Because Mr. Pinero had previously written "The Rocket," and "In Chancery," for Mr. Edward Terry, who has performed them times out of number in London and the provinces with considerable success, it has been assumed that "The Magistrate" was also written for Mr. Terry. But this was not the case. As a matter of fact Mr. Pinero wrote the play quite independently, and on its completion he was to have read it to Mr. Charles Wyndham, but the necessities of the Court Theatre intervened. The management of the late Mr. John Clayton and Arthur Cecil was decidedly in low water in 1884 and the earlier part of 1885; play after play had been produced without success, when at length application was made to Mr. Pinero for a new piece. They had been performing serious plays, and he read them "The Weaker Sex," which he had written some little time before; but Mr. Clayton felt uncertain about this play, which, by the way, Mr. and Mrs. Kendal have since produced, and then Mr. Pinero, mentioning the new comic play he had just finished, suggested that perhaps an entirely new order of entertainment might serve to change the fortunes of the house. "The Magistrate" was immediately accepted and produced, and his conjecture proved correct, for the luck of the theatre promptly turned. "The Magistrate" was produced at the Court Theatre on Saturday, March 21, 1885, with a cast, particulars of which will be found in the following copy of the first night programme:-- ROYAL COURT THEATRE, SLOANE SQUARE, S.W. _Lessees and Managers:_ Mr. John Clayton and Mr. Arthur Cecil. THIS EVENING, SATURDAY, MARCH 21, _At a Quarter to Nine o'clock,_ WILL BE PRODUCED FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE MAGISTRATE, AN ORIGINAL FARCE, IN THREE ACTS, BY A. W. PINERO. MR. POSKET } Magistrates of the Mulberry { Mr. ARTHUR CECIL. MR. BULLAMY } Street Police Court { Mr. FRED CAPE. COLONEL LUKYN (from Bengal--retired) Mr. JOHN CLAYTON. CAPTAIN HORACE VALE (Shropshire Fusiliers) Mr. F. KERR. CIS FARRINGDON (Mrs. Posket's son, by her first marriage) Mr. H. EVERSFIELD. ACHILLE BLOND (Proprietor of the Hôtel des Princes) Mr. CHEVALIER. ISIDORE (a Waiter) Mr. DELANE. MR. WORMINGTON (Chief Clerk at Mulberry Street) Mr. GILBERT TRENT. INSPECTOR MESSITER } { Mr. ALBERT SIMS. SERJEANT LUGG } Metropolitan Police { Mr. LUGG. CONSTABLE HARRIS } { Mr. BURNLEY. WYKE (Servant at Mr. Posket's) Mr. FAYRE. ____________ AGATHA POSKET (late Farringdon, _née_ Verrinder) Mrs. JOHN WOOD. CHARLOTTE (her Sister) Miss MARION TERRY. BEATIE TOMLINSON (a Young Lady reduced to teaching music) Miss NORREYS. POPHAM Miss LA COSTE.