The Physical Facilities
DRURY LANE AND CoVENT GARDEN
No CHANGE in location for the theatres in Drury Lane and Covent
Garden took place during tire Garrick period. Section 2C2 of Jean Rocque’s
Plan of London, 1746, shows at a glance to the modern foreigner the proxi-
mity of tire two houses. The Theatre Royal in Covent Garden fronted on
Great Hart Street, but Irad access from Covent Garden Market Place as well
as from the narrow passage to Bow Street. A few blocks away tire smaller
edifice stood at the end of a passage leading to Drury Lane, with narrow
access both from Russel Street and Bridges Street. This proximity meant a
good deal to London audiences, for during the fortnight of competitive pro-
duction of Romeo and Juliet in0١
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spectators preferring Barry’s seductive
scenes in the first three acts at Covent Garden nipped over to see Garrick's
more tragic presentation of the star-crossed lovers in the last two acts at
Drury Lane. Tire following year (12 November 1751) when Barry was
suddenly taken ill and his part of Romeo had to be read at Covent
Garden, numbers left at the announcement and went over to Drury
Lane in time to get their money’s worth from the Provok’d Husband play-
ing there.
Both theatres were greatly enlarged towards the very end of the century,
Drury Lane being demolislred and entirely re-built in the period 1791-93,
but during the Garrick period botli were small enough so all could see the
facial expressions of the actors, judge the appropriateness of their slightest
gestures, and hear, when the house was quiet, their well modulated speech.
MacNamara Morgan’s Letter to Miss Nossiter, 1753, wherein lie claimed to
be able to see the color come and go in her cheeks as she played Juliet (at
Covent Garden) may be an exaggeration, but it exemplifies a frequent and
intimate critical appreciation based upon detailed observation ofperforman-
ces. Sylas Neville in his Diary (28 May 1767) bears similar witness: “Was
dreadfully squeezed [in tlie Pit], but rewarded by seeing Mr. Garrick play
Hamlet. The expression in his features, his eyes particularly, surpasses
anything I ever saw.”
Covent Garden, before its enlargement in 1782, could hold at capacity
2,180 people: boxes, 729
pit, 367; first gallery and slips, 700
upper gallery.
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