Event Comment: Betterton's Company.
The date of this performance, which coincides with
the opening of
the playhouse in
Lincoln's Inn Fields by
Betterton's Company, is established by
Downes,
Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 43-44: [
Betterton,
Mrs Bracegirdle,
Mrs Barry, and o
thers] set up a
new Company, calling it
the New Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields; and
the House being fitted up from a Tennis-Court,
they Open'd it
the last Day of April 1695, with a
new Comedy: Call'd,
Love for Love....This Comedy being Extraordinary well Acted, chiefly
the Part of
Ben the Sailor, it took 13 Days Successively. Three songs in
the play were published separately:
I tell thee, Charmion,
the music by
Finger, sung by
Pate and
Reading, is in
Thesaurus Musicus, 1696,
The Fifth Book.
A Nymph and a Swain,
the music by
John Eccles and sung by Pate; and
A Soldier and a Saylour,
the music by John Eccles, and sung by
Dogget, are in
Thesaurus Musicus,
The Fourth Book, 1695.
Cibber, Apology, I, 196-97: After we had stolen some few Days March upon
them,
the Forces of Betterton came up with us in terrible Order: In about three Weeks following,
the new Theatre was open'd against us with veteran Company and a
new Train of Artillery; or in plainer
English,
the old Actors in
Lincoln's-Inn-Fields began with a
new Comedy of
Mr Congreve's, call'd
Love for Love, which ran on with such extraordinary Success that
they had seldom occasion to act any o
ther Play 'till
the End of
the Season. This valuable Play had a narrow Escape from falling into
the Hands of
the Patentees; for before
the Division of
the Company it had been read and accepted of at
the Theatre-Royal: But while
the Articles of Agreement for it were preparing,
the Rupture in
the Theatrical State was so far advanced that
the Author took time to pause before he sign'd
them; when finding that all Hopes of Accomodation were impracticable, he thought it advisable to let it takes its Fortune with those Actors for whom he had first intended
the Parts.
A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 10:
Ramble: You know
the New-house opened with an extraordinary good Comedy,
the like has scarce been heard of.
Critick: I allow that Play contributed not a little to
their Reputation and Profit; it was
the Work of a popular Author; but that was not all,
the Town was ingag'd in its favour, and in favour of
the Actors long before
the Play was Acted.
Sullen: I've heard as much; and I don't grudge 'em that happy beginning, to compensate some part of
their Expence and Toil: But
the assistance
they receiv'd from some Noble Persons did 'em eminent Credit; and
their appearance in
the Boxes, gave
the House as much Advantage as
their Contributions. Ramble: Faith if
their Boxes had not been well crowded,
their Galleries wou'd ha' fallen down on
their Heads. Sullen:
The good Humour those Noble Patrons were in, gave that Comedy such infinite Applause; and what
the Quality approve,
the lower sort take upon trust.
Gildon,
The Lives and Characters (ca. 1698), p. 22: This Play, tho' a very good Comedy in it self, had this Advantage, that it was Acted at
the Opening of
the New House, when
the Town was so prepossess'd in Favour of
the very Actors, that before a Word was spoke, each Actor was clapt for a considerable Time. And yet all this got it not more Applause than it really deserv'd.
An Essay on Acting (
London, 1744), p. 10:
The late celebrated Mr Dogget, before he perform'd
the Character of
Ben in Love for Love, took Lodgings in
Wapping, and ga
ther'd
thence a Nosegay for
the whole Town