News

March 5th, 1733: Orange-Women, Penknives, and Coffeehouses

We may be over the moon for our first #theaterthursday of March, but today we come to you to report the grave news that, on this day in London Stage history “… a great Disorder happen’d amongst the Footmen” of Drury Lane—specifically, a stabbing. The drama that unfolded may not have happened onstage, but it is worth talking about here for what it shows us about women, work, and public space in eighteenth-century London. [Content warning: this post contains non-graphic depictions of non-lethal violence, including a discussion of possible sexual harassment and/or assault] London newspaper The Daily Advertiser reported that on March 5th, 1733, a woman who worked at Drury Lane was “[met] with some Affront,” as she left the theater. She then “drew out her Penknife, and stabb’d a Chairman and two Gentlemen’s Servants, therewith, before it could be wrench’d from her.” This act of violence may appear simple: the woman was, in... Read More

LSDB in the News: The Watford Observer

“Mr. Savigny in the Character of Selim in Barbarossa“, 1770. Public domain image via Folger Shakespeare Library Digital Collections We’re so excited to shout out the latest instance of the London Stage Database in the news! Published in The Watford Observer (a local weekly newspaper of Watford, UK), “Covent Garden actor who lived at Frogmore House in Watford” is an intriguing read and also a wonderful example of the London Stage Database in action! Writer and local history correspondent Lesley Dunlop utilized the LSDB in her research on metallurgist-turned-actor John Horatio Savigny and his connection to the Frogmore House of Watford, a building that stands to this day. Maybe YOU have a historical figure related to the London Stage you want to research. But what if you don’t know where to look or how to search? Fear not! The London Stage Database is here for you! Searching for People of the London Stage: Using Dunlop’s article as example,... Read More

February 26th, 1672: The Return of the King(‘s Company)

Hello wonderful readers and theater history fans! Today, we’re coming to you with the news that on this day of February 26th, we get to celebrate not only another #theaterthursday, but also a triumph of the London Stage over tragedy that may have defeated less determined players of the stage. The King’s Company had called The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane home since 1663 but, a mere nine years later, at eight o’clock in the evening on January 25th, the theater company’s playhouse went up in flames! The blaze was horrific: destroying several surrounding homes and injuring many. One of the King’s Company’s own, actor Mr. Bell, was among those who lost their lives in the fire. Ironically, The Theatre Royal had managed to survive the great fire of London (pictured) which had decimated the city only six years earlier. In author Percy Fitzgerald’s book, A New History of the English Stage,... Read More

February 19th, 1785: A ‘Monstrous Marring’ of Macbeth

Welcome back to another #theaterthursday! On this day in history, Drury Lane Theatre put on Macbeth, but was met with mixed reviews from the press. Mrs. Siddons [as Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth] painted by Harlowe [sic] ; engraved by Robt. Cooper. Published by Berthoud Junr, 1822. Folger Imaging Department, View original via FSL Digital Collections The February 19th performance was reviewed in The Public Advertiser, which sang the praises of renowned actress Sarah Siddons. The review describes Siddons’s “fine conception” and “perfect execution” in the role of Lady Macbeth, attesting that her performance that night was “… the greatest act that has in our memory adorned the Stage.” The show was not, however, a COMPLETE success… It seems a couple of actresses kept breaking character on stage, “… laughing and talking the whole time” and making what the review called a “monstrous marring” of the performance! The actresses in question were none... Read More

February 12th, 1661: A WOMAN in The Scornful Lady?!

You may have woken up today, gotten out of bed, and thought to yourself: “looks like another average Thursday” in which case you would be completely and TOTALLY mistaken! It’s #theaterthursday ! We forgive your forgetful faux pas. It is, after all, only our second installment in the series. Many, many years ago, on a February 12th perhaps not all that different from this, theater goers flocked to watch actors (and actresses) tread the boards of the London Stage… One such patron was Samuel Pepys who attended a performance of The Scornful Lady on February 12th, 1661, the first theatrical season in London during which women were allowed to act on stage! Pepys described the experience of seeing a WOMAN act in The Scornful Lady for the first time in his diary. Samuel Pepys by John Hayls, oil on canvas, 1666. Licensed from National Portrait Gallery, London, under a a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND... Read More

February 5, 1704: Orange Attack at Drury Lane

We are so excited to announce the start of the London Stage blog’s newest series: #theaterthursdays, where we’ll be using the database to shout out what went down on the London Stage “on this day in history” every Thursday! Marco Ricci, 1676–1729, Rehearsal of an opera, ca. 1709, Oil on canvas, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, B1981.25.523. View original via YCBA So, without further ado, on this day in London Stage history… Opera singer Margherita de l’Épine was on stage on February 5th, 1704 when she found herself the victim of an unexpected attack! From the audience, a woman by the name of Ann Barwick had begun hissing, and throwing ORANGES at de l’Épine! Confused as to why Barwick launched her citrus attack on that fateful February 5th? Well, despite denying any involvement in Barwick’s actions, it is notable that Barwick’s employer was Kathrine Tofts: fellow soprano and rival of de... Read More