From the Archives: Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Playbill 17 January 1822

Printed on silk.

The Pirate by the Scottish novelist Walter Scott (1771-1832) was written in 1821.  The novel had only been completed in October and published towards the end of the year.  The adaptation of some of the story into the work of a “new serious drama (with music)” shows how quickly a publication might be read, circulated, and then adapted into popular use.  This playbill is for the third performance with some music included by the Irish composer William Michael Rooke (1794-1847).

Theatrical performances were long affairs and the second part of the evening included Three Weeks after Marriage, a comedy play by the Irish author Arthur Murphy (1727-1805).  Following its first performance on 30 March 1776 it became a standard repertory piece, with immense success even into the nineteenth century.

The final entertainment in the evening’s billing was the hundredth performance of The Coronation.  The work celebrated the coronation of King George IV which had taken place on 19 July 1821.  The music was by Thomas Cooke (1782-1848), Director of the Music at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and was published as ‘The Grand coronation of King George the 4th; the overture with the favorite airs … as performed with unbounded applause at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane’ (printed & sold by Chappell & Co., 1821).