The beggars opera [graphic]

[Top image]: "Satire on Gay's "Beggar's Opera". In the foreground a group of animal-headed singers portraying the principal characters are shown on an outdoor stage beneath which Apollo and a muse are lying, a lyre and guitar beside them. In front of the stage a group of musicians play simple instruments: bagpipes, a salt box, a jew's harp, a dulcimer, a bladder and string.To the left, a group of noblemen raise their arms admiring the performance; a crowd of women stand on the right, and in front of them a fat butcher and another man are seen in shadow. Behind the stage, to left, theatre boxes are crowded with an audience chiefly of ladies, and below is a wall hung with ballads against which two men urinate and defecate. In the centre background, is a street (perhaps intended as a backcloth) with an inn sign and gallows. To the right, is a conventional stage on which the Italian opera is evidently being performed and men appear to be pressing money on a woman singer. An angel carrying a ribbon lettered "Harmony" flies off at top right, and above is a ribbon lettered "et cantare pares et respndere parate". Four lines of verse beneath."--British Museum online catalogue, description of the original print from 1728

[Bottom image]: "The stage of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, during a rehearsal for a new farce; the three managers of the theatre seated at table in centre, to the left Robert Wilks, dangling a punch puppet, speaking 'Poor R-ch Faith I pitty him'; Colley Cibber in centre, with harlequin puppet looks up to the right, speaking 'Assist ye Sacred Nine'; and on the right Barton Booth lowers puppet of Jack Hall into a privy, speaking 'Ha this will do G-d D-me'; on either side of stage are statues on pedestals, to the left Tragedy, with head hidden by notice of 'Harlequin Dr Faustus', and on the right Comedy hidden by notice of 'Harlequin Shepherd'; surrounded by pantomime props, including a hanging fiddler, wtih similar ropes hanging above the heads of the managers; Ben Johnson's ghost rising on the left, looking down on the fallen and broken statue of a Roman soldier."--British Museum online catalogue, description of the original print from 1724