Monday, April 23, 2007

No person will be admitted to the boxes without shoes or stockings


Oh to have been in Kilkenny, Ireland on 4 May 1793 for this performance of The Tragedy of Hamlet, originally written and composed by the celebrated Dan Hayes of Limerick and inserted in Shakespeare's works. I would have been relieved that the parts of the King and Queen were omitted on the direction of the Rev Mr O'Callagan, as too immoral for any stage. The entertainment between the acts would have been singularly entertaining, especially the 'potent bagpipes' playing two tunes at once and the sleight of hand tricks by the celebrated surveyor, Mr Hunt.
I should have been off to the Goat's Beard in Castle Street to exchange my pound of butter or cheese for a ticket. Of course, could I have prevailed upon my sister to lend me her shoes and stockings, I would have added candles and soap to get access to a box.

6 comments:

  1. That is fantastic. I love the way they just go ahead and cheerfully 'improve' the original without any qualms at all.

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  2. Pre-copyright days!
    Actually, I wasn't sure if this is claiming to be an improvement on the original or that Shakespeare nicked it from the Dan Hayes original!

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  3. Shakespeare is the one original that can never be improved.

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  4. I agree. But wouldn't it have been interesting to see Ophelia bursting into 'The Lass of Richmond Hill' and Hamlet performing solos on the potent bag-pipes?

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  5. We went and saw "Hot Fuzz" tonight and they showed part of Mr. Hayes' masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet.

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  6. Did the nurse entertain you with a few madrigals between the fights?

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