The First Night of  My Wedding

A Farce in One Act

This light-weight comedy, which debuted at the Marylebone Theatre on November 12^th, 1848, was written by Walter Watts, the manager of that playhouse.  A potentially terrifying situation is turned into comedy when a retired tea merchant and his newly-wed wife blunder into the home-base of smugglers on the Dover coast.  Instead of sensibly taking the many hints dropped by the surly landlord of the ironically named Jolly Companions Inn, the oblivious couple pompously insists on getting proper service.  Instead they end up cowering in a closet, the objects of frantic searches of both brigands and officers of the law!

Synopsis:

A reviewer from The Satirist provided the following synopsis of the plot:

On Monday evening, the entertainments concluded with a new farce entitled The First Night of My Wedding, from the pen of Mr. Watts, the lessee.  Its fabric is very slight, but its purpose of provoking a hearty laugh was fully answered.  It turns upon Mr. Jeremiah Figgins, a retired grocer (Mr. Herbert), and his bride (Mrs. Hamilton) being, from the adverse circumstances of bad weather and a breakdown, compelled to seek refuge in a public-house of questionable repute, the haunt of smugglers.  The landlord of the Jolly Companions wishes to get rid of his guests, whom he considers du trop, but as they pertinaciously resolve to remain, he puts into requisition two or three experiments to frighten them, at which the pair are placed in a terrible “fix.”  The custom-house officers, during the absence of the smugglers, break into the house, and by the pretended confession of the maid-servant, seize upon Figgins as the smuggler-captain.  Both he and his better-half convince the preventive officer of his mistake, and the intruders retire, being in too great a haste to convoy the loving couple from their abiding place.  The buccaneers return, and annoyed at the risk in which they have been involved, determine to give the bridegroom and bride who have so lately settled, a settler.  For a time, Figgins kept his assailants at bay with a pair of pistols and an umbrella, under whose verdant cover he lovingly shields his wife; and at the critical period when he is about to succumb, the custom-house officers attracted by the outcry, again enter and make a capture of the smuggler and his crew.¹ 

Characters

Mr. Jeremiah Figgins – a retired Tea Dealer

Giles – Landlord of the “Jolly Companions”

Cutthroat, Toasting-Fork, and Blowing-Brains – Smugglers

Nab’em, Gag’em, and Finishem – Officers

___________

Mrs. Jeremiah Figgins –a fascinating bride

Original  London Cast

Critical Reaction

Although it had a short run and was greatly overshadowed by the productions put on by Buckstone and Fitzwilliam, “The First Night of My Wedding” got approving nods from the few critics who did bother to notice it.  The Morning Advertiser describes the play as follows;

In addition to the first appearance, to which we have already referred, a new farce, by the author of An Irish Engagement, entitled First Night of my Wedding, was produced.  It is an amusing trifle, the whole fun of which arises out of the peculiar position which Mr. and Mrs. Figgins are placed in, owing to their vehicle breaking down in the course of their journey from London to Dover.  They take shelter in a house which is the rendezvous of smugglers, and this circumstance is made the medium by which the prominent personages elicit loud laughter from the audience.  Mr. J. Herbert and Miss F. Hamilton, who played the characters in question, acted with great spirit throughout.²

The writer from the Satirist seemed to agree with this assessment, concluding of the farce;

Its fabric is very slight, but its purpose of provoking a hearty laugh was fully answered.³

The Morning Post summarized the appeal of the comedy as follows;

The author has relied upon sprightly dialogue, and the exhibition of the terrors and trials of the peripatetic conjugal pair, and other odd mistakes committed by the several parties concerned.  The judgement proved sound, for the result was, that the audience was kept in a constant roar of laughter, and all honours were awarded to the performers and the performance at the conclusion.⁴

Resources

The script for this play in handwritten manuscript form is available at the Internet Archives

A typed transcription of "The First Night of My Wedding" is also available here

Further Reading on this Play

Notes

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