Event Comment: Yesterday arriv'd Sg Casimo Maranesi and Sga Bugiani, two celebrated Italian Comic Dancers from the Opera at Paris, and will soon make their appearance at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Ye Audience allarm'd in the Middle of ye farce by Cap Robinson & Cap Loyde fighting behind ye Boxes; people suspected at first it was fire, but being convinc'd to ye Contrary set down again. Cap Rob was wounded (Cross). Was a terrible alarm at Drury Lane theatre by a noise from behind the boxes, occasion'd by two gentlemen quarrelling and drawing their swords, which produc'd a rumor of fire through the house, and so great a confusion that many were hurt in attempting to force their way out. A woman was with difficulty saved from throwing herself over the gallery into the pit (Gentleman's Magazine, p. 425). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: "...Richard III, which I saw performed at Drury-lane theatre at the beginning of the present season...The dresses of the characters which here make their appearance are in the usual half-and-half mode, made up from portraits of Charles I's reign, and from unrestrained fancy. Richard's habit, indeed, shews a faint hint, at the costume of his day; but how modernized! A fancy cap and feather,with a milliner's white-ribband rose, sewed thereon. A deep ruff, of that make not known until the reign of James I From the neck depends a ribband With the George: this decoration never seen in paintings till about the fashions of the abovementioned monarch's court. On his legs and feet, white silk stockings, white shoes, and red roses. These latter ornaments unknown before Elizabeth or James I's modes of dress prevailed; at any rate, they should have been white ones to have accorded with the party-badge in his cap." Writer signing himself "An Artist and an Antiquary" in Gentleman's Magazine, Apr. 1800, p. 319. Receipts: #225 16s. 6d. (178.3.6; 47.12.0; 0.1.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2(?), by John O'Keeffe. Synopsis of action in Public Advertiser, 27 Dec.]: With new Music, Scenery, Machinery, and Decorations. The Scenes designed and executed by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Pugh, &c. The Music selected from the Works of the most eminent Masters, by A. Shaw. The new Airs composed by Shield, and the Overture by Richardson. Books of the Songs, Recitative, &c. to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. Receipts: #315 16s. (301.6; 14.10)

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Stevens. Second Piece: a New Pantonimical Something. Third Piece: The Practice of a new Serious Scene to be Introduc'd. Shewing the various and hazardous Adventures he met with to get his Wife Joan; particularly, his last memorable Battle and Victory over a great and monstrous Pig, by which she was to be devour'd chain'd to a Rock. 7 p.m

Event Comment: The New Comedy, The School for Wives, (which was to have been performed this evening) oblig'd to be deferred till tomorrow. Reddish hoarse. Paid tallow chandler's 3rd bill #44 19s. 11d.; Mr Smeltzer for men's cloaths #5; J. Stevens on note #3 3s. (Treasurer's Book). [In the bill for the first planned performance of Twelfth Night this season (namely for 4 Dec.) Antonio was to be done by Fawcett; Sir Toby by Love; and the Clown by Davies.] Receipts: #122 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not precisely known, but by 9 May 1693 it had been acted four times (see Dryden's letter, below); on the other hand, the Gentleman's Journal, February 1692@3 (issued in March) had stated that D'Urfey's new farce would not appear until after Easter. Hence, it may well have been the first new play after Passion Week. A dialogue, Behold, the man with that gigantick might, the music by Henry Purcell and sung by Mr Reading and Mrs Ayliff, is in Orpheus Britannicus, 1690. See Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XXI (1917), viii-x. A dialogue, By these pigsnes eyes that stars do seem, the music by John Eccles and sung by Dogget and Mrs Bracegirdle, is in Joyful Cuckoldom, ca. 1695. Another, Stubborn church division, folly, and ambition, to a Ground of Mr Solomon Eccles, is in Thesaurus Musicus, 1694. And Maiden fresh as a rose, the verse by D'Urfey and sung by Pack, but not printed in the play, is in The Merry Musician, I (1716), 56-57. This last song may have been for a later revival. Gentleman's Journal, April 1693 (issued in May 1693): Since my last we have had a Comedy by Mr Durfey; 'tis called the Richmond Heiress or a Woman once in the right (p. 130). Dryden to Walsh, 9 May 1693: Durfey has brought another farce upon the Stage: but his luck has left him: it was sufferd but foure dayes; and then kickd off for ever. Yet his Second Act, was wonderfully diverting; where the scene was in Bedlam: & Mrs Bracegirdle and Solon [Dogget] were both mad: the Singing was wonderfully good, And the two whom I nam'd, sung better than Redding and Mrs Ayloff, whose trade it was: at least our partiality carryed it for them. The rest was woeful stuff, & concluded with Catcalls; for which the two noble Dukes of Richmond and St@Albans were chief managers (The Letters of John Dryden, pp. 52-53)

Event Comment: As 11 Jan. Benefit Cap. Phillips. Receipts: money #37 15s. 6d.; tickets #63

Event Comment: MMr Woodward's Night for Making ye Genii (Cross). There was such a Prodigious crowd to get into the Pit and Galleries at Drury Lane, being Mr Woodward's Night, that many of the females who came there with aprons, Handkerchiefs, caps and Capuchins, returned home without them; it was the most numerous and brilliant Audience that has been seen for some time(Public Advertiser, 16 Jan.). Receipts: #206 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Clarke. Tickets to be had of Clarke at Mr Settree's Cap Warehouse, Catherine St. and of Crudge at the Stage Door

Event Comment: Paid Housekeeper's Bills #21 9s.; Ditto his properties #1 19s. (Drury Lane Treasurer's Book). [These bills amounted to #222 and #37 respectively for the season, or an average of #6 per week for Housekeeping Bills and #1 per week for properties. No further itemization will be made. A patron wrote a letter to the Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser on 6 Oct. 1766, suggesting that he was annoyed by the way "our noisy friends in the Upper Gallery" kept calling for the Prologue. The Uproar increased when the farce or Daphne and Amintor began. Mr Vernon was oblig'd to step forward, Cap in hand and apologize, which put him out of character." Castle was not in bill. Noted in review. See 4 Oct.] Receipts: #145 16s. 6d. (Drury Lane Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [The following day Garrick received a letter from L. A. Ein Schweitzer: "As you spare nothing in adding new characters etc. to the Masquerade...I hope you will introduce in it the dress as described hereunder, being the first, perhaps, that ever appeared in this country. It is that of a country maid of the Cantoon of Bern; and as the Allemande is really a Swiss Dance, nobody could with more propriety wear it than Sga Vidini who would greatly shine in it." The hairdo is described in detail--ringlets, with cap and small feather, and no powder. The jacket, skirt, and socks (red jacket with black trim, black skirt, red stockings) are described in detail. "N.B. The dress in my opinion would also do very well for a Colombine. The man's dress is not suitable to a dance." Folger Library Copy, Garrick Correspondence, Vol. IV, MS Letter 42.

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Country Mad-Cap, announced on playbill of 6 Dec] Receipts: #228 16s. (225/9; 3/7)

Event Comment: Benefit for T. Ansell, Pilford, Marks & Furkins. Tickets delivered by Clarridge, Doe, Roberts, Walker, Cox, Sarjent, Seymour, Sloper, Abbot, Akrey [Account-Book adds Rolles] will be admitted this Evening. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. [This was Yates's last appearance on the stage in London; he subsequently acted in Edinburgh in March, 1785. Afterpiece in place of The Country Mad-Cap, announced on playbill of 30 May.] Receipts: #255 3s. 6d. (20/5/0; 0/15/6; tickets: 234/3/0)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Rival Knights and The Country Mad-Cap, both announced on playbill of 10 Nov.] Receipts: #178 13s. 6d. (175/3/0; 3/10/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Ferdinand to Johnstone, but "The sudden illness of Johnstone gave much dissatisfaction, though Cubitt did all in his power to supply his place" (Town and Country Magazine, Sept. 1785, p. 451). William Palmer was from the Norwich theatre; Meadows from the HAY.] The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 14 Nov.]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon, at the Stage-Door. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s.] The Alterations and Improvements in the Theatre this Season are made by Richards, and executed under his Superintendance by Catton and others. [Public Advertiser, 22 Sept., notes that these improvements consisted of the enlargement of the boxes, in which "the seats are formed into recesses which communicate with the other boxes"; all the pillars, "even those of iron in the back boxes [being] capped, cased, fluted and gilt"; the front of the boxes and galleries being newly painted a "warm lilac"; the back of the boxes being wainscotted and painted crimson.] Paid Charewomen for cleaning Theatre #13 0s. 6d. Receipts: #214 2s. 6d. (210/10/0; 3/12/6)

Event Comment: The Manager of the Opera House hopes for the Indulgence of the Public, in laying before them the great Complaints which have been made to him, on account of Invoncenience in the Entertainments, arising from the enormous Caps and Bonnets which several Ladies make it a Practice to appear in, within the Pit of this Theatre, excluding thereby that Part which is presentdd from the Dancing in a great Degree. The Manager is therefore under the Necessity of soliciting the Ladies to take the same into their Consideration, and humbly presumes for their Indulgence on the Occasion. Receipts: #246 8s. [non-subscription]

Event Comment: Benefit for Gardner, Rock, Besford & Mrs Watts. The Caledonian Wedding [a dance, advertised on playbill of 2 June] cannot be performed on Account of the Indisposition of a Principal Performer. [3rd piece in place of The Country Mad-Cap, advertised on playbill of 2 June.] Receipts: #177 6d. (48.1.6; 7.16.0; tickets: 121.7.0)

Event Comment: "Spectas, et tu Spectabere is the inscription over the curtain in the Little Haymarket Theatre. I was there on 29th [sic] July 1794: they gave a National opera, N. B. a piece in Scottish costumes. The men were dressed in flesh-coloured breeches, with white and red ribbons twisted round their stockings, a short, brightly-coloured, striped masons' apron, brown coat and waistcoat, over the coat a large, broad ensign's sash in the same style as the apron, and black cap shaped like a shoe and trimmed with ribbons. The women all in white muslin, brightly coloured ribbons in their hair, very broad bands in the same style round their bodies, also for their hats. They perform the same abominable trash as at Sadlers Wells. A fellow yelled an aria so horribly and with such exaggerated grimaces that I began to sweat all over. N. B. He had to repeat the aria. 0 che bestie!" (Haydn, pp. 294-95)