Wilkinson proposed to u to perform four nights more at Wakefield, to which we consented ; we arrived there on Wednesday, the 5th of September, and appeared in " Love in a Village ;" the house was thinly attended, but in the stage-box sat a lady, who made such a terrible noise, throwing herself into all kinds of attitudes, indulging ever and anon in horrid laughing, that she disconcerted every person who came upon the stage ; but, above all, I in particular appeared to be the object of her ridicule, and I confess I felt extremely hurt at her pointed rudeness. In the third act, when Young … more >>
Wilkinson proposed to u to perform four nights more at Wakefield, to which we consented ; we arrived there on Wednesday, the 5th of September, and appeared in " Love in a Village ;" the house was thinly attended, but in the stage-box sat a lady, who made such a terrible noise, throwing herself into all kinds of attitudes, indulging ever and anon in horrid laughing, that she disconcerted every person who came upon the stage ; but, above all, I in particular appeared to be the object of her ridicule, and I confess I felt extremely hurt at her pointed rudeness. In the third act, when Young Meadows resumes his real character, and comes into the garden to meet Rosetta, I took out my watch to look at the hour, and sang, "I wonder this girl does not come;" the fat lady in the stage-box instantly set off in a horse laugh, and said to those around her, loud enough to be heard in the gallery, " Why, look there ; la ! the fellow has got a watch." I could not bear this ; I admit I lost my temper ; but I walked up to the box, and said, " Yes, Madam, it is a gold watch, and reckoned one of the best in England," putting it close to her ; my friend Fawcett was standing at the side of the stage at the time, and often since has spoken of it : the lady was violently hissed, and ever after, when she came to the theatre, conducted herself with becoming decency. The same lady, I was told, behaved one night so rudely to Mr. John Kemble, that he was obliged to address her from the stage, and say that he could not proceed with his part unless she would cease interrupting him with her noise ; the audience insisted on her leaving the box ; a party of her friends took her part, and wanted Kemble to apologise to her, which he refused to do, and left the theatre.
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