SEASON OF
1787-1788
J His was a season in which little of moment occurred. New
pieces were few in number and of no great interest. Drury
Lane brought out four: two were ponderous tragedies written
for Mrs Siddons, one was an unsuccessful comedy and one an
unsuccessful musical comedy. At Covent Garden only two were seen, both
comedies, one of which had one performance and the other three.1 The
Haymarket also accepted only two new plays, with not much better luck.
The Drury Lane company lost, by retirement, one of its most noted
members. William, called “Gentleman,” Smith had been on the stage for
thirty-five years, equally at home in tragedy and comedy, particularly
the latter. He was the original Charles Surface in The School for Scandal ,
ln which part he took his leave of the theatre on 9 June. Ten years later
he was induced to return to the stage for one night, when, for the benefit
°f his long time colleague, Thomas King, he again appeared as Charles
Surface. On that occasion — so quickly do fashions of acting and of response
to acting sometimes occur — his performance was considered to be too much
the old school.” Smith boasted that never once in his entire career had
e acted in an afterpiece.
This is the second of the two consecutive seasons for which the King’s
Account-Books have survived; the particulars of what they reveal will be
found
ln the preceding head-note. In reference to this season Dr Charles
Urney, dismayed at the relative indifference of audiences to his beloved
mUSe (T music, remarks that “within these last ten years, DANCING
ccms to have encroached upon Music, and instead of being a dependant
f0r A regards the benefits at this theatre it may be noted that the Account-Books do not,
18 or for any subsequent season, list the house charge.
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