Event Comment: This play is alter'd by
Mr Cumberland was very well receiv'd
Mr & Mrs Barry play'd very well
Alcibiades was perform'd by
Mr Crofts being his first appearance upon any Stage bad figure bad voice & Play'd bad (
Hopkins Diary). New Scenes, Decorations &c. Mr Crofts-a stationer in the
Temple (
Winston MS 10).
Theatrical Review, 4 Dec.: We think ourselves oblig'd to declare that this gentleman (Crofts), by no means answered the expectations we had formed, from the accounts we had heard of him.--His voice is not bad, though it is not much above the level of common conservation; --his deportment is aukward and void of grace to an extreme; and he labors under the disadvantage of having a face destitute of expression. His gestures are extremely ungraceful, and the whole of his execution is glaringly untutored, and misconceived. His persons is very ill formed, and therefore it makes greatly against him, especially as he is the representative of Alcibiades, who was the handsomest man in all
Athens, and we never remember any one's attempting to set out as a capital performer with so few requisites for the support of such an undertaking as this gentleman appears to have. Paid
Dr Nares & Mr Cooke's 8 boys in the
Garter, 12 nights (30th ult. incl.) #36;
Master Brown 7 nights (2nd inst. incl.) #2 12s 6d.; Licence for
Timon, #2 2s. (Treasurer's Book). [
Larpent MS 328 of Cumberland's Timon, is one of the earliest to include scenic descriptions: "A Hall in Timon's House. The Flat Scene represents stately Folding Doors. Scene two, the Back scene is hastily drawn back and discovers a magnificent Levee Room or Salon. &c."] Receipts: #243 1s. (Treasurer's Book)