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THEATRE ROYAL, DUBLIN. 43
December. The Theatre Royal opened, under the pro-
prietorship of Mr. John Harris, with " Love in a Maze,"
and the pantomime of " Bluff King Hal." Amongst the
Company were Mr. T. C. King, Mrs. Hudson Kirby, Mr.
John Webster, Mr. F. Robson, Mr. Granby, and many others,
forming such a stock troupe as would now be difficult to collect
together. The greater number became stars, and re-
turned to Dublin as such. Robson's fame still lives through-
He left Dublin because he
out the dramatic profession.
was refused a small increase (say of one pound), to his salary,
and soon returned as a London " star," on sharing terms,
receiving a large sum nightly. Whilst in the " team " he
has played in Dublin to empty benches when acting in a
farce after the first piece the very same pitites crowding
to see him when crowned with his London laurels. Un-
fortunately this is not new in Dublin, many similar cases
could be quoted Miss O'Neill, Richard Jones, Hudson r
Davy Rees, Power, Catherine Hayes, and numerous
others in the olden as well as in more recent times.
When shall we judge for ourselves in dramatic matters ?
Up to the present we have waited for the London verdict.
During the first few years of Mr. Harris's management he
struggled hard against the starring system, and succeeded
in keeping the Theatre open for upwards of three years
without a night's interruption, by the production of
Shaksperian revivals, amongst which were " The Midsummer's
Night Dream," with Mendelssohn's music
" The Tempest." There were also some English Operas,
in which Messrs. Haigh, Durand, Miss Lanza, the Misses
Cruise (then all in the Stock Company), performed. The