Dormeuil, its skillful manager, divided his company into two parts, one remaining at Paris, while the other came to the St. James’s Theatre in the place of the Opéra Comique, which had ended its engagement with Mitchell. Levassor, Grassot, Ravel, M’lle Scrivaneck, &c., received a brilliant reception from our mutual audience.
This success became known in Paris, and turned the head of M. H——, manager of the Historic Theatre.
After making arrangements with the proprietors of a London theatre (Covent Garden, I think), the impresario also came across with a portion of his company to perform his play of Monte Christo, which lasted two evenings.
The arrival of these performers, all of great merit generally, disturbed the peace of the English managers, who, fearing with some reason the entire loss of their audiences, resolved to oppose this dangerous invasion.
“The French and Italian theatres in London,” they said in their attacks, “can play on their boards whatever pieces they like; they are privileged to do so, and we respect their right. But we will not permit all our theatres to be thus invaded, or Shakspeare be dethroned by foreign playwrights.”
The question of theatrical rivalry soon assumed the character of a national one. The papers took up the cause of the theatres, while the public adopted the opinion of the press writers, and formed an army to fight against the new comers.
M. H—— attempted, however, to perform Alexandre Dumas’s master-piece; but it was impossible to hear a word, so great were the noise and confusion in the house during the whole time the performance lasted. Although the manager persevered in his enterprise, he was at length obliged to yield to this imposing protest, which threatened to degenerate into a collision, and he decided on closing the theatre.
Mitchell held out his hand to the unlucky manager, and offered him the hospitality of his theatre, that he might at least play his double piece once before he left London. For this purpose he granted him one night of the Palais Royal performances, and promised to arrange with me for the next night.
I could refuse Mitchell nothing, and the drama was represented in its entirety, after which the company returned to France.
I granted this favor with the greatest pleasure, as it obliged many amiable performers, and I will add that, were a similar occasion offered me to oblige M. H—— again, I would gladly accept it, if only to remind him about thanking me for the first service I did him.