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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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258 B I0 GR AP HI C AL S KET C HE S. No. CCLVII. MR. AND MRS. LEE LEWES, IN THE CHARACTERS OF ‘‘ GOLDFINCH ” AND ‘‘ WIDOW WARREN.” NEARLYh alf a century has elapsed since the above performers were in Edinburgh ; yet they are well remembered by many of the old play-going citizens, who still revert to their early days as the golden age of the Scottish drama. MR. and MRS. LEE LEWESf,r om the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, made their first appearance in this city in 1787 ; at which period the Theatre was the property, and under the management of Mr. Jackson. On the first night of their engagement, which was limited to four nights, Lee Lewes enacted the part of Sir John Falstaff ; the next, he appeared in “ Love Makes a Man “-the third, in the “ Busy Body ”-and on the fourth night, he delivered a comic entertainment, which was announced as follows :- “MR. LEE LEWES WILL EXHIBIT THE ORIGINAL LECTURE ON HEADS,* which, with all its whimsical apparatus, he purchased of the late Mr. G. A. Stevens, and lately revived at the Theatre Iioyal, Covent Garden, several successive nights., with additions by Mr. Pilon. The whole is a display of upwards of sixty different characters of approved WIT AND HUMOUR-SATIRAEN D SENTIMENT.” The success of his lecture was such as to induce a repetition on two subsequent evenings; and the public were informed, through the medium of the press, that the lecture, an “ admirable piece of satire,” was to be totally withdrawn after Saturday night next [2d June]. ‘‘ An entertainment so comic, versatile, and moral,” continues the paragraph, “ the public have seldom an opportunity of seeing ; and we hope, for the honour of taste, its last representation will be crowdedly attended.” Thus terminated the first short season of Lee Lewes on the Scottish boards. Jackson, the patentee, having become bankrupt, Mr. Stephen Kemble came forward, and from the trustees took a lease of the Theatre for one year. This he did at the suggestion of Mr. Jackson, who, according to a private missive, was to have an equal interest in the concern. Mr. Kemble, however, refusing to accept the security produced by Mr. Jackson, retained the sole management 1 That is since 1837, when this was written. a The first complete edition of this clever jeu d’@t was published by Lee Lewes in 1785, with an address to the public, written by him, prefixed.
Volume 9 Page 343
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