advertised in the course of the preceding week, for this night. 13. Country Wife. Pinchwife = Bridges: Sir Jasper Fidget-Macklin : Sparkish Yates: Country Wife Mrs. Cibber. = 14. Love's last Shift. Sir Novelty Fashion = Macklin Amanda Mrs. Cibber. = = = = = = 20. Not acted 50 years, King John. King John = Garrick 1st time: Bastard Delane: Hubert = Berry King of France Havard : Dauphin Blakes: Salisbury = Mills: Pembroke Mozeen: Pandulph Macklin : Austria Winstone: Chatillion = Turbutt: Prince Henry Green: Prince Arthur Miss Macklin Constance Mrs. Cibber: Queen Elinor = Mrs. Bennett: Blanch Miss Minors: Lady Faulconbridge Mrs. Cross :-it is hoped no Gentleman will take it ill, he cannot be admitted behind the scenes, the play being so full of characters, that any company there will be of great prejudice to the performance-On Feb. 15 the Proprietor of D. L. put an advertisement into the General Advertiser to state that he had been requested to revive King John and had accordingly put it into Rehearsalthat the author of a play on the same subject having insinuated that this was calculated to prejudice him, he had put off the revival-but on finding from the bills that Papal Tyranny was not an alteration of King John, but a new T. on the same plan, he would exhibit Shakspeare's play on the following Tuesdaythe day after the benefit for the author of Papal Tyranny when there could be no imputation of an injury done to him. 22. King John. Robert Faulconbridge = Simpson. March 2. King John 8th time. 5. Richard 3d Sheridan. = 7. Othello. Othello Garrick, 1st time: Iago = Macklin Cassio Havard: Brabantio = Berry : Roderigo = Yates: Desdemona Mrs. Cibber: Emilia Mrs. Macklin. = = 9. Garrick's bt. Othello Garrick, 2d time: Garrick's bt. was advertised on Feb. 11 for March 9 -Othello-end of the play a minuet by Mrs. Woffington, being her 1st attempt of that kind-but in the bills of the day this was omitted-the boxes and pit were laid together at 5s. -Quin went to see this performance, and Dr. Hoadly, who accompanied him, used to tell, that as soon as Garrick entered, Quin said in his morose manner “ why does not he bring the tea-kettle and lamp?"-Dr. Hoadly added, that Quin saw, though he was not candid enough to acknowledge it, a performer who had the passions at his command, and was in the sudden violence of their transitions without a rival. (Murphy) Victor in a letter to Garrick, dated March 1744 O. S. says"You are pleased earnestly to desire "my sentiments of you in the character of Othellomy closest attention was never more commanded "than by you last night in Othello 66 * I own "I was most inclined to fear for you in your address "to the Senate; but there, even there, you excelled 66 your present rival, (Quin) whose merit lies chiefly "in declamation-I found you had very judiciously "applied your study to the great and striking passages in the character-the trance had a fine effect, 66 your manner of falling into it, and recovery from "it, was amazingly beautiful t it would be "ridiculous to doubt of your ability to act this part "in the utmost perfection; but to arrive at that "point there are some things to be done," &c. Garrick seems not to have agreed to Victor's observations--and there is a second letter from Victor to Garrick-Victor was no doubt right as to what he said about the trance-such however was Macklin's malice to Garrick, that he turned that point to his disadvantage-he affected to consider it as a stage trick, which suited Garrick, who was young and active, and which Quin, who was unwieldy, could not exhibitsee Kirkman's Life of Macklin vol. 2 p. 260. It does not appear from the bills, that Garrick acted Othello in England more than 3 times-see C. G. June 20 1746-he probably gave up the character in consequence of Barry's great success in it. March 11. Delane's bt. Fair Penitent. Lothario = Garrick: Horatio = Delane :-the play of Macbeth, which was to have been performed to-morrow, is deferred till farther notice. + If Edmond Keen had met with this passage he would perhaps have followed Garrick's example, as the thing would have suited his style of acting, and he loved to do what had not been usually done-he might indeed have done what Shakspeare directs (Act 4. Scene 1.) without having seen Victor's letter, but he had probably never read Othello, except in the playhouse copies. 12. Gamester. Mrs. Woffington's bt. was intended for this night, but deferred till March 30 on account of a new Farce. 14. Mrs. Giffard's bt. Lear Garrick: Cordelia Mrs. Giffard. 16. Mrs. Cibber's bt. Provoked Husband. Sir Francis and Lady Wronghead= Mr. and Mrs. Macklin: Lady Townly Mrs. Cibber 1st time. = = 18. Never acted, Tancred and Sigismunda. Tancred Garrick Siffredi (Lord High Chancellor) = Sheridan Osmond (Lord High Constable) = Delane: Rodolpho Havard: Sigismunda (daughter to Siffredi) Mrs. Cibber: Laura Miss Budgell : -the plot of this play is taken from Gil Blas--the rank of the characters is totally changed, but the story itself is only slightly altered-the scene lies in Sicily-this T. was acted 9 times-it was the most successful of Thomson's plays, as it continued on the stage, more or less, for several years-Murphy says that Garrick was very great in Tancred and that Mrs. Cibber was harmony itself. 20. For Mrs. Arne's bt. Alfred the Great, King of England, as performed at the Prince of Wales' Palace at Clifden- the words by Thomson and Mallet-the Music by Mr. Arne-no performers' names - see Alfred D. L. Feb. 23 1751. 30. Mrs. Woffington's bt. Strategem. Cherry= Miss M. Woffington, being her 1st appearance on any stage with (written by Mr. Swiney and never performed before) the Quacks, or Love's the Physician. Sir Patient Careful = Yates: Dr. Medley= Macklin Clitander Mozeen: Dr. Ticklepulse = Turbutt: Dr. Refugee Blakes: Harry Usher : Lysette Mrs. Bennet: Lucinda Mrs. Ridout: Doris Miss Bradshaw : Nurse Miss Pitt: with a Prologue to be spoken by Mrs. Woffington:-the assertion that this piece had never been performed, is an impudent falsehood-it came out at D. L. March 18 1705--the Editor of the B. D. says it was now reduced to one act, which is a mistake-there are three short acts as originally, but with some omissions. April 3. Oratorio. Alfred acted in the manner of an 4. Garrick acted Plume-this was his last performance this season-on the 12th he was said to have been dangerously ill-on the 6th Mills acted Lothario. = 15. Committee with, never acted, King Pepin's Campaign. King of France Lowe: Puff Waltz : Constable of France Blakes: Margaret Mrs. Arne-in 1744-1745 the English and French were at war King Pepin's Campaign was evidently written to ridicule the French of that time-the King enters with a train of nobles, cooks, dancers, musicians, &c.-Margaret, the King's mistress, follows him to Menin-Puff, who is a disgraced FieldMarshal, makes love to her-the King is enragedPuff is sent to prison-the King takes up his quarters at a nunnery-Margaret is jealous of the nuns -Puff is brought in for execution-the King pardons him at Margaret's request he gives Puff to the first nun, who is very desirous of a husband-one of Fuff's airs is good and there are 2 or 3 other happy |