05 May 1779

Event Information
Theatre: Covent Garden
Theatrical Season: 1778-1779
Volume: 5
Comments: Benefit for Reddish [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the Turnpike, Tottenham Court Road. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of Posthumus. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late John Ireland gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play Romeo.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (Boaden, Kemble, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60)

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  • Original Data

    Source: London Stage Information Bank

    *p cg Cymbeline. As 24 Oct. 1778, but Posthumus-Reddish; Imogen-Mrs Bulkley. *aThree Weeks after Marriage. As 28 Apr. *dAs 24 Oct. 1778. *sAs 24 Oct. 1778. *cBenefit for $Reddish= [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. <i>Public Advertiser</i>, 1 May:Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the <i>Turnpike</i>, <i>Tottenham Court Road</i>. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to trywhether he could not go through the character of <i>Posthumus</i>r. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late $John Ireland= gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the roomwith the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, Iplay <i>Romeo</i>r.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience hisrecollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only thestage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (<i>Boaden, Kemble</i>, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60).
  • Cleaned Data

    *p1779 05 05 cg Cymbeline. ^As17781024^, but Posthumus-Reddish; Imogen-Mrs Bulkley.*a1779 05 05 cg Three Weeks after Marriage. ^As17790428^.*d1779 05 05 cg ^As17781024^.*s1779 05 05 cg ^As17781024^.*c1779 05 05 cg Benefit for $Reddish= [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. <i>Public Advertiser</i>, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the <i>Turnpike</i>, <i>Tottenham Court Road</i>. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of <i>Posthumus</i>r. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late $John Ireland= gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play <i>Romeo</i>r.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (<i>Boaden, Kemble</i>, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60).
  • Parsed Data

    Event: 40416 | 17790505 | cg | Benefit for $Reddish= [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. <i>Public Advertiser</i>, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the <i>Turnpike</i>, <i>Tottenham Court Road</i>. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of <i>Posthumus</i>. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late $John Ireland= gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play <i>Romeo</i>.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (<i>Boaden, Kemble</i>, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60)
    Performance: 85762 | 40416 | p | Cymbeline | As17781024, but Posthumus-Reddish; Imogen-Mrs Bulkley.
    AsSeeDate: 85762 | cg | p | As | 17781024
    Cast:
    147307 | 85762 | Posthumus | Reddish
    147308 | 85762 | Imogen | Mrs Bulkley.
    540509 | 85762 | Colin | Mrs Farrell
    540510 | 85762 | Gregory | Reinhold
    540511 | 85762 | Higgins | Baker
    540512 | 85762 | Goody Fidget | Mrs Pitt
    540513 | 85762 | Rose | Miss Brown.
    Performance: 85763 | 40416 | a | Three Weeks after Marriage | As17790428.
    AsSeeDate: 85763 | cg | a | As | 17790428
    Cast:
    540514 | 85763 | Nancy | Mrs Whitfield.
    540515 | 85763 | Sir Charles Racket | Lewis
    540516 | 85763 | Lovelace | Booth
    540517 | 85763 | Drugget | Quick
    540518 | 85763 | Woodley | Thompson
    540519 | 85763 | Dimity | Mrs Green
    540520 | 85763 | Mrs Drugget | Mrs Pitt
    540521 | 85763 | Lady Racket | Mrs Mattocks.
    Performance: 85764 | 40416 | d | As17781024
    AsSeeDate: 85764 | cg | d | As | 17781024
    Performance: 85765 | 40416 | s | As17781024
    AsSeeDate: 85765 | cg | s | As | 17781024

Mainpiece

Comments:
As17781024, but Posthumus-Reddish; Imogen-Mrs Bulkley.
Cast:

Afterpiece

Comments:
As17790428.
Cast:

Dance

Comment: As17781024

Song

Comment: As17781024

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