William Hogarth and London Theatrical Life

William Hogarth and London Theatrical Life MARY F. KLINGERbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA T h e v ita lity o f e ig h te e n th -c e n tu ry L o n d o n th e a te r a u d ie n c e s is k n o w n to u s th ro u g h th e w o rd s o f su c h so p h istic a te d sp e c ta to rs as Ja m e s B o sw ell, w h o re c o rd s h is e la b o ra te in trig u e s in th e D ru ry L a n e p it, w h e re h e ev en lo w e d lik e a co w o n o n e o c c a sio n .1 H is London Journal e n try fo r 1 9 Ja n u a ry 1 7 6 3 d e sc rib e s a v a lia n t b u t v a in a tte m p t to d a m n D av id M a lle t’s tra g e d y Elvira, A fte r a d in n e r o f ju ic y b e e fste a k s B o sw ell a n d tw o frie n d s, D e m p ste r a n d E rs­ k in e , “ d ra n k d a m n a tio n to th e p la y ” a n d “ e te rn a l re m o rse” to th e a u th o r. T h e n , B o sw ell c o n tin u e s: . . . ju s t as th e d o o rs o p e n e d a t fo u r o ’c lo c k , w e sa llie d in to th e h o u se , p la n te d o u rse lv e s in th e m id d le o f th e p it, a n d w ith o a k e n c u d g e ls in o u r h a n d s a n d sh rill-so u n d in g c a tc a lls in o u r p o c k e ts, sa t re a d y p re p a re d . . . . A s is u su a l o n first n ig h ts, so m e o f u s c a lle d to th e m u sic to p la y Roast Beef. B u t th e y d id n o t c o m p ly . . . a n d w e w e re n o t n u m e ro u s e n o u g h to tu rn th a t re q u e st in to a c o m m a n d , w h ic h in a L o n d o n th e a tre is q u ite a d iffe re n t so rt o f p u b lic sp e e c h . . . . T h e p ro lo g u e w as p o litic a lly stu p id . W e h isse d it a n d h a d se v e ra l to jo in u s ... . W e d id w h a t w e c o u ld d u rin g th e first a c t, b u t fo u n d th a t th e a u d ie n c e h a d lo st th e ir o rig in a l fire a n d sp irit a n d w e re d isp o se d to le t it...