to the theatre; and new things are in preparation, which, we trust, will be ready by the time the blighting east wind leaves us, and takes in its train the universally-prevailing disease.
It is a fact, unparalleled in the modern history of the English stage, that about the middle and towards the end of last month,—the month of April, too, and after Easter—Drury Lane, Covent Garden, the King’s Theatre, and the Haymarket, were all closed for several nights! The illness of many of the performers was the ostensible cause; but we believe that the managers were too happy in being able to avail themselves of this excuse, and closed their doors merely because so few persons presented themselves for admittance.
Rumours are afloat that the two winter theatres are about to be virtually under one management, and that the artists are to be engaged with a condition that they shall perform at either house, as may be required. If they have any spirit, a monopoly of this novel kind may easily be defeated.