Reminiscences of Michael Kelly

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

249

text excerpt

My first production at Drury Lane this year was the music to "Venoni," a play 
by M. G. Lewis, Esq. It was produced on the 1st December, but was withdrawn 
after five nights, not meeting with success at first. The last act of this 
piece, as originally constructed, proved offensive to the feelings of the 
audience; and although the previous acts excited the deepest interest, and 
received sufficient applause, nevertheless the unlucky catastrophe was as 
constantly hissed. The author finding the public determined on this point, 
conceived the whimsical (and, I believe, unexampled) idea of withdrawing 
the play for a time, and reproducing it with an entirely new last act, 
constructed out of the most opposite materials from those of the original one. 
Strange as this scheme may appear, it succeeded. "Venoni" re-appeared with a 
bran-new catastrophe, and proved a favourite with the town through the 
remainder of the season. 

excerpt from 'Reminiscences of Michael Kelly' pp. 249 (150 words)

1437415954991:

1437415954991