London Stage Event: 06 February 1668 at Lincoln's Inn Fields

06 February 1668

Event Information

Theatre: Lincoln's Inn Fields

Theatrical Season: 1667-1668

Volume: 1

Comments: The Duke's Company. Downes (p. 29): It took well, but Inferior to Love in a Tub. Pepys, Diary: I to the Duke of York's playhouse; where a new play of Etherige's called She Would if she Could; and though I was there by two o'clock, there was 1000 people put back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last, because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play, there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in it. The King was there; but I sat mightily behind, and could see but little, and hear not all. The play being done...here was the Duke of Buckingham to-day openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my Lord Buckhurst, and Sidly, and Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts perfect, and that Harris did do nothing, nor could so much as sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned: while all the rest did, through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play, and end, mighty insipid. Thomas Shadwell, Preface to The Humorists (1671): The last (viz.) imperfect Action, had like to have destroy'd She Would if she could, which I think (and I have the Authority of some of the best Judges in England for't) is the best Comedy that has been written since the Restauration of the Stage: And even that, for the imperfect representation of it at first, received such prejudice, that, had it not ben for the favour of the Court, in all probability it had never got up again; and it suffers for it, in a great measure, to this very day

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Source: London Stage Information Bank

*p?lif She Would if She Could. [Edition of 1668: No actors' names, no prologue, no epilogue. $Downes= (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 28):% Courtall-Smith; Freeman-Young; Sir Joslin-Harris; Sir Oliver-Nokes; Ariana-Mrs Jenning; Getty-Mrs Davies; Lady Cockwood-Mrs Shadwell. *c?lif The Duke's Company. $Downes= (p. 29): It took well, but Inferior to Love in a Tub. Pepys, Diary: I to the Duke of York's playhouse; where a new play of $Etherige='s called She Would if she Could; and though I was there by two o'clock, there was 1000 people put back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last, because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play, there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in it. $The King= was there; but I sat mightily behind, and could see but little, and hear not all. The play being done...here was the $Duke of Buckingham= to-day openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my $Lord Buckhurst=, and $Sidly=, and Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts perfect, and that $Harris= did do nothing, nor could so much as sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned: while all the rest did, through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play, and end, mighty insipid. $Thomas Shadwell=, Preface to The Humorists (1671): The last (viz.) imperfect Action, had like to have destroy'd She Would if she could, which I think (and I have the Authority of some of the best Judges in England for't) is the best Comedy that has been written since the Restauration of the Stage: And even that, for the imperfect representation of it at first, received such prejudice, that, had it not ben for the favour of the $Court=, in all probability it had never got up again; and it suffers for it, in a great measure, to this very day.
Cleaned Data

*p1668 02 06 lif She Would if She Could. Edition of 1668: No actors' names, no prologue, no epilogue. $Downes= (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 28): Courtall-Smith; Freeman-Young; Sir Joslin-Harris; Sir Oliver-Nokes; Ariana-Mrs Jenning; Getty-Mrs Davies; Lady Cockwood-Mrs Shadwell.*c1668 02 06 lif The Duke's Company. $Downes= (p. 29): It took well, but Inferior to Love in a Tub. Pepys, Diary: I to the Duke of York's playhouse; where a new play of $Etherige='s called She Would if she Could; and though I was there by two o'clock, there was 1000 people put back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last, because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play, there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in it. $The King= was there; but I sat mightily behind, and could see but little, and hear not all. The play being done...here was the $Duke of Buckingham= to-day openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my $Lord Buckhurst=, and $Sidly=, and Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts perfect, and that $Harris= did do nothing, nor could so much as sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned: while all the rest did, through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play, and end, mighty insipid. $Thomas Shadwell=, Preface to The Humorists (1671): The last (viz.) imperfect Action, had like to have destroy'd She Would if she could, which I think (and I have the Authority of some of the best Judges in England for't) is the best Comedy that has been written since the Restauration of the Stage: And even that, for the imperfect representation of it at first, received such prejudice, that, had it not ben for the favour of the $Court=, in all probability it had never got up again; and it suffers for it, in a great measure, to this very day.
Parsed Data

Event: 662 | 16680206 | lif | The Duke's Company. $Downes= (p. 29): It took well, but Inferior to Love in a Tub. Pepys, Diary: I to the Duke of York's playhouse; where a new play of $Etherige='s called She Would if she Could; and though I was there by two o'clock, there was 1000 people put back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last, because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play, there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in it. $The King= was there; but I sat mightily behind, and could see but little, and hear not all. The play being done...here was the $Duke of Buckingham= to-day openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my $Lord Buckhurst=, and $Sidly=, and Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts perfect, and that $Harris= did do nothing, nor could so much as sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned: while all the rest did, through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play, and end, mighty insipid. $Thomas Shadwell=, Preface to The Humorists (1671): The last (viz.) imperfect Action, had like to have destroy'd She Would if she could, which I think (and I have the Authority of some of the best Judges in England for't) is the best Comedy that has been written since the Restauration of the Stage: And even that, for the imperfect representation of it at first, received such prejudice, that, had it not ben for the favour of the $Court=, in all probability it had never got up again; and it suffers for it, in a great measure, to this very day

Performance: 662 | 662 | p | She Would If She Could | Edition of 1668: No actors' names, no prologue, no epilogue. $Downes= (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 28): Courtall-Smith; Freeman-Young; Sir Joslin-Harris; Sir Oliver-Nokes; Ariana-Mrs Jenning; Getty-Mrs Davies; Lady Cockwood-Mrs Shadwell.
Cast:
562 | 662 | Courtall | Smith

563 | 662 | Freeman | Young

564 | 662 | Sir Joslin | Harris

565 | 662 | Sir Oliver | Nokes

566 | 662 | Ariana | Mrs Jenning

567 | 662 | Getty | Mrs Davies

568 | 662 | Lady Cockwood | Mrs Shadwell.

Mainpiece

Title: She Would If She Could

Comments:
Edition of 1668: No actors' names, no prologue, no epilogue. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 28): Courtall-Smith; Freeman-Young; Sir Joslin-Harris; Sir Oliver-Nokes; Ariana-Mrs Jenning; Getty-Mrs Davies; Lady Cockwood-Mrs Shadwell.

Cast:

Role: Courtall Actor: Smith
Role: Freeman Actor: Young
Role: Sir Joslin Actor: Harris
Role: Sir Oliver Actor: Nokes
Role: Ariana Actor: Mrs Jenning
Role: Getty Actor: Mrs Davies
Role: Lady Cockwood Actor: Mrs Shadwell.

06 February 1668

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