SELECT * FROM london_stages WHERE MATCH('(@(authnameclean,perftitleclean,commentcclean,commentpclean) "John Stafford Esq"/1) | (@(roleclean,performerclean) "John Stafford Esq")') 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

Result Options

Download:
JSON XML CSV

Search Filters

Event

Date Range
Start
End

Performance

?
Filter by Performance Type










Cast

?

Keyword

?
We found 9825 matches on Author, 1711 matches on Performance Comments, 1397 matches on Event Comments, 328 matches on Performance Title, and 0 matches on Roles/Actors.
Event Comment: Every Man in His Humour oblig'd to be Deferr'd. Paid Joseph Stephenson as per Certificate from Sir John Fielding, 10s. (Account Book). Receipts. #156

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Recruiting Officer

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Sorcerer

Event Comment: Benefit for Smith. [See note for 6 March.] Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Ladies send servants by half past 4 o'clock, and those who have taken places in the Pit requested to come early to prevent Confusion in getting to their seats. Tickets deliver'd for Lady Jane Grey will be taken. Charges #65 10s. Profit to Smith #84 6s. 6d., plus #172 15s. from tickets (Box 640; Pit 85). Paid Blanchville Clark as per certificate from Sir John Fielding 10s. (Account Book). Receipts: #149 16s. 6d

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Earl Of Warwick

Afterpiece Title: Man and Wife

Dance: End: The Irish Lilt, as17721028

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by Richard Cumberland] never performed there. Paid John Doe for sticking Black Bills #3 12s. Paid Cooper (printer) as per bill #20 2s. (Account Book). [The Westminster Magazine held in reserve its judgment on Lewis as an actor until the reviewer could see him in another part.] Receipts: #137 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The West Indian

Afterpiece Title: Midas

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy (never performed) [by George Colman]. Paid Miller for performing 11 nights in The Sylphs #2 15s. Paid Mr Anderson for 2 suits of women's cloaths #21 (Account Book). [The mainpiece received a scourging review in the Westminster Magazine for Feb. 1774. Gibbon attended, "We dined at the Shakespeare and went in a body to support it....Though we got a verdict for our client his cause was but a bad one. It is a very confused miscellany of several plays and tales" (John Hampden@Journal, p. 18).] Receipts: #258 3s. (Account Book)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Man Of Business

Afterpiece Title: The Chaplet

Event Comment: Oratorio by Benjamin Stillingfleet, words adapted from Milton, set to Music by John Christopher Smith (Biographia Dramatica)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Paradise Lost

Music: As17740218

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy [by R. B. Sheridan] never perform'd. New Scenes and Dresses. [Gentleman's Magazine for Jan. states: "Tuesday 17, Was performed for the first time at Covent Garden a comedy call'd The Rivals, said to be written by Mr Sheridan. Some objections being made both to language and character, the author has thought proper to withdraw his piece for correction, and it has since been played with applause." See 18 and 28 Jan. The Westminster Magazine, Jan., remarked: "This comedy was acted so imperfectly, either from the timidity of the actors on a first night's performance, or from an improper distribution of parts, that it was generally disapproved....The author promised some alterations, which implied that he would be glad the Town would suspend judgment till a farther hearing" See 28 Jan. John Hampden quotes from Lloyd's Evening Post, 18 Jan., the Morning Chronicle and Morning Post of the same date, and the London Chronicle of 19 Jan. articles damning the casting and the imperfectness of the actors, the impudence of Shuter in particular, and the fatigue of the audience.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Rivals

Related Works
Related Work: The Rival Ladies Author(s): John Dryden
Related Work: The Rival Kings; or, The Loves of Oroondates and Statira Author(s): John Banks
Related Work: The Modern Wife; or, The Virgin Her Own Rival Author(s): John Stevens

Afterpiece Title: The Chaplet

Event Comment: Rosetta first time by Miss Sharp--a loud Voice a bad face and mean figure She had Applause--but it won't do (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly and adds: Miss Sharpe was a Scholar of Mr Bates's--since married to Mr William Palmer, brother to Mr John and Mr Robert Palmer."] Rec'd the late Mr Powell's bond for #200 and 9 years interest in full #290; Stopages #11 18s. Paid Barrow and Co., Oil Bill #50 3s.; Powney, (stationer) #14 11s. 6d.; Tallow Chandler's third bill #47 12s. 4d.; Evans on Wardrobe acct #10 10s.; Grist on acct #6 6s.; Machin, Chorus 13 nights, #3 5s. Receipts: #116 13s. [Treasurer's Book)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Love In A Village

Afterpiece Title: Queen Mab

Dance: II: The Savage Hunters, as17751118

Event Comment: A few hisses at the End of the Farce (Hopkins Diary). [Public Advertiser: A correspondent, who was at Drury Lane Theatre Thursday evening, remarks that the Ridicule of the Head-Dresses in Mr Garrick's last Epilogue, and in his performance of Sir John Brute, has had its proper Effect; for the Ladies have lowered their Main Top-Gallant Sails from nine inches to twelve; so that they are not present above three quarters of a yard higher than they ought to be.] Paid salary list 4 days #416 4s. 4d.; Tallow chandler #35 9s. 9d.; Mr Parsons on note by order #25; Settre and Co., Mercers #9 6s. 10d. Receipts: #252 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Runaway

Afterpiece Title: The Spleen

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Committee; Or, The Faithful Irishman

Performance Comment: Teague (with song)-Moody; Col. Careless-Jefferson; Col. Blunt-Aickin; Lieut. Story-Fawcett; Mr Day-Baddeley; Obadiah-Parsons; Abel-Burton; Committee@Men-Waldron; Mrs Day-Mrs Bradshaw; Arabella-Miss Jarratt; Ruth-Miss Pope; Edition of 1792 (John Bell) adds: Tavern@boy-Everard; Bailiff-Griffiths; Soldier-Blanchard; Chairman-Heath; Gaol@keeper-Kear; Bookseller-Carpenter; Porter-Wrighten; Mrs Chat-Mrs Cartwright.

Afterpiece Title: The Waterman

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Medea

Performance Comment: Jason-Smith; Creon-Bensley; Aeson-Palmer; 1st Colchian-Packer; Lycander-Farren; Children-Miss Stageldoir, Master Pulley; Hecate-Bransby; Theano-Mrs Hopkins; Medea-Mrs Yates; Edition of 1792 (John Bell) adds: 1st Corinthian-Griffiths.
Related Works
Related Work: Medea Author(s): Charles Johnson

Song: Azure God-Mrs Wrighten

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With a New Scene and New Dresses. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin and Edward Thompson. Thompson's name does not appear on the title-page of the text; it has been added by J. P. Kemble on the half-title of his copy now in the Huntington Library]: The Music chiefly composed by Dibdin [Public Advertiser, 15 Nov.: Three of the airs and the finale were composed by Samuel Arnold; one air by John Abraham Fisher]. With New Scenes [ibid: by Dall, Richards, and Carver], Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 7 Feb. 1777: Paid Dibdin in full for copyright of the Seraglio #20; ibid, 2 June 1777: Received of Cooper for Songs & Books sold of The Seraglio #19 10s. 9d. [Mrs Ward was from the Birmingham theatre]. Receipts: #221 11s. 6d. (219.7.0; 2.4.6)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Ethelinda; Or, The Royal Convert

Afterpiece Title: The Seraglio

Music: V: the Original Music for the Sacrifice by Purcell-

Event Comment: Benefit for Dibdin. In Act IV of mainpiece the Procession from the Abbey at the Coronation of Anne Bullenv. Paid John Doe for sticking Black Bills #6 3s. Receipts: none listed (charge: #84)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: King Henry The Eighth

Afterpiece Title: The Seraglio

Dance: I: the Banquet, with Dancing-Dumay, Miss Matthews

Event Comment: Afterpiece: In 2 acts, taken from Wycherley [by John Lee (Public Advertiser, 14 Dec.)]. Paid Pattinson, Tallow Chandler, #41 19s. Receipts: #167 18s. (166.9.6; 1.8.6)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Caractacus

Afterpiece Title: The Country Wife

Related Works
Related Work: The Country Wife Author(s): John Lee
Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Performed There. On account of the Additional Airs, contracted into 3 Acts. [Public Advertiser, 30 Dec., notes that the principal omission was the conspiracy of Alonzo, Antonio, &c., and that the Masque in Act IV was removed to the concluding scene of the play.] With New Dresses, Scenery and Decorations. The Music by Purcell, John Christopher? Smith, Dr Arne and Fisher. [In afterpiece the playbill retains Delpini as Pierrot, but "[Hull] made an apology for the illness of Delpini, telling the audience that the Signor had hurt himself so much the preceding evening in performing the part of Pierrot that he could not come out of his room; the managers therefore hoped that the audience would accept of Wewitzer in the character" (Morning Chronicle, 28 Dec.). The playbill also adds Wewitzer as the Gardener; this part was perhaps omitted.] Paid Enderby, Oil Merchant, #258 17s. Receipts: #245 18s. (244.15; 1.3)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Tempest

Related Works
Related Work: The Tempest Author(s): John Dryden
Related Work: The Tempest; or, The Enchanted Island Author(s): John Dryden

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin's Frolicks

Dance: In: Aldridge, Miss Valois, others [the dance was composed by Aldridge (Morning Chronicle, 26 Nov. 1779), and danced, as here assigned, in all subsequent performances]; In afterpiece: as17761226

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Altered [by Charlotte Lennox] from [Eastward Hoe, by] Ben Johnson, and others [George Chapman and John Marston]. Receipts: #128 7s. 6d. (100.11.0; 23.8.0; 4.8.6)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Old City Manners

Performance Comment: Quicksilver-Dodd; Golding-Brereton; Sir Petronal Flash (1st time)-Farren; Security-Parsons; Captain Seagull (with a song)-Bannister; Fig-Norris; Bramble-Hurst; Scapethrift-Fawcett; Spendall-Follett; Wolf-Wrighten; Waterman-Wright; Holdfast-Griffiths; Constable-Carpenter; Drawer-R. Palmer; Coachman-Chaplin; Touchstone-Baddeley; Mildred-Miss Hopkins; Winifred-Miss Boyd; Mrs Touchstone-Mrs Johnston; Syndefy-Miss Platt; Gertrude (with songs)-Mrs Wrighten.
Cast
Role: Mrs Touchstone Actor: Mrs Johnston

Afterpiece Title: Selima and Azor

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Altered from [The Relapse, by] Sir John Vanbrugh [1st time; C 5, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Prologue by David Garrick (see edition of 1781)]. The Characters new dressed. Receipts: #229 7s. 6d. (217.13.0; 10.8.0; 1.6.6)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: A Trip To Scarborough

Afterpiece Title: The Waterman

Dance: End III: The Triumph of Love, as17761107:

Event Comment: Ode [1st time; composed by Thomas Linley Jun. (see 18 Mar. 1778), text by John Hoadly]

Performances

Mainpiece Title: L'allegro Il Penseroso; Judas Maccabaeus

Afterpiece Title: The Song of Moses; Judas Maccabaeus

Music: As17770214

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Nabob

Performance Comment: Principal Parts-Foote, Parsons, Fearon, Massey, R. Palmer, Griffiths, Jackson, Bransby, Egan, T. Davis, Stevens, Peirce, Palmer, Mrs Hunter, Miss Hale, Mrs W. Palmer, Mrs Gardner. [Morning Chronicle, 3 June: Sir Matthew Mite-Foote; Mr Mayor-Palmer. Edition of 1778 (T. Cadell), which assigns the cast for season of 1772, lists the other parts: Sir John Oldham, Mr ThomasOldham, Young Oldham, Touchit, Antiquarians, Secretary, Rapine, Nathan, Moses, James and Putty, Conserve, Waiter, Lady Oldham, Sophy, Mrs Match'em, Crocus.] Prologue as17770515. Prologue as17770515.

Afterpiece Title: Lilliput

Related Works
Related Work: Friar Bacon; or, Harlequin's Adventures in Lilliput, Brobdignag, &c Author(s): John O'Keeffe
Event Comment: [Nicoll, III, 280, 390, states that this was an alteration of Shakespear's play by John Lee.] Receipts: #174 5s. (173.10.6; 0.14.6)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Romeo And Juliet

Afterpiece Title: The Apprentice

Dance: I: Masquerade Scene incident to the Play-; I: Minuet-Dumay, Mrs Jackson

Song: End IV: the Funeral Procession of Juliet, with the Solemn Dirge. Vocal Parts-Mattocks, Reinhold, Baker, Fox, Miss Brown, Miss Dayes, Miss Valois, Mrs Willems, Miss Green

Performances

Mainpiece Title: King Richard The Third

Performance Comment: King Richard-Henderson (1st time [at this theatre]); Richmond-Palmer; Buckingham (1st time)-Farren; Tressel-Davies; Lord Stanley-Chaplin; Norfolk-Hurst; Catesby-Packer; Prince Edward-Miss Field; Duke of York-Master Pulley; Lord Mayor-Griffiths; Ratcliffe-Wright; Lieutenant-R. Palmer; King Henry-Aickin; Lady Anne-Mrs Robinson (1st appearance in that character); Dutchess of York-Mrs Johnston; Queen-Mrs Hopkins.

Afterpiece Title: The Quaker

Performance Comment: Principal Characters by Vernon, Parsons, Wrighten, Bannister, Miss Walpole, Mrs Love, Mrs Wrighten. Cast from text (John Bell, 1777): Lubin-Vernon; Solomon-Parsons; Easy-Wrighten; Steady-Bannister; Gillian-Miss Walpole; Cicely-Mrs Love; Floretta-Mrs Wrighten.
Related Works
Related Work: The Country Innocence; or, The Chamber-Maid Turn'd Quaker Author(s): John Leanerd
Related Work: The Young Quaker Author(s): John O'Keeffe

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Rehearsal

Performance Comment: Bayes (1st time [at this theatre])-Henderson; Mr Johnson-Palmer; Mr Smith-Aickin; The other Characters-Baddeley, Moody, Parsons, Burton, Hurst, R. Palmer, Waldron, Lamash, Chambers, Holcroft, Chaplin, Carpenter, Griffiths, Norris, Wrighten, Wright, Legg, Master Pulley, Mrs Colles, Miss Collett, Mrs Davies. With an Additional Reinforcement of Mr Bayes's New Raised Troops [These were "hobby-horses and other novelties' (Davies, III, 303).]. [Edition of 1777 (John Bell) specifies: Gentleman Usher-Baddeley; Physician-Moody; Cordelio-Burton; Prince Prettyman-Hurst; 1st King of Brentford-Waldron; Fisherman-Griffiths; Thunder-Wrighten; Earth-Legg; Lightning-Master Pulley; Cloris-Mrs Colles; Parthenope-Miss Collett; Amaryllis-Mrs Davies; Pallas-Mr Parsons. [It assigns the remaining characters-2nd King of Brentford, Prince Volscius, Drawcansir, Lieut. General, Tom Thimble, Sun, Moon-to actors of previous season.
Cast
Role: Mr Johnson Actor: Palmer
Related Works
Related Work: The Contrast: A Tragi-Comical Rehearsal of Two Modern Plays: Match Upon Match; or, No Match at All, and the Tragedy of Epaminodas Author(s): John Hoadley

Afterpiece Title: A ChristmasTale

Event Comment: Prelude [1st time;PREL I, probably by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 472; not published]. Mainpiece [1st time; M 3, by Richard Cumberland, based on Calypso and Telemachus, by John Hughes]: The Overture and all the Music entirely new, and composed by Butler. With new Scenery painted by Richards and Carver, and new Dresses. Books of the Masque to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 27 Mar. 1779: This Day is published Calypso (1s. 6d.)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: A New Prelude And Prologue

Afterpiece Title: Calypso

Related Works
Related Work: Calypso and Telemachus Author(s): John HughesJohn Galliard

Afterpiece Title: Cross Purposes

Dance: In: Incidental Dances-Dagueville, Miss Besford, Miss Valois

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 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)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Cymbeline

Afterpiece Title: Three Weeks after Marriage

Dance: As17781024

Song: As17781024

Event Comment: [This was Vestris Jun.'s 1st appearance in England.] "Young Vestris astonished John Bull more by his agility than his grace, and some have been known to count the number of times he turned round like a tee-totum. This may be called les tours des jambes-not dancing' (Angelo, II, 320). "The theatre was brimful in expectation of Vestris. At the end of the second act he appeared; but with so much grace, agility, and strength, that the whole audience fell into convulsions of applause: the men thundered; the ladies, forgetting their delicacy and weakness, clapped with such vehemence, that seventeen broke their arms, sixty-nine sprained their wrists, and three cried bravo! bravissimo! so rashly, that they have not been able to utter so much as 'no' since, any more than both Houses of Parliament' (Walpole [17 Dec. 1780], XI, 340-41)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Ricimero

Dance: End I: The Fortunate Escape, as17801125, but Mme _Simonet, Henry; End II: +Grand Serious Ballet (composed by Simonet)-Sg and Sga Zuchelli, Henry, Sga Crespi, Mlle Baccelli; to conclude with: Grand Chaconne-Vestris? Jun.; End III new ballet, Les Amans Surpris (composed by Simonet)-Sg and Sga Zuchelli, Henry, Mlle Baccelli, Vestris? Jun

Related Works
Related Work: Henry the Sixth: The First Part, With The Murder of Humphrey Duke of Glocester Author(s): John Crowne
Related Work: The Misery of Civil War Author(s): John Crowne
Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan]. Paid John Dallas, painter, #11 10s. Receipts: #95 4s. 6d. (70.12.0; 23.12.6; 1.0.0)

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Old Batchelor

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin's Invasion