A comedy called "Birth" was presented by Sothern at the Theatre Royal, Bristol, followed by a provincial tour. Against medical advice Robertson attended the first night of a revival of "Ours" at the Prince of Wales's on 26 November. The following month he travelled to Torquay on doctor's orders, but found no improvement in his health and returned to London after two weeks. He was too ill to have any hand in the production of his last play, "War", a drama staged at the St James's Theatre on 16 January 1871.