The Adelphi Theatre 1806-1900 Preface - University of ...

Should a name appear without a parenthetical element, such as comp (musical composer), arr (musical
arranger), adapt (adapter), or chor (choreographer), the person is assumed to be the author. A name may
appear several times in the index--as author, choreographer, arranger, adapter, etc.
One of the irritating features of nineteenth-century playbills is the absence of authors' names. For many
years, the bills had more to say about the direction in which carriage horses' heads should face after a
performance than about those responsible for writing the pieces. Names of authors supplied by editors
are enclosed in brackets; partial names are expanded. If a middle initial does not appear on the source
but is known, it is added without editorial comment.
There are plays whose authorship remains a mystery. Such pieces are listed by title and are indexed
under the heading "Unknown."
Under the author entry, the user will find a list of all pieces by an author that were played at the Adelphi
and their dates of performance. It is important to note only performance dates are entered since the index
is derived entirely from calendar entries. (Most pieces were, in fact, written especially for the Sans
Pareil/Adelphi.)
The majority of plays had a main and a subtitle, but because the latter was sometimes used without the
main title, a cross-reference system has been devised. Thus, in addition to their inclusion as part of the
full title entry, subtitles are presented with the symbol =, followed by the main title.
The playbill is the primary source of titles and authors. Other major sources consulted include Allardyce
Nicoll's invaluable History of English Drama 1660-1900, the Catalogue of Additions to the Manuscripts in
the British Museum: Plays Submitted to the Lord Chamberlain 1824-1851, and James Ellis' English
Drama of the Nineteenth Century: An Index and Finding Guide, the Dictionary of National Biography, and
Groves' Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Many theatre journals were examined, and the Times proved
invaluable.
Here is a typical index entry:
ALL AT COVENTRY; or, Love and Laugh; See Moncrieff,
William T.
When the reader turns to Moncrieff, he finds in part:
MONCRIEFF, William T.
All at Coventry; or, Love and Laugh 1824, 1825
Bringing Home the Bride; or, The Husband's First Journey
1830
Some pieces have more than one author or composer listed, but the same principle applies:
Vol I: Sans Pareil/Adelphi Theatres—General Index: 1806-1899 42