 The Sadler 's Wells season commenced at Easter 1805 , and Grimaldi and Jack Bologna enjoyed a successful period . Drury Lane staged the opera <unk> , in which Grimaldi , his mother and his wife all had starring roles . After this he was asked to choreograph John Tobin 's play , The Honey Moon , at Drury Lane on short notice . He accepted on the proviso that his wages be increased for the show 's entire run and not just until a new dancing instructor was found . The Drury Lane management agreed to pay Grimaldi £ 2 more per week . A few weeks into his new assignment , management appointed James D <unk> as the new ballet master . D <unk> 's debut production was Terpsichore 's Return , in which Grimaldi played Pan , a role which he considered to be one of his best assignments to date . That October , however , the theatre reduced his wages . The extra £ 2 that he had been promised had been deducted from his salary when Terpsichore closed , and he approached Thomas Dibdin for advice . Dibdin advised him to leave Drury Lane and to take up a residency at the nearby Covent Garden Theatre . Grimaldi wrote to Thomas Harris , the manager of the Covent Garden Theatre , hoping to persuade him to stage Christmas pantomimes . Harris was already a supporter of the shows and had employed the writing talents of both Charles Dibdin and his co @-@ writer Charles Farley . Grimaldi met with Harris and obtained a contract . Before joining that theatre , however , he had to satisfy prior commitments at Drury Lane , appearing in the poorly received Harlequin 's Fireside . 
