Event Comment: Benefit for
Bannister. [
Mrs Wells had 1st acted
Macheath at the
hay, 14 Sept. 1781; Bannister had acted
Polly at the same theatre, 16 Sept. 1785.]
Gazetteer, 3 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7,
Suffolk-street,
Haymarket. "There is now a most vehement rage of innovation in language, government, religion,
and everything else...On the British stage, with infinite applause, young
and beautiful actresses perform sometimes the Parts of highwaymen;
and some singing actors squall in an affected voice resembling,
and intended to imitate, that of women; the most humourous dramatic pieces are frittered away into songs;
and I should not be surprised to hear that henceforth
Miranda and Juliet are to be personated by grim-visaged grenadiers seven feet high,
and Falstaff by a slender miss just entered her teens" (
Universal Magazine, Mar. 1795, p. 171). Receipts: #285 14s. (162.4.6; 5.9.6; tickets: 118.0.0)
Performances
Mainpiece Title: The Beggars Opera
Performance Comment: As17891024, but Captain Macheath-Mrs Wells (1st time at this theatre); Lucy-Mr Johnstone (1st appearance in that character); Polly-Mr Bannister (1st time these six years); Ben Budge-_.Afterpiece Title: The Flitch of Bacon
Song: In course of Evening: The Wolf-Bannister