A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Rich, John

by William H. Husk

RICH, John, son of Christopher Rich, patentee of Drury Lane Theatre, was born in 1692. His father, having been compelled to quit Drury Lane, had erected a new theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, but died in 1714 when it was upon the eve of being opened. John Rich then assumed the management and opened the house about six weeks after his father's death. Finding himself unable to contend against the superior company engaged at Drury Lane, he had recourse to the introduction of a new species of entertainment—pantomime—in which music, scenery, machinery^[1], and appropriate costumes formed the prominent features. In these pieces he himself, under the assumed name of Lun, performed the part of Harlequin with such ability as to extort the admiration of even the most determined opponents of that class of entertainment. [See Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, ii. 140; Pantomime, ii. 645b.] Encouraged by success he at length decided upon the erection of a larger theatre, the stage of which should afford greater facilities for scenic and mechanical display, and accordingly built the first Covent Garden Theatre, which he opened Dec. 7, 1732. Hogarth produced a caricature on the occasion of the removal to the new house, entitled 'Rich's Glory, or his Triumphal Entry into Covent Garden,' a copy of which will be found in Wilkinson's 'Londina Illustrata.' He conducted the new theatre with great success until his death, relying much upon the attraction of his pantomimes and musical pieces, but by no means neglecting the regular drama. In his early days he had attempted acting, but failed. He died Nov. 26, 1761, and was buried Dec. 4 in Hillingdon churchyard, Middlesex.

[ W. H. H. ]

1. Most of Rich's machinery was invented by John Hoole, the translator of Tasso's 'Gerusalemme Liberata' and other works, and his father, Samuel Hoole, an eminent watchmaker.