Event Comment: Not Acted these Sixteen Years. Written by Shakespear. Receipts: #99 14s. Davies, Dramatic Miscellanies, I, 139: The first play acted at Lincoln's-inn Fields, which fixed the attention of the public, was The Merry Wives of Windsor. This comedy was so perfectly played in all its parts, that the critics in acting universally celebrated the merit of the performers. The characters were so well adapted to the abilities of the actors, that no play had been represented with equal skill and propriety at that theatre

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Afterpiece: Taken from the French of Moliere. The principal Characters (in the Play) new drest

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Daily Advertiser, 30 Jan.: In the...London Evening Post of last Saturday, there is a Remark, that the first Comedy and first Farce perform'd under the Act for Licensing Plays, were both damn'd by the Town on Account of the said Act.--Believe it not:--To do the Devil Justice, they were both damn'd because they Both were Most Damnable Things, and on no other Account whatsoever. Yours, Tomo Chachi

Event Comment: Benefit Butler. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality and Distinction. 7 P.M. N.B. The Reason of the Play being deferred from Tuesday the 20th of August . . . was on Account of the Absence of one of the principal Performers; so that Mr Butler humbly hopes his Friends will excuse it, and honour him with their Company; and to prevent any Disorder, Guards will attend at the Doors, every thing being to be perform'd in the same exact Manner as at the Theatres Royal

Event Comment: [in mainpiece the playbill assigns all parts as 7 Oct., but "The Public are respectfully informed that Kemble, being confined with a complaint in his Throat which prevents his having the Honour of appearing before them, the Character of Macbeth will be performed by Palmer; Macduff [by] Wroughton; Banquo [by] Packer" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill). Powell also notes these changes, and adds, "Jones [acted] the Physician".] Afterpiece: With Alterations. Powell: New Ballet rehearsed at 10; Nobody at 12. Receipts: #201 3s. (144.9.6; 54.6.6; 2.7.0)

Event Comment: "Among other Obligations that the Town has to the new Open is that it has, for this year, delivered the Play-goer from his periodical Endurance of Rowe's Tamerlane" (Public Advertiser, 6 Nov.). The reference is to the long established custom of performing Tamerlane either on 4 Nov. (the date of William III's birth) or 5 Nov. (the date of his landing in England). In the play the virtuous Tamerlane was held to be the portrait of an upright monarch, and the vicious Bajazet [i.e. Louis xiv] as that monarch's enemy. At DL Tamerlane was acted on either or both of these nights uninterruptedly from 1716 to 1777; at LIF and CG, with the exception of five seasons, from 1721 to 1784. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 1 May 1783]. Receipts: #155 2s. 6d. (153/4/0; 1/18/6)

Event Comment: "The represention announced for last night at this Theatre was Twelfth Night; but as Mrs Jordan found herself too ill to perform, new bills were issued, and the substitute was to be The Siege of Belgrade. About the middle of the day, however, Mrs Jordan found herself well enough to perform, and the other bills were circulated, importing that the play was to be Twelfth Night. But, in the afternoon, Mrs Jordan found herself too ill to perform, and a message was sent again to the theatre, signifying the melancholy disappointment. It was then too late to make any other change, and Twelfth Night was represented, Mrs Goodall reading the part of Viola. There was considerable difficulty in collecting the performers, after these repeated changes. Barrymore could not be found, and Caulfield dressed for Orsino; but when he was ready to appear Barrymore arrived, and took the part. It was then discovered that Phillimore was absent, and Caulfield was doomed to dress once more, for Phillimore's character; but soon after Phillimore came to the house. Mrs Kemble being indisposed, Miss Mellon undertook her part of Maria ...The Audience (a large one) indeed grumbled a little at this kind of dramatic hocus pocus, but on the whole, were not churlish in their testimonies of satisfaction" (True Briton, 13 Jan.). Receipts: #222 19s. (160.4.0; 58.11.6; 4.3.6)