The London Stage Database team will be retiring the Legacy Search on May 1, 2025. Please take a moment before that date to reproduce any pre-2021 searches and export any resulting datasets you may wish to preserve for future use. We are making this change in order to free up computational resources for new features and data, currently in development with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Watch this space for more updates and, coming soon, new ways to keep up with the latest project developments!

02 February 1773

Event Information
Theatre: Covent Garden
Theatrical Season: 1772-1773
Volume: 4
Comments: Paid Patrick (tinman) #51 19s. (Account Book). As the tragedy of Elfrida, written (after the Greek manner) by that most excellent poet Mr Mason, has met with such singular applause at Covent Garden Theatre, I cannot help lamenting that our English Roscius has never had a play of Sophocles (translated into English blank verse) represented at Drury Lane. The plays in general, are the finest ever written; and the Oedipus Tyrannus is, in my opinion, the properest to be represented at present, both for the grandeur of the chorusses and the magnificence of the scenery. I mention this because I think this new species of drama would be better received, by an English audience, than all the Golden Pippins, or Nonpareils, that have lately appeared on the stage. (signed) Cantab (Gentleman's Magazine , XLIII, 74). Receipts: #183 16s

Performance List

Event Downloads

JSON XML CSV

  • Your web browser doesn't have a PDF plugin. Instead, click here to download the PDF file

  • Original Data

    Source: London Stage Information Bank

    *p cg Elfrida. As 21 Nov. 1772. *aCross Purposes. As 5 Dec. 1772. *dEnd of Piece: <i>The Bird Catchers</i>, as 7 Dec. 1772. *cPaid $Patrick= (tinman) #51 19s. (Account Book). As the tragedy of <i>Elfrida</i>, written (after the <i>Greek manner</i>) by that most excellent poet $Mr Mason=, has met with such singular applause at <i>Covent Garden Theatre</i>, I cannot help lamenting that our <i>English Roscius</i> has never had a play of $Sophocles= (translated into <i>English blank verse</i>) represented at <i>Drury Lane</i>. The plays in general, are the finest ever written; and the <i>Oedipus Tyrannus</i> is, in my opinion, the properest to be represented at present, both for the grandeur of the chorusses and the magnificence of thescenery. I mention this because I think this new species of drama would be better received, by an <i>English audience</i>, than all the Golden Pippins, or Nonpareils, that have lately appeared on the stage. (signed) $Cantab= (<i>Gentleman's Magazine</i> , XLIII, 74). Receipts: #183 16s.

  • Cleaned Data

    *p1773 02 02 cg Elfrida. ^As17721121^.*a1773 02 02 cg Cross Purposes. ^As17721205^.*d1773 02 02 cg End of Piece: <i>The Bird Catchers</i>, ^as17721207^.*c1773 02 02 cg Paid $Patrick= (tinman) #51 19s. (Account Book). As the tragedy of <i>Elfrida</i>, written (after the <i>Greek manner</i>) by that most excellent poet $Mr Mason=, has met with such singular applause at <i>Covent Garden Theatre</i>, I cannot help lamenting that our <i>English Roscius</i> has never had a play of $Sophocles= (translated into <i>English blank verse</i>) represented at <i>Drury Lane</i>. The plays in general, are the finest ever written; and the <i>Oedipus Tyrannus</i> is, in my opinion, the properest to be represented at present, both for the grandeur of the chorusses and the magnificence of the scenery. I mention this because I think this new species of drama would be better received, by an <i>English audience</i>, than all the Golden Pippins, or Nonpareils, that have lately appeared on the stage. (signed) $Cantab= (<i>Gentleman's Magazine</i> , XLIII, 74). Receipts: #183 16s.

  • Parsed Data

    Event: 36869 | 17730202 | cg | Paid $Patrick= (tinman) #51 19s. (Account Book). As the tragedy of <i>Elfrida</i>, written (after the <i>Greek manner</i>) by that most excellent poet $Mr Mason=, has met with such singular applause at <i>Covent Garden Theatre</i>, I cannot help lamenting that our <i>English Roscius</i> has never had a play of $Sophocles= (translated into <i>English blank verse</i>) represented at <i>Drury Lane</i>. The plays in general, are the finest ever written; and the <i>Oedipus Tyrannus</i> is, in my opinion, the properest to be represented at present, both for the grandeur of the chorusses and the magnificence of the scenery. I mention this because I think this new species of drama would be better received, by an <i>English audience</i>, than all the Golden Pippins, or Nonpareils, that have lately appeared on the stage. (signed) $Cantab= (<i>Gentleman's Magazine</i> , XLIII, 74). Receipts: #183 16s
    Performance: 76647 | 36869 | p | Elfrida | As17721121.
    AsSeeDate: 76647 | cg | p | As | 17721121
    Cast:
    493471 | 76647 | Athelwold | Smith
    493472 | 76647 | Edgar | Bensley
    493473 | 76647 | Orgar | Clarke
    493474 | 76647 | Edwin | Hull
    493475 | 76647 | Albina | Mrs Mattocks
    493476 | 76647 | Elfrida | Mrs Hartley
    493477 | 76647 | Chorus of British Virgins | Mrs Mattocks, Mrs Baker, Miss Twist, Miss Brown, Miss Valois, Miss Wewitzer, Miss Catley, others.
    Performance: 76648 | 36869 | a | Cross Purposes | As17721205.
    AsSeeDate: 76648 | cg | a | As | 17721205
    Cast:
    493478 | 76648 | Principal Parts | Shuter, Wroughton, Dyer, Lewes, Quick, Perry, Thompson, Mrs Bulkley, Mrs Kniveton, Mrs Green.
    Performance: 76649 | 36869 | d | End of Piece: <i>The Bird Catchers</i>, as17721207
    AsSeeDate: 76649 | cg | d | As | 17721207

Mainpiece

Title: Elfrida
Comments:
As17721121.
Cast:

Related Works

Work Title: Elfrida
Publish Date: 1798
Work Title: Elfrida
Publish Date: 1772
Author: Thomas Arne
Birth: 1710
Death: 1778
Baptism: 1732
Death: 1794
Work Title: Elfrida
Publish Date: 1779
Birth: 1716
Death: 1796
Author: William Mason
Birth: 1725
Death: 1797

Afterpiece

Title: Cross Purposes
Comments:
As17721205.
Cast:

Related Works

Work Title: Cross Purposes
Publish Date: 1772
Birth: 1738?
Death: 1815

Dance

Comment: End of Piece: The Bird Catchers, as17721207

Cite this page

Chicago: "London Stage Event: 02 February 1773 at Covent Garden." London Stage Database. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://londonstagedb.uoregon.edu/event.php?id=36869.
MLA: "London Stage Event: 02 February 1773 at Covent Garden." London Stage Database, https://londonstagedb.uoregon.edu/event.php?id=36869. Accessed 6 April 2025.