''Where to Find a Friend'' is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Leigh. It premiered on 20 May 1811 at the Lyceum Theatre in London, which was being used the

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

company while their own theatre was being rebuilt after a fire.Greene p.4525 The original cast included

Henry John Wallack Henry John Wallack (1790 – 30 August 1870) was a British actor, stage manager, and brother of actor James William Wallack. Wallack was born in London. Wallack's parents were comedians, who performed at the London minor playhouses and in the B ...

as Sir Harry Morden, George Bartley as General Torrington,

William Dowton William Dowton (1764–1851) was a British actor. Early life Dowton, the son of an innkeeper and grocer at Exeter, was born in that city on 25 April 1764. At an early age he worked with a marble cutter, but in 1780 was articled to an archite ...

as Heartly, Edward Knight as Jack Bustle,

John Henry Johnstone John Henry Johnstone (1749–1828), also known as 'Jack' Johnstone or 'Irish' Johnstone, was an Irish actor, comedian and singer. Life Johnstone was born probably on 1 August 1749, in the horse-barracks in Kilkenny, where his father, a quarter ...

as Barny,

William Oxberry William Oxberry (1784–1824) was an English actor. He also wrote extensively on the theatre, and was a printer and publisher. Early life Oxberry was the son of an auctioneer, born on 18 December 1784 in Moorfields, London, opposite Bedlam. Af ...

as Timothy Scamp,

Joseph Ebsworth Joseph Ebsworth (1788–1868) was an English dramatist and musician. Early life The elder son of Joseph and Isabella Ebsworth, he was born at Islington, London, on 10 October 1788, and was early apprenticed to a watch-jeweller named Cornwall; h ...

as Servant to General,

Maria Rebecca Davison Maria Rebecca Davison (1780?–1858) was a British stage actress. She was billed as Miss Duncan in the early years of her career before her marriage. She appeared as a leading performer at the London patent theatres Covent Garden, the Haymarket ...

as Lady Morden,

Frances Maria Kelly Frances Maria Kelly (15 October 1790, Brighton – 6 December 1882), also known as Fanny, was an English actress and singer. She is best known for her acting at the Drury Lane Theatre in London's West End and her opening of the Royalty Theatre a ...

as Maria and Sarah Sparks as Mrs Bustle. It was Leigh's second play performed by the Drury Lane company following ''

Grieving's a Folly ''Grieving's a Folly'' is an 1809 comedy play by the British writer Richard Leigh.Valladares p.294 It premiered on 21 April 1809 at the Lyceum Theatre, London, Lyceum Theatre in London, which was being used the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Drury Lan ...

'' in 1809.

References

Bibliography

* Greene, John C. ''Theatre in Dublin, 1745-1820: A Calendar of Performances, Volume 6''. Lexington Books, 2011. * Nicoll, Allardyce. ''A History of Early Nineteenth Century Drama 1800-1850''. Cambridge University Press, 1930. 1811 plays West End plays British plays Comedy plays Plays set in England {{19thC-play-stub