The London Stage Database team will be retiring the Legacy Search on May 1, 2025. Please take a moment before that date to reproduce any pre-2021 searches and export any resulting datasets you may wish to preserve for future use. We are making this change in order to free up computational resources for new features and data, currently in development with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Watch this space for more updates and, coming soon, new ways to keep up with the latest project developments!
SELECT * FROM london_stages WHERE MATCH('(@(authnameclean,perftitleclean,commentcclean,commentpclean) "English French Dutch Characters"/1) | (@(roleclean,performerclean) "English French Dutch Characters")') GROUP BY eventid ORDER BY weight() desc, eventdate asc OPTION field_weights=(perftitleclean=100, commentpclean=75, commentcclean=75, roleclean=100, performerclean=100, authnameclean=100), ranker=sph04

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We found 3996 matches on Performance Comments, 1727 matches on Performance Title, 1431 matches on Event Comments, 0 matches on Author, and 0 matches on Roles/Actors.
Event Comment: Benefit Harper. Afterpiece: An Entertainment of Dancing in Grotesque Characters. Compos'd by Mr John Weaver

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Spanish Fryar

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Turn'd Judge

Dance: Drunken Man-Harper

Event Comment: Benefit a Gentleman in Misfortunes. Written by Aaron Hill, Esq. All the Characters being entirely new Dress'd. N.B. The putting off the Play so long was occasion'd by the Indisposition of one of the principal Performers, and the Tickets deliver'd out for 4th, the 11th, and the 17th Instant will be taken this Day

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Elfrid; Or, The Fair Inconstant

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Rule A Wife And Have A Wife

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Doctor Faustus

Event Comment: [Author unknown.] A New Dramatick Entertainment in Grotesque Characters. N.B. None will be admitted into the Boxes but by Printed Tickets which will be deliver'd at the Door at 5s. each. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Receipts: #162 1s. London Journal, 28 Dec.: 'Tis said, they had not less than 260l. in the House

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Drummer

Afterpiece Title: The Necromancer; or, Harlequin Doctor Faustus

Event Comment: Mrs Lee, daughter of Mrs Minns, at the Great Booth on Bowling Green. With all the Scenes and Machines, with Additions. Mrs Lee had spared no Cost, but used her utmost Care, and most elaborate Industry in this Droll, to surpass even her Mother, the Booth coming as near the Perfection of the Theatre as possible, being adorned by the most ingenious Workmen: Her Head Characters are all Dress'd in real Gold and Silver, beyond what was ever worn at the Fair before, but by her own People

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Siege Of Troy

Event Comment: Afterpiece: In the Characters of Harlequin, Mephistophilus, Scaramouch, Pierrot, and Punch. Concluding as usual with a Grand Masque of the Heathen Deities, viz. Mars, Bacchus, Mercury, Diana, Ceres, Flora, and Iris

Performances

Mainpiece Title: King Henry The Iv; With The Humours Of Sir John Falstaffe

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Doctor Faustus

Event Comment: Not Acted these Seven Years. With Alterations. And all the Characters new dress'd. Receipts: #164 1s. 6d. Weekly Journal or Saturday's Post, 5 Dec.: Written by Mr Dryden, the Decorations were magnificent and new, and the Musick new set, which was received with extraordinary Applause

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Prophetess; Or, The History Of Dioclesian

Music: Vocal Parts-all new Set to Musick

Dance: With proper Dances-

Event Comment: Benefit Roger, the Pierot. Afterpiece: The Characters all new Dressed

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Arlequin Cru Prince Par Magie

Afterpiece Title: Pierot Grand Vizier: With The Turkish Ceremony of the Bourgeois Gentilhomme

Dance:

Music: new sonata on violin of Mr Roger's composing-Mr Roger (himself)

Event Comment: All the Characters new drest

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Careless Husband

Event Comment: Never Acted there before. Revis'd by the Author. All the Characters new dress'd

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Provok'd Wife

Event Comment: Revis'd by the Author. All the Characters new dress'd

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Provok'd Wife

Event Comment: [By Owen Swiny.] Not Acted these Ten Years. All the Characters new drest. Pit and Boxes to be laid together by tickets only at 5s. First Gallery 2s. 6d. Upper Gallery 1s. 6d. Receipts: #163 3s. 6d. Probable attendance: p1t and boxes, 464 paid and 14 orders; stage, 2 paid; balcony, 4 paid; slips, 21 paid and 1 order; first gallery, 270 paid and 9 orders; second gallery, 124 paid. [The Prologue was printed in London Journal, 26 Nov.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Camilla

Event Comment: All the Characters New Dress'd. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. 6d. Receipts: #136 18s. Probable attendance: boxes, 235 paid and 5 orders; stage, 4 paid; balcony, 4 paid; pit, 276 paid and 13 orders; slips, 20 paid and 15 orders; first gallery, 250 paid and 3 orders; second gallery, 90 paid

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Camilla

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Rule A Wife And Have A Wife

Afterpiece Title: The Miser; or, Wagner and Abericock

Event Comment: [By Philip Frowde.] All the Characters new Dress'd. Receipts: #148 3s. Probable attendance: boxes, 198 paid and 17 orders; balcony, 1 paid; pit, 283 paid and 3 orders; first gallery, 409 paid and 1 orders; slips, 64 paid; second gallery, 82 paid

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Fall Of Saguntum

Event Comment: [By James Moore Smythe.]All the Characters new dress'd

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Rival Modes

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Argentina Ortolana Contessa Per Forza

Dance: new Scaramouch , lately arriv'd from Italy; Serious and Grotesque Dancing particularly-M deCamp, Mlle Mimi l'Post , first Dancers of the Opera at Brussels, just arrived

Event Comment: By His Majesty's Command. The usual Concert of Instrumental Musick will be augmented, and the Characters new drest

Performances

Mainpiece Title: La Parodia Del Pastor Fido

Dance: Shepherds, Nymphs, Peasants: Myrtillo-Pantalon; Ergastus-Harlequin; Satyr-Brighella; Silvio-Mrs Casanova; Corisea-Mrs Constantine; Amarillis [Daily Courant, Daily Post] or Asparillis [Daily Journal]-Argentina; Dorinda-Miss Rutti

Event Comment: With all the Original Decorations of Rising, Sinking, and Flying. Daily Post, 30 Oct.: The Play of King Henry the Eighth...having met with a very favourable Reception from the Town, we hear that the Players propose to add several different Characters of Dignity to the Procession of Queen Anne Bullen , with other proper Decorations

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Lancashire Witches; Or, Teague O'divelly

Music: ll the Witches Musick both Vocal and Instrumental, by the late Mr Barret-

Dance: Dancing Proper to the Play-

Ballet: TThe Cobler's Jealous Wife. Cobler-Boval; His Wife-Roger; Countrymen-Essex, Haughton; Countrywomen-Mrs Brett, Mrs Mills

Event Comment: Written Originally by Shakespear. [By Lewis Theobald.] Theophilus Cibber: [Booth's] Illness...returned soon after his playing King Henry VIII. He was then studying the Part of Julio in the Double Falsehood; he rehearsed it several times,-when the Play begin ready for acting, he was prevented appearing in it, by a Relapse into his former Indisposition.-The Part was supplied a few Nights by Mr Charles Williams (a promising Player, who died young) to whom Mr Booth had given the Part to study, as doubting the Certainty of his being able to appear in it himself: But, at Mr Theobald's Entreaty (backed by many Gentlemen and Ladies) he good-naturedly (but fatally) disregarded his Indisposition, which was then an intermitting Fever, and acted that Part from the fifth to the twelfth Night; which was alas! the last time of his Appearance on tle Stage.-Lives and Characters, pp. 82-83

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Double Falshood; Or, The Distrest Lovers

Event Comment: [By Sir John Vanbrugh and Colley Cibber.] All the Characters new drest. Mist's 13 Jan.: On Wednesday last a most horrid, barbarous, and cruel Murder was committed...upon a posthumous Child of the late Sir John Vanbroog, by one who, for some Time past, has gone by the Name of Keyber. It was a fine Child born, and would certainly have lived long, had it not fallen into such cruel Hands. Davies (Dramatic Miscellanies, III, 260-61): In all the tumults and isturbances of the theatre on the first night of a new play, which was formerly a time of more dangerous service, to the actors, than it has been of late, Mrs Oldfield was entirely mistress of herself; she thought it her duty, amidst the most violent opposition and uproar, to exert the utmost of her abilities to serve the author. In the comedy of uproar, to exert the utmost of her abilities to serve the author. In the comedy of the Provoked Husband, Cibber's enemies tried all their power to get the play condemned. The reconciliation scene wrought so effectually upon the sensible and generous part of the audience, that the conclusion was greatly and generously approved. Amidst a thousand applauses, Mrs Oldfield came forward to speak the epilogue; but when she had pronounced the first line,-Methinks I hear some powder'd critic say-a man, of no distinguished appearance, from the seat next to tne orchestra, saluted her with a hiss. She fixed her eye upon him immediately, made a very short pause, and spoke the words poor creature! loud enough to be heard by the audience, with such a look of mingled scorn, pit, and contempt, that the most uncommon applause justified her conduct in this particular, and the poor reptile sunk down with fear and trembling. See also Cibber, Apology, I, 310-11; Victor, History of the Theatres, II, 105

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Provok'd Husband; Or, A Journey To London

Event Comment: A Dramatick Entertainment of Dancing in Grotesque Characters, the whole entirely new. [In previous weeks Mrs Violante had been offering miscellaneous entertainments at the hay, but this is the first piece which begins to resemble a dramatic production.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Rivals; Or, The Happy Despair

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A short Dramatic Entertainment (never perform'd before)...All in Comic Characters

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Unhappy Favourite

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Happy and Poor Pierot Married

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Intermix'd with Songs in the Characters of Rovewell and Arethusa. N.B. The Songs in The Contrivances are printed, and will be deliver'd Gratis at the Theatre

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Rehearsal

Afterpiece Title: The Contrivances; or, More Ways Than One

Dance:

Event Comment: [By Nicholas Brady.]All the Characters new drest. Receipts: #67 8s

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Rape; Or, The Innocent Impostor