Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of this per
formance, which coincides with the opening of the playhouse in
Lincoln's Inn Fields by
Betterton's Company, is established by
Downes,
Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 43-44: [
Betterton,
Mrs Bracegirdle,
Mrs Barry, and others] set up a new Company, calling it the
New Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields; and the House being fitted up from a Tennis-Court, they Open'd it the last Day of April 1695, with a new Comedy: Call'd,
Love for Love....This Comedy being Extraordinary well Acted, chiefly the Part of
Ben the Sailor, it took 13 Days Successively. Three songs in the play were published separately:
I tell thee, Charmion, the music by
Finger, sung by
Pate and
Reading, is in
Thesaurus Musicus, 1696, The Fifth Book.
A Nymph and a Swain, the music by
John Eccles and sung by Pate; and
A Soldier and a Saylour, the music by John Eccles, and sung by
Dogget, are in Thesaurus Musicus, The Fourth Book, 1695.
Cibber, Apology, I, 196-97: After we had stolen some few Days March upon them, the
Forces of Betterton came up with us in terrible Order: In about three Weeks following, the new Theatre was open'd against us with veteran Company and a new Train of Artillery; or in plainer
English, the old Actors in
Lincoln's-Inn-Fields began with a new Comedy of
Mr Congreve's, call'd
Love for Love, which ran on with such extraordinary Success that they had seldom occasion to act any other Play 'till the End of the Season. This valuable Play had a narrow Escape from falling into the Hands of the
Patentees;
for be
fore the Division of the Company it had been read and accepted of at the
Theatre-Royal: But while the Articles of Agreement
for it were preparing, the Rupture in the Theatrical State was so far advanced that the Author took time to pause be
fore he sign'd them; when finding that all Hopes of Accomodation were impracticable, he thought it advisable to let it takes its
Fortune with those Actors
for whom he had
first intended the Parts.
A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 10:
Ramble: You know the New-house opened with an extraordinary good Comedy, the like has scarce been heard of.
Critick: I allow that Play contributed not a little to their Reputation and Profit; it was the Work of a popular Author; but that was not all, the Town was ingag'd in its favour, and in favour of the Actors long be
fore the Play was Acted.
Sullen: I've heard as much; and I don't grudge 'em that happy beginning, to compensate some part of their Expence and Toil: But the assistance they receiv'd from some Noble Persons did 'em eminent Credit; and their appearance in the Boxes, gave the House as much Advantage as their Contributions. Ramble: Faith if their Boxes had not been well crowded, their Galleries wou'd ha' fallen down on their Heads. Sullen: The good Humour those Noble Patrons were in, gave that Comedy such infinite Applause; and what the Quality approve, the lower sort take upon trust.
Gildon,
The Lives and Characters (ca. 1698), p. 22: This Play, tho' a very good Comedy in it self, had this Advantage, that it was Acted at the Opening of the New House, when the Town was so prepossess'd in Favour of the very Actors, that be
fore a Word was spoke, each Actor was clapt
for a considerable Time. And yet all this got it not more Applause than it really deserv'd.
An Essay on Acting (
London, 1744), p. 10: The late celebrated Mr Dogget, be
fore he per
form'd the Character of
Ben in Love
for Love, took Lodgings in
Wapping, and gather'd thence a Nosegay
for the whole Town