Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 18: The New Utopia. There is no indication as to whether this performance was the premiere. The Preface refers to malice against the plays, and the edition of 1671 has a poem: To the Author of the New Utopia. On the Miscarriage of his Play in Acting

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Paid salary list #623 6s. 6d.; Mrs Cooper #1. (Treasurer's Book). [Mrs Cooper received this payment weekly hereafter in the same account with Heath and his wife. Her total #20. No further itemization will be made of the ammount.] Receipts: #124 3s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish. Mainpiece: Not acted in 4 years. [See 22 Dec. 1772.] Monimia by Mrs Canning very So, so. The Farce much hiss'd it was badly performed (Hopkins Diary). Rec'd Mrs Groath's one years rent to Xmas last #3. Paid Salary list #416 4s. 4d.; Johnston's Music Bills #24 2s. (Treasurer's Book). [The Westminster Magazine concluded with respect to the afterpiece: "This little drama met with rather an unfavourable reception. It would be breaking a butterfly on the wheel, were we to enter into strict examination of it; and as it was a mere benefit-night performance, it would be going out of our way to dwell much on its defects; suffice it therefore that although we so far join with the audience in condemnation of it, that we allow it wanted terseness of dialogue, brilliancy of wit, and strength of fable, yet we protest we have seen worse singing pieces received with applause. Jerry Jingle had same humor, and the music had great prettiness about it."] Receipts: #140. Charges: #67 14s. Profits to Reddish: #72 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull. Paid Macleish for Printing [playbills] to 28th Inst. #92 2s. 6d. Oracle, 14 May: Tickets to be had of Hull, No. 31, Bow-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #186 2s. 6d. (89.3.6; 4.10.0; tickets: 92.9.0)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Phillimore as Volscinius , but "Cooke Volscinius, Phillimore Ill" (Powell).] Account-Book: Paid Wilkinson, mercer, #303 0s. 6d. Powell: New Ballet rehearsed at 10. Receipts: #167 3s. (115.17; 46.4; 5.2)

Event Comment: Account-Book, 11 May: Paid Hoare the author of Mahmoud 5 nights at #33 6s. 8d., #166 13s. 4d. Receipts: #227 14s. 6d. (181.5.6; 45.10.0; 0.19.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fox and Owenson. Tickets deliver'd by Holloway and Miss Bassan will be taken. Charges #64 10s. Deficit to beneficiaries #9 11s. 3d. apiece, covered by income from tickets: Fox #90 11s. (Box 123; Pit 328; Gallery 106); Owenson #69 7s. (Box 118; Pit 133; Gallery 199). Paid Mrs Singleton for walking 13 nights in Henry VIII, the 8th to 15th February #3 5s. and for walking 28 nights in the Sorcerer to the 13th inst. #3 10s. Paid Mrs Baks for the same #3 10s. (Account Book). Receipts: #45 7s. 6d

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first production is not known. It was not entered in the Term Catalogues until May 1678, but the very large number of new plays acted by the Duke's Company in the spring of 1678, many of them more precisely dated, makes it probable that this was an early spring production which had title success. The title page states: Written by a Person of Quality. Langbaine (English Dramatick Poets, 1691, p. 554) ascribes it to "Mr Rawlins." A Library of Congress copy has on the title page: "by L. Baker.

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. Last time of performing this season. Doors open half past 5. To Begin at half past 6 o'clock. Tickets to be had of Macklin, James St., Covent Garden, and of Mr Sarjant at the stage Door where places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never performed before. New Scenes and Dresses. This Comedy is a first production of Mrs Cowley--It was receiv'd with very great Applause-Indeed the performers play'd very well and deserv'd it--the Prologue was written by the Author of the Play dull and Mr Gar. wrote a most Excellent Epilogue quite Local--which was received with uncommon Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly. Mainpiece reviewed in the Westminster Magazine for Feb.: "As we have lately been much afflicted with the melancholy fate of theatrical authors, we have a pleasure more than common in the great sucess of this piece."] Receipts: #256 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for H. Johnston. Mainpiece: 1st time at this Theatre; by Permission of Mr Colman. Morning Chronicle, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of H. Johnston, No. 47, Great Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. Receipts: #334 3s. 6d. (174.7.6; 1.14.0; tickets: 158.2.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 31 Dec. 1772.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No Persons admitted behind the scenes, nor any money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Places for Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. The Doors to be open'd at half an hour past 5 o'clock. To Begin half an Hour past 6. Vivant Rex & Regina. [Customary footnote for all succeeding bills this season, not to be repeated here. Woodward seems to have spoken an Occasional Prologue on the opening of the theatre. See request for its repetition on bill for 21 Sept. This Prologue is Larpent MS 377. It suggests the policy of offerings and competitions for the season--some old plays, some new, some foreign, some pantomimes, some Shakespeare, &c.

Event Comment: marly Benefit for Hook. Price 3s. Vocals in Concert by Mas. Cheney, Two Young Ladies who never appeared in public, and Mrs Barthelemon

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Hillyard. Receipts: #46 17s. Charges: #63. Deficiency cover'd by tickets, #105 9s. (boxes 170; pit 279; gallery 211). Rec'd from John Rich, #100, being part of the sum paid to Mr Finny on account of the New Building (Account Book)

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality, for one day. The Boxes to be kept entire for the Ladies, as at a Play. Admission into Pit or Boxes by Printed Tickets only, not exceeding 400 in number, with 100 for the Front Boxes at 6s. and 300 for the Pit and Side Boxes at 4s

Event Comment: At the Desire of some Persons of Quality who are going out of Town. [Volpone, intended for this day, is deferred to 25 May.