Event Comment: The People flock'd about
the doors by Two o'clock.
there never was a greater Overflow-Mr G. was never happier in
Lear -
the Applause was beyond description 3 or 4 loud Claps Succeeding one ano
ther at all his exits and many Cry'd out Garrick for Ever &c., &c. House (
Hopkins Diary). [
Kemble's note differs slightly.] Paid
Mr Short, Chorus Singer #1 10s. (Treasurer's Book).
Hannah More wrote to
Mrs Gwatkin:
The eagerness of
the people to see Garrick is beyond anything you can have an idea of. You will see half a dozen duchesses and countesses a night in
the upper boxes: for
the fear of not seeing him at all, has humbled those who used to go, not for
the purpose of seeing but being seen; and
they now courtsy to
the ground for
the worst places in
the house" (
Hampden, Journal). [Letter to
David Garrick, Esq on his appearance in Lear last night 13 May:
The correspondent who signs himself
Stock Fish and who claims to have been one of
the survivors of
the Black Hole of Calcutta, and who took a young lady from
the country to see Garrick's last performance, blames him for endangering
the lives of his majesties subjects for not providing proper bars, lanes, and queue lines to handle
the crowds: "I went with intention to get into
the Pit as
the most eligible Part of
the House (for your Boxes are always engag'd) and we got to
the Door in
Vinegaryard about five o'clock. Here
the Passage to
the first Door was too full for me to entertain any Hopes of getting in that Way, we
therefore made for
Catharine-street but
the Multitudes of People waiting for
the Opening of
the Gallery-doors, rendered it impossible for us to get along through
the Court; we
therefore made a Circuit, and at length arrived opposite
the Door in Catharine-street, where it was with Difficulty we could keep our Stands on a Foot Pavement....You will be absolutely inexcusable, if after this Warning you neglect to adopt some Method for
the Security of
the Lives of his Majesties Subjects on similar Occasions.--What think you of
the following Scheme, viz. To keep
the outer Doors next
the Street shut, till
the inner ones are opened ; and
then, by a Proper bar, to prevent more than one at a Time entering, who shall
there pay Entrance-money, and receive
the Tickets of Admission through
the inner Doors' (
Public Advertiser 18 May).] Receipts: #308 1s. (Treasurer's Book)