Event Comment: 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 whe
ther 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)