Every body is aware of the prodigious and unexpected success of
Gay's _Beggar's Opera_ on its first production; it was offered to
Colley Cibber at Drury Lane, and refused, and the author took it to
Rich, at the Lincoln's-Inn-Fields theatre, by whom it was accepted,
but not without hesitation. It ran for 62 nights (not 63 nights, as
has been stated in some authorities) in the season of 1727-1728; of
these, 32 nights were in succession; and, from the original
Account-book of the manager, C.M. Rich, I am enabled to give an
exact statement of the money taken at the doors on each night,
distinguishing such performances as were for the benefit of the
author, viz. the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 15th nights, which put exactly
693l. 13s. 6d. into Gay's pocket. This is a new circumstance in the
biography of one of our most fascinating English writers, whether in
prose or verse. Rich records that the king, queen, and {179}
princesses were present on the 21st repetition, but that was by no
means one of the fullest houses. The very bill sold at the doors on
the occasion has been preserved, and hereafter may be furnished for
the amusement of your readers. It appears, that when the run of the
_Beggar's Opera_ was somewhat abruptly terminated by the advance of
the season and the benefits of the actors, the "takings," as they
were and still are called, were larger than ever. The performances
commenced on 29th January, 1728, and that some striking novelty was
required at the Lincoln's-Inn-Fields theatre, to improve the
prospects of the manager, may be judged from the fact that the new
tragedy of _Sesostris_, brought out on the 17th January, was played
for the benefit of its author (John Sturm) on its 6th night to only
58l. 19s., while the house was capable of holding at least 200l.
In the following statement of the receipts to the _Beggar's Opera_,
I have not thought it necessary to insert the days of the months:--
£ s. d.
Night 1 - - - 169 12 0
2 - - - 160 14 0
(Author) 3 - - - 162 12 6
4 - - - 163 5 6
5 - - - 175 19 6
(Author) 6 - - - 189 11 0
7 - - - 161 19 0
8 - - - 157 19 6
(Author) 9 - - - 165 12 0
10 - - - 156 8 0
11 - - - 171 10 0
12 - - - 170 5 6
13 - - - 164 8 0
14 - - - 171 5 0
(Author) 15 - - - 175 18 0
16 - - - 160 11 0
17 - - - 171 8 6
18 - - - 163 16 6
19 - - - 158 19 0
20 - - - 170 9 6
21 - - - 163 14 6
22 - - - 163 17 6
23 - - - 179 8 6
24 - - - 161 7 0
25 - - - 169 3 6
26 - - - 163 18 6
27 - - - 168 4 6
28 - - - 153 3 6
29 - - - 165 2 6
30 - - - 152 8 6
31 - - - 183 4 0
32 - - - 185 8 6
Therefore, when the run was interrupted, the attraction of the opera
was greater than it had been on any previous night, excepting the
6th, which was one of those set apart for the remuneration of the
author, when the receipt was 189l. 11s. The total sum realised by
the 32 successive performances was 5351l. 15s., of which, as we have
already shown, Gay obtained 693l. 13s 6d. To him it was all clear
profit; but from the sum obtained by Rich are, of course, to be
deducted the expenses of the company, lights, house-rent, &c.
The successful career of the piece was checked, as I have said, by
the intervention of benefits, and the manager would not allow it to
be repeated even for Walker's and Miss Fenton's nights, the Macheath
and Polly of the opera; but, in order to connect the latter with it,
when Miss Fenton issued her bill for _The Beaux's Stratagem_, on
29th April, it was headed that it was "for the benefit of Polly." An
exception was, however, made in favour of John Rich, the brother of
the manager, for whose benefit the _Beggar's Opera_ was played on
26th February, when the receipt was 184l. 15s. Miss Fenton was
allowed a second benefit, on the 4th May, in consequence, we may
suppose, of her great claims in connection with the _Beggar's
Opera_, and then it was performed to a house containing 155l. 4s.
The greatest recorded receipt, in its first season, was on the 13th
April, when, for some unexplained cause the audience was so numerous
that 198l. 17s. were taken at the doors.
After this date there appears to have been considerable fluctuation
in the profits derived from repetitions of the _Beggar's Opera_. On
the 5th May, the day after Polly Fenton's (her real name was
Lavinia) second benefit, the proceeds fell to 78l. 14s., the 50th
night produced 69l. 12s., and the 51st only 26l. 1s. 6d. The next
night the receipt suddenly rose again to 134l. 13s. 6d., and it
continued to range between 53l. and 105l. until the 62nd and last
night (19th June), when the sum taken was 98l. 17s. 6d.
Miss Fenton left the stage at the end of the season, to be made
Duchess of Bolton, and in the next season her place, as regards the
_Beggar's Opera_, was taken by Miss Warren, and on 20th September it
attracted 75l. 7s.; at the end of November it drew only 23l., yet,
on the 11th December, for some reason not stated by the manager, the
takings amounted to 112l. 9s. 6d. On January 1st a new experiment
was tried with the opera, for it was represented by children, and
the Prince of Wales commanded it on one or more of the eight
successive performances it thus underwent. On 5th May we find Miss
Cantrell taking Miss Warren's character, and in the whole, the
_Beggar's Opera_ was acted more than forty times in its second year,
1728-9, including the performances by "Lilliputians" as well as
comedians. This is, perhaps, as much of its early history as your
readers will care about.