Incledon, the famous tenor, sang here first time in same year.

William Charles Macready made his debut on the stage of the Royal as Romeo, June 7, 1810.  He took his farewell benefit Aug. 13, 1871.

Alfred Bunn had the Theatre in 1823, during which year there appeared here Mr. and Mrs. C. Kemble, W.C.  Macready, Joey Grimaldi, Miss Ellen Tree (afterwards Mrs. Charles Kean), W. Farrer, Braham, Elliston, Dowton, Rignold and Power.

Barry Sullivan was born here in 1824.

In 1824 the whole town was up in arms taking part in the “Battle of the Preachers and the Players,” which was commenced by the Rev. J. Augell James delivering a series of sermons bitterly inveighing against the theatre, as a place of amusement, and pouring forth the most awful denunciations against the frequenters thereof.  Alfred Bunn, the manager, was not slow to retort.  He put “The Hypocrite” on the boards, Shuter, the clever comedian and mimic, personating Mr. James in the part of Mawworm so cleverly that the piece had an immense run.  The battle ended in a victory for both sides, chapel and theatre alike being crammed.  If it pleased the godly it was a god-send for Bunn whose exchequer it filled to repletion.

Signer Costa was at the Festival in 1829, and he afterwards appeared on the stage at the Royal.

Paganini first fiddled at the Royal, January 22, 1832.

Sheridan Knowles, Macready, Paganini, Matthews, and Miss Ellen Tree were among the Stars at the Royal in 1833.

Mercer H. Simpson took the management of the Royal in 1838.  His farewell benefit was on December 16, 1864, and he died March 2, 1877, aged 76.

Sims Reeves’ first visit to this town was in May, 1843; his last appearance at the Festivals was in 1873; at the Royal in May, 1875, and at the Town Hall, March 25, 1884.

Jenny Lind first sang here Aug. 29, 1847; she sang for the Queen’s Hospital at Town Hall, Dec. 28, 1848; her last concerts were Jan. 22-23, 1862.

Madle.  Rachael first played here Aug. 19, 1847.

Charles Dickens and his amateur friends gave their special performances in aid of the Shakespeare House Fund, at the Royal, June 6 and 27, 1848, the receipts amounting to L589.

Variety was not wanting at our New Street Theatre in 1852.  Among the artistes advertised to appear were:  A strong Man who had 5 cwt. of stone broken (by a sledge hammer) on his chest nightly; performing Dogs and Horses; Madame Grisi, Signor Mario, Haymarket Company, Benjamin Webster, and Madame Celeste, etc., etc.

Miss Menken, the female Mazeppa, appeared at Prince of Wales’, May 15 1865, and at the Royal in Nov. 1807.

Miss Neilson’s first appearance here was in Nov. 1868, in an adaptation, by Mr. C. Williams, a local dramatist, of Miss Braddon’s “Captain of the Vulture.”

Mr. Irving first appeared as Hamlet in this town at Prince of Wales’, Dec., 1877.