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SELECT * FROM london_stages WHERE MATCH('(@(authnameclean,perftitleclean,commentcclean,commentpclean) "Besford"/1) | (@(roleclean,performerclean) "Besford")') GROUP BY eventid ORDER BY weight() desc, eventdate asc OPTION field_weights=(perftitleclean=100, commentpclean=75, commentcclean=75, roleclean=100, performerclean=100, authnameclean=100), ranker=sph04

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We found 431 matches on Roles/Actors, 122 matches on Performance Comments, 82 matches on Performance Title, 32 matches on Event Comments, and 0 matches on Author.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Earl Of Warwick

Afterpiece Title: Edgar and Emmeline

Performance Comment: Edgar-Lewes, first time; Florimond-Yates; Elfina-Miss Besford; Grotilla-Miss Cockayne; Emmeline-Mrs Yates (playbill).
Cast
Role: Elfina Actor: Miss Besford

Dance: End: The Tartars, as17691207

Entertainment: End: By Particular Desire, The Epilogue[Spoken Last Year;-Mrs Yates [as17690313, the New Epilogue for Mrs Yates's Benefit, after Orestes]

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Wonder

Afterpiece Title: Thomasand Sally

Dance: II: By Particular Desire, a Minuet-Fishar, Sga Manesiere; III: A Hornpipe-Miss Capon , first time; I: A Serious and Comic Dance-. the serious part- Miss Capon, the comic part- Mas. Burton, Miss Besford (all apprentices to Fishar); IV: A New Grand Ballet called The Old Man Metamorphosed-. Old Man Fishar, Shepherdess Sga Manesiere, Cupid Mas. Burton; In which Dance will be introduced by Particular Desire the Allemande-Fishar, Sga Manesiere

Performance Comment: the serious part- Miss Capon, the comic part- Mas. Burton, Miss Besford (all apprentices to Fishar); IV: A New Grand Ballet called The Old Man Metamorphosed-. Old Man Fishar, Shepherdess Sga Manesiere, Cupid Mas. Burton; In which Dance will be introduced by Particular Desire the Allemande-Fishar, Sga Manesiere.

Ballet: V: For First time this season, The Wapping Landlady. Jack-Fishar; Landlady-Miles; Orange Woman-Sga Manesiere; Double Hornpipe-[See17680416]

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Tom Jones

Afterpiece Title: Catharine and Petruchio

Dance: By Desire The Tartars, as17701003; End of Farce: A New Dance, The Corsican Sailor's Punch House-Fishar, Miss Twist, Hussey, Blurton, Miss Besford

Monologue: I: A Dancing Academy. The Minuet-Fishar, Sga Manesiere; The Allemande (first time)-Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford (both apprentices of Fishar); the Hornpipe-Mas. Blurton; to conclude with a New Cotillion-

Performance Comment: The Minuet-Fishar, Sga Manesiere; The Allemande (first time)-Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford (both apprentices of Fishar); the Hornpipe-Mas. Blurton; to conclude with a New Cotillion-.

Ballet: End Opera: First time this season, The Wapping Landlady. Jack-Fishar; Landlady-Mrs White; Orange Woman-Sga Manesiere; with a Double Hornpipe-Fishar, Sga Manesiere

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Romeo And Juliet

Performance Comment: Romeo-Smith; Capulet-Younger; Friar Lawrence-Hull; Mercutio-Dyer; Tibalt-Gardner; Paris-Perry; Benvolio-Fox; Escalus-Morris; Peter-Quick; Apothecary-Holtom; Lady Capulet-Mrs Barrington; Nurse-Mrs Pitt; Juliet-Miss Miller; first time; In I, a Minuet-Fishar, Miss Besford; a Masquerade Dance- incident to the play; With the Funeral Procession of Juliet-; a Solemn Dirge-; the Vocal Parts-Mattocks, DuBellamy, Baker, Barnshaw, Legg, Fox, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Baker, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Jones.
Cast
Role: a Minuet Actor: Fishar, Miss Besford

Afterpiece Title: The Devil to Pay

Dance: End: Comic Dance, as17701017

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Oroonoko

Afterpiece Title: Midas

Ballet: IV: The Wapping Landlady. As17710422 but Double Hornpipe-Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford

Performance Comment: As17710422 but Double Hornpipe-Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Miser

Afterpiece Title: The Devil to Pay

Dance: III: Hornpipe-Mas. Blurton; End: The Provenzale-Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford [see17700928]

Performance Comment: Blurton; End: The Provenzale-Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford [see17700928].see17700928].

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Romeo And Juliet

Afterpiece Title: Mother Shipton

Performance Comment: As17721016, but The Dances-Mas. Blurton, Miss +Besford.
Cast
Role: The Dances Actor: Mas. Blurton, Miss +Besford.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Miser

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Sorcerer

Performance Comment: Harlequin-Lewes; Pantaloon-Morris; Clown-Cushing; Colombine-Miss Twist; The Witches-Mattocks, Miss Wewitzer, Legg, Baker, Owenson, Fox, Miss Valois, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Jones; Shepherd-DuBellamy; Shepherdess-Miss Wewitzer; Pluto-Reinhold; Proserpine-Mrs Baker; The Dances-Fishar, Sga Manesiere, Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Beggar's Opera

Performance Comment: As17721117, but Lucy-Mrs Baker; Hornpipe-Miss Besford.
Cast
Role: Hornpipe Actor: Miss Besford.

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Sorcerer

Performances

Mainpiece Title: She Stoops To Conquor; Or, The Mistakes Of A Night

Afterpiece Title: Thomasand Sally

Performance Comment: As17720923, but Hornpipe-Miss Besford.
Cast
Role: Hornpipe Actor: Miss Besford.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Provok'd Husband

Afterpiece Title: The Padlock

Dance: I: A New Comic Dance, call'd The Cumberland Corn@thrashers-Mas. Blurton (Apprentice to Fishar), Miss Mathews; II: (By Particular Desire) a Minuet-Fishar, Sga Manesiere; III: A Hornpipe, first time-Miller (Scholar to Fishar)

Monologue: IV: a New Grand Ballet (that night only) called The Festival of the Black Prince(As performed at Paris by Fishar with universal applause). Black Prince-Fishar; Favourites-Sga Manesiere, Miss Twist; Pages-Mas. Blurton, Miller; Dancers and Attendants-Hussey, Petrie, Dumay, Settree, King, Merrifield, Curtat, Holloway, Miss Capon, Mrs Willems, Miss Stede, Mrs Inuill, Miss Matthews, Miss Bassan, Sodi, Mrs Holloway. With dresses in the mode

Ballet: V: First time this season The Wapping Landlady. Jack-Fishar; Landlady-Banks; Nosegay Woman-Sga Manesiere; with a New Hornpipe-Fishar, Mas. Blurton, Sga Manesiere, Miss Twist, Miss Capon, Miss Besford (Six principal dancers)

Performance Comment: Jack-Fishar; Landlady-Banks; Nosegay Woman-Sga Manesiere; with a New Hornpipe-Fishar, Mas. Blurton, Sga Manesiere, Miss Twist, Miss Capon, Miss Besford (Six principal dancers).
Event Comment: Last time of performing this season. Rec'd from Condell in full for Fruit rent this season #20. Paid Besford for making properties as per bill #3 17s. (Account Book). Receipts: #121 13s

Performances

Mainpiece Title: She Stoops To Conquor

Afterpiece Title: Harlequin Sorcerer

Performances

Mainpiece Title: King Richard Iii

Performance Comment: Richard-Smith; King Henry-Kniveton; Richmond-Clarke; Buckingham-Hull; Catesby-Davis; Ratcliff-Thompson; Prince Edward-Miss Besford; Duke of York-Mas. Jones; Lieut.-Fox; Lord Mayor-Wignell; Stanley-Gardner; Tressel-Wroughton; Duchess of York-Mrs Ferguson; Lady Anne-Mrs Baker; Queen-Miss Miller.
Cast
Role: Prince Edward Actor: Miss Besford

Afterpiece Title: Midas

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Duellist

Afterpiece Title: Thomasand Sally

Performance Comment: As17731023, but Hornpipe-Miss Besford.
Cast
Role: Hornpipe Actor: Miss Besford.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Love In A Village

Afterpiece Title: The Padlock

Dance: II: The Corsican Sailors-Fishar, Miss Twist, Mas. Blurton, Miss Besford, as17731013

Performance Comment: Blurton, Miss Besford, as17731013.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Cyrus

Afterpiece Title: Mother Shipton with Stockwell Scenes

Performance Comment: Harlequin-Lewes; Clown-Cushing; Farmer-Fox; Mother Shipton-Baker; Ballad Singer-Dunstall; Others-Rayner, Banks, Wild, Hamilton, Thompson, Hollingsworth, Holtom, Mrs Helme, Mrs White; Colombine-Miss Twist; The Dances-Fishar, Miss Valois, Blurton, Miss Besford.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Beggar's Opera

Performance Comment: As17740106, but Polly-Miss Brown, first time; Hornpipe-Miss Besford; Lucy-Miss Dayes; Mat-Baker.
Cast
Role: Hornpipe Actor: Miss Besford

Afterpiece Title: The Commissary

Monologue: Interlude.True Blue. As 12 April

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Beggar's Opera

Performance Comment: Macheath-A Young Gentleman [Mr Young]; Peachum-Shuter; Lockit-Dunstall; Filch-Wewitzer; Mat@o@Mint-Baker; Lucy-Miss Catley (by desire) first time; Mrs Peachum-Mrs Baker; Diana Trapes-Mrs Pitt; Polly-Mrs Mattocks; [In III, Hornpipe-Miss Besford; [Concluding with a Country Dance-the characters in the play.
Cast
Role: Hornpipe Actor: Miss Besford

Afterpiece Title: The Englishman in Paris

Dance: II: The Provencale, as17740928

Performances

Mainpiece Title: The Rehearsal

Performance Comment: Bayes-Lee; Johnson-Lewis; Smith-Clarke; Others-Dunstall, Quick, Clinch, Lewes, Whitefield, DuBellamy, Baker, Davis, Fearon, Cushing, Thompson, Hollingsworth, Wewitzer, Fox, Bates, Burton, Miss Dayes, Miss Pearce, Miss Besford, Miss Barsanti; With Suitable Dances-, Machinery, Decorations, a Reinforcement of Mr Bayes's New Raised Troops.

Afterpiece Title: The Chaplet

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Philaster

Afterpiece Title: Daphne and Amintor

Performance Comment: Amintor-Mattocks; Mindora-Mrs Baker; Daphne-Miss Brown; first time. The Dances-Blurton, Harris, Miss Valois, Miss Besford.

Dance: II: The Provencale, as17740928; III: The Vintage Festival, as17741007

Performances

Mainpiece Title: King Richard Iii

Performance Comment: Richard-Lee; King Henry-Hull; Richmond-Clinch; Buckingham-Booth; Stanley-Fearon; Catesby-Davis; Ratcliff-Chaplin; Oxford-Baker; Prince Edward-Miss Besford; Duke of York-Mas. Jones; Tressel-Young; Dunchess of York-Mrs Hull; Lady Ann-Miss Macklin; Queen-Mrs Melmoth, being their first appearance in those characters.
Cast
Role: Prince Edward Actor: Miss Besford

Afterpiece Title: Daphne and Amintor

Performances

Mainpiece Title: Alexander The Great

Afterpiece Title: The Druids

Performance Comment: As17741226, but Additional scene now specified in the Public Advertiser. For sake of clarity the full bill repeated here: Parts-Mattocks, Reinhold, Miss Brown, Miss Dayes, Lee Lewes, Dunstall, Quick, DuBellamy, Mas. Loader, Mas. George, Fearon, Banks, Cushing, Hollingsworth, Thompson, Mrs Pitt, Mrs Whitefield, Mrs White, Miss Wilde; Dances-Aldridge, Helme, Daiguville, Sga Vidini, Miss Valois, Miss Besford, Mrs Stephens.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: George Barnwell

Afterpiece Title: The Druids

Performance Comment: As17741227, but Dances-Miss _Besford, Mrs _Stephens.

Performances

Mainpiece Title: King John

Performance Comment: As17751201, but Prince Henry-Miss Besford.
Cast
Role: Prince Henry Actor: Miss Besford.

Afterpiece Title: Orpheus and Eurydice

Performances

Mainpiece Title: King Richard Iii

Performance Comment: Richard-Sheridan; King Henry-Clarke; Richmond-Clinch; Buckingham-Hull; Stanley-Fearon; Tressel-Young; Prince Edward-Miss Besford; Duke of York-Mas. Jones; Norfolk-Booth; Lieut.-L'Estrange; Duchess of York-Mrs Booth; Lady Ann-Miss Macklin; Queen-Mrs Hunter, first time.
Cast
Role: Prince Edward Actor: Miss Besford

Afterpiece Title: Prometheus