The most famous theatrical riots were the Old Price Riots of 1809. After the Covent Garden theatre burnt down the management decided to raise the prices from six shillings
to seven shillings for the boxes and three and six to four shillings for the pit and the third tier. The gallery price remained the same, but the new gallery was so far
up and the rake so steep that the audience (crammed into so called ‘pigeon holes’) could only see the legs of the performers.
After the singing of the National Anthem on the first night, the audience began shouts of ‘Old Prices! Old Prices!’. This continued with cat-calling throughout
the performance of Macbeth and the noise was so bad that soldiers were sent up to the gallery to restore order.
This rioting continued every night week after week. The audiences carried banners and placards with slogans written on them. They brought pigs, rattles, trumpets, bells
and whistles into the theatre. People wore badges with ‘OP’ embroidered on them and released pigeons into the auditorium. Audiences also started to dress up
wearing false noses and some men wore drag. Such was the furore that eventually people came to see the riot rather than the play.
After three months of rioting the manager John Philip Kemble accepted the demands of the rioters and made a public apology from
the stage.
Introduction
The Kembles
