Hester Lynch SALUSBURY

In the late summer of 1788, shortly after settling into seaside lodgings at Exmouth in Devon, Hester and her husband Gabriel Piozzi—himself a musician and composer—collaborated on an Occasional Prologue for the town’s amateur theatre. Written during a leisurely holiday that offered views of the sea and neighbouring estates, the piece was likely intended as a light-hearted address to open a performance, blending Hester’s witty verse with Gabriel’s flair for dramatic flair.

The prologue, composed in iambic couplets, playfully celebrates the restorative powers of coastal air and simple entertainments, poking gentle fun at urban sophisticates who shun the rustic charms of provincial playhouses. No contemporary record confirms that it was performed as intended. It survives only in manuscript fragments within Hester’s journals and was never published.