- Museum number
- 1862,1217.553
- Title
- Object: Acting magistrates committing themselves being their first appearance on this stage as permormed at the National Theatre Covent Garden. Sepr 18 1809
- Description
-
The stage of Covent Garden Theatre is seen from the right with a small part of the pit in the left foreground; the boxes and galleries adjoining the stage form the background on the left. The pittites are standing and blow trumpets, spring rattles, ring bells, and shout. Those in the crowded boxes behave in the same way; with one exception all are men. Two men occupy each of the two boxes over the stage-door; they watch passively. The musicians' seats are empty, but candles burn beside their open music-books, and one of the orchestra stands facing the audience, threatening them with fist and baton. On the stage three men stand together addressing the audience. The man in the centre holds out a paper: 'Riot Act'; he says: "We shall Read the riot act". Behind them stands Kemble wearing a tail-coat and white trousers, appealing to the audience with his hands meekly together as if in prayer. Large notices and placards hang from the galleries and boxes: 'Old Prices' [five times]; 'Harris will but Kemble won,t'; 'No Kembles No more insults'; 'Kemble remember the Dublin Tin Man'; 'No Foreign Sofas'; 'Iohn Bull against Iohn Kemble'; 'No Catalani'; 'Old Prices' [three times]; 'No Italian Private Boxes'; '£6000 for Caterwauling'; 'Catalani', below a print of a cat dressed as a woman, and singing 'Me Yo' from a music-book; 'No Catalani!! Mountain— Billington, and Dickons for ever'; 'Ol Price for ever No caterwauling'; 'Old Prices No Catalani'; a gigantic placard:
'Statement— £
Subscribed — £80-000
Fire Office — 50-000
Old Materials — 25-000
155-000
New Theatre —— 150-000
Managers of it —— 5-000'
Held up by a 'John Bull' in the pit who blows a trumpet: 'No Catalani No Pigeon Holes Old Prices No Private Boxes'. A man shouts from a box: "Off Off Off Off"; he springs a rattle.
September 1809
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1809
- Dimensions
-
Height: 271 millimetres
-
Width: 410 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VIII, 1947)
See No. 11414, &c. On the opening day the riots broke out after the singing of 'God save the King', when Kemble appeared to make the opening address. No word was heard of this, of 'Macbeth', or of the farce. A special uproar greeted members of the Kemble family. After the performance the clamour continued (on this first day vocal only), and two Bow Street magistrates, Reed and Nares, appeared on the stage, but could not be heard; one produced a paper, presumed to be the Riot Act, but they were forced to withdraw; several persons were taken into custody. Kemble was dressed as Macbeth. The placards, rattles, &c., were produced on the following day; large banners were later. 'Europ. Mag.', 1809, pp. 211-13. Cf. No. 11432. The favourable treatment of Harris, the 'undisputed manager', at Kemble's expense was unjustified: he and his son held seven-twelfths of the property of the theatre, Kemble one-sixth; Harris insisted on resistance, which was embodied by the haughty 'King John' (cf. No. 11419), who repeatedly addressed the rioters from the stage. The theatre was insured for £50,000; salvage amounted only to c. £3,500. Boaden, 'Life of Kemble', 1825, ii. 455, 500, 528. For the subscriptions see No. 11413.
Reid, No. 83. Cohn, No. 865. An impression in the collection of Mr. W. T. Spencer (1931) autographed: 'Designed & etched by my Father Isaac Cruikshank the little figures in the Boxes by me G. C.'
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1862
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1862,1217.553
