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II. Unnoted First Performances in The London Stage
Two principal difficulties exist when one searches The London Stage for play premieres: (1) the first mention of a play may not be the premiere, as exemplified by Susanna Centlivre's The Gamester (1705), for which the first listing is actually the twelfth night of performance; and (2) the first mention of a play may be a premiere but is not so indicated in the London Stage comments. Resolution of some of these problems constitutes the subject matter of this section. Although any user tracking down a specific play in The London Stage may ultimately be able to identify and sort out these inadvertences on the part of the London Stage editors, I present this information as a courtesy, and whenever possible, add new information in an attempt to establish premiere dates.
Platonick Love; or, The Innocent Mistake (Anonymous, ca. 1703?)
The known performance of this play is for 24 November 1718 (LS 2.ii. 516) but is advertised as "Not Acted these Fifteen Years," implying a possible 1703 or earlier premiere. No other play of this title is known, and the title sufficiently differs from Davenant's earlier The Platonic Lovers (1635) to suggest that the 1703 play is not a revival of the 1635 piece. The play is apparently unpublished, and no other information is currently available.
The Maid in the Mill (Anonymous, 27 July 1704, Lincoln's Inn Fields; LS 2.i.73)
This new three-act farce version derives from the original Fletcher and Rowley five-act mainpiece (licensed 1623). The new version, which went unpublished, is advertised in the Daily Courant (27 July 1704) as "a Comedy call'd, The Maid in the Mill. Being made into a farce of three Acts."
The Unfortunate Couple (Anonymous, 17 August 1704, Lincoln's Inn Fields)
The title of this unpublished play is identical to that of one act of P. A. Motteux's The Novelty (May 1697), itself derived from Edward Filmer's The Unnatural Brother (January 1697). The play was advertised (as recorded in LS 2.1.73) as "Not Acted these Six Years," indicating that this performance of 17 August 1704 represents the first known separate performance of the tragedy. The Unfortunate Couple is thus very likely either an adaptation or alteration of one act of Motteux's play.
Mock Pompey (31 July 1706, Queen's Theatre)
This anonymous, unpublished piece is advertised as "A Burlesque Farce" (LS 2.i.127).
Titus Manlius (4 April 1717, King's)
The premiere of this little-known opera is explicitly advertised in the
The Jealous Doctor (By John Rich, 29 April 1717, Lincoln's Inn Fields)
This is an unpublished pantomime (LS 2.i.448).
Harlequin Executed (By John Rich, 10 May 1717, Lincoln's Inn Fields)
The details surrounding this unpublished piece are somewhat muddled, but Weaver identifies it as a pantomime by "Lun," i.e., John Rich. The London Stage (2.i.428) first records performance as a dance entitled "Italian Mimick Scene between a Scaramouch, Harlequin, Country Farmer, His Wife, and others" (26 December 1716, Lincoln's Inn Fields); the piece was next presented, again as a dance, as "Harlequin Executed; or, The Farmer Disappointed" on 29 December 1716 (LS 2.i.428). The increasingly popular diversion finally became a full-fledged afterpiece as noted on 10 May 1717 (LS 2.i.449). I have assigned the "official" premiere to 10 May 1717 on the grounds that this is the first time that the piece is given full billing status in newspaper advertisements as an afterpiece. This piece indicates the difficulty of establishing genre designations during the early eighteenth century, a problem noted by The London Stage (2.i.cxix).
The Unlucky Lover; or, The Merry London Cuckolds (18 July 1717, Drury Lane)
This anonymous, unpublished play, apparently a comedy, is advertised in the Daily Courant for 18 July 1717 as "carefully revis'd," implying an earlier premiere (LS 2.i.457). Any possible relationship to Ravenscroft's The London Cuckolds is unknown.
Harlequin Turn'd Judge (By John Weaver, 5 December 1717, Drury Lane; LS 2.i.472)
This pantomime went unpublished.
The Stage Coach (27 February 1731, Goodman's Fields; LS 3.i.119)
This anonymous musical adaptation of Farquhar's afterpiece comedy is advertised in the Daily Post for 27 February 1731 as a new ballad opera. No contemporary published London edition of the adaptation is known, but the NUC lists "The Stage-Coach; opera. As it is acted . . . in Drury Lane" as published in Dublin, 1761.[18]
The Throwsters Opera (2 June 1731, Goodman's Fields; LS 3.i.144)
This unpublished play is advertised in the Daily Post for 2 June 1731 as "a New Pantomime Entertainment," thus distinguishing it from The Merry Throwster (8 March 1731, Goodman's Fields; LS 3.i.121).
The What D'Ye Call It (Anonymous, 11 August 1731, Drury Lane)
This adaptation is advertised as a new ballad opera in a puff in the Daily Post for 2 August 1731: "We hear The What d'ye Call it? written by Mr. Gay,
The Humours of Billingsgate (Anonymous, 12 November 1731, Drury Lane; LS 3.i.168)
Two details suggest that this unpublished play is probably not related to Lacy Ryan's similarly titled The Cobler's Opera; or, The Humours of Billingsgate (26 April 1731, Lincoln's Inn Fields): (1) the change of venue suggests that The Humours of Billingsgate is an entirely different piece, although perhaps a parody or sequel of Ryan's play; (2) the two patent theatres at Drury Lane and Lincoln's Inn Fields drew the line at pirating shows from each other but did not hesitate to steal plays from the unlicensed companies at the Little Haymarket Theatre (as in the case of The Beggar's Wedding (1729), simultaneously pirated by Drury Lane as Phebe). We may also note in passing that The Cobler's Opera, a popular afterpiece, was always advertised under its main rather than subtitle.
The Judgement of Paris (By John Weaver, 6 February 1733, Drury Lane; LS 3.i.269)
This dramatick pantomime, with music by Seedo, is based on William Congreve's masque of identical title (1701). The play was advertised in the Daily Post of 6 February 1733 as "a New Pantomime Entertainment." The attributions may be found on the title page of the printed edition (London: J. Tonson, 1733).
This entertainment is not to be confused with another and earlier new piece (anonymous) with the same title as presented at Lincoln's Inn Fields on 6 May 1731 and advertised as a "New Pastoral Ballad Opera."
The Imaginary Cuckolds (Anonymous, 11 April 1733, Drury Lane; LS 3.i.286)
An adaptation of Molière's Le Cocu Imaginaire, this afterpiece ran for four performances. Nothing is known concerning the identity of the adaptor, and the piece was apparently not published.
King and No King; or, The Polish Squabble (Anonymous, 1 November 1733, Goodman's Fields; LS 3.i.332)
Gagey remarks that this unpublished play was either a farce or a ballad opera afterpiece (p. 185).
Harlequin Restor'd, or, Taste a la Mode (By Richard Charke, 12 January 1736, Drury Lane; LS 3.i.543)
Loosely based on The Country Revels (1732) but not the same as the play
The Beggar's Pantomime (By Henry Woodward, 7 December 1736, Lincoln's Inn Fields; LS 3.ii.621)
This is a new ballad opera. See Gagey, pp. 169, 242. Publication took place in London (C. Corbett and W. Warner, 1736).
The Mirrour (Anonymous, 26 January 1737, Little Haymarket; LS 3.ii.633)
Virtually nothing is known concerning this unpublished "Dramatick Satire."
The Mob in Despair (Anonymous, 26 January 1737, Little Haymarket; LS 3.ii.633)
No information has appeared concerning publication or attribution of this farce afterpiece.
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