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 others] 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 other 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 contri
buted 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 Contri
butions. 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 gather'd thence a Nosegay for the whole Town