SEASON OF
1755-1756
ytiOcifnE SENSATIONAL event of this season was tile destruction
of tlie Drury Lane interior during the Chinese Festival riots in
November. Tire story lias often been recounted by liistorians
of the tlieatre, but assembled here for tile first time is tile most
complete set of comments about the riots from contemporary manuscript
sources. An event of more pleasing nature was tlie annual meeting of tile
Shakespeare Society (10
Mardi)
which seemed to consist mostly of a feast at
the Shakespeare's Head Tavern. The activities oftlie free-wheeling Tlieopliiltis
Cibber appeared rather often in tile papers. He scourged tlie managers in a
pamphlet, gained a license to perform for a short period, and tried the
lecture” expedient of performance a number of times during the winter.
An interesting statement in the old Maid magazine (see 4 May) purjiorted to
relate an eyewitness account oftlie reactions of tile Moorisli Ambassad'Or to
ن
performance of King Henry Fill at Drury Lane, thus adding another piece
؛
the see ourselves as others see US" literature, wilieh liad lieen popular
from the beginning of the century.
But this comment was for only one of the 441 performances which
ondoners saw this season, of these, Drury I.ane put on 187. Garrick's
company of performers readied the number 108, 67 of whom were
actors or actresses, and 41 of ivhom were dancers or singers. He liad
nearly tripled liis dancers in anticipation of a long run for the illfated
Chinese Festival.
The two new mainpicces at Drury Lane were tragedies: John Brown’s
Ht
:els tan (27 l’ebruary), and Jolin Slade’s Love and duty (12 August). Garrick
؛ouglit to brighten liis afterpieces by producing six new ones: The Chinese
Festival , byj. G. Noverre (8 November)؛ The Apprentice , by Artliur Murphy
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