Event Comment: Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Jackson, Roberts, Young, Painter, Curteen, Pilfold, Bourrelier will be admitted. Receipts: #317 16s. 6d. (27.5.6; 7.2.0; tickets: 283.9.0)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 2. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 347. This performance may well be the premiere. In the Preface the author states that the play was asked for on Shrove Tuesday and he wrote it within a week; a premiere, then, before this date would allow very little time for rehearsal. This play is certainly a "Lenten" performance, for it was acted on a Wednesday in Lent and was referred to in the Prologue as a "Lenten Play." See the discussion under The Spanish Rogue (March 1673) and Gray, pp. 785-86. See also J. G. McManaway, The Copy for The Careless Lovers," MLN, XLVI (1931), 406-9. Preface to the edition of 1673: [This play] was written at the Desire of the Young Men of the Stage, and given them for a Lenten-Play, they ask't it not above a Week before Shrove-Tuesday

Event Comment: Receipts: #166 10s. 6d. By Command of His Royal Highness. The Recruiting Officer for the benefit of Mrs Younger is deferred to Tuesday 17

Event Comment: Benefit: The Deceas'd Author's Friend or The Author [the bills vary]. A new Tragedy. [By William Bond. For a discussion of the play, see a letter from Hill to Victor, in Victor, History of the Theatres, II, 196-97. Hill states that the youth who speaks the Prologue is Harvey, a young man of eighteen or nineteen.

Event Comment: OOroonoko by a young Gentleman (Mr Holland) being his first attempt he perform'd very well, & had great Applause in stabbing the Governor (Mr Burton) in the last Scene, he struck him on the Cheek, & upon hearing him cry, O God! was so shock'd that he did not die so well as was expected-Burton was taken off, & dress'd by Mr Bromfield, was accidentally behind the Scenes (Cross). Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Miss Pritchard did Juliet for the First time of her Acting & Met with uncommon Applause, tho' so frightened the first Act, we Scarce cou'd hear her (Cross). Miss Pritchard's was a most remarkable first appearance--the Particularity of the public for her mother--Garrick's patronage and tuition, her own beautiful face, which was fascinating to a degree, had all great attraction. Mrs Pritchard, as Lady Capulet, leading in her daughter as Juliet, the distress of the young lady, the good wishes and tenderness of the town, all combined made an affecting scene--but that partiality dwindled away in the early part of the season (Genest, IV, 474, from Tate Wilkinson). Receipts: #226 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Woodward has enter'd into partnership with Mr Barry in a new Theater in Ireland & has taken from us Mr Walker and Wife (Miss Minors that was) Mr Vernon, Mr Jefferson and Wife-from Mr Rich, Mr Arthur, Mr White, Mr Chambers, Mr Finny (his Scene-man) & others (Cross). Receipts: #120 (Cross); #128 15s. (Winston MS 8). Places for Boxes to be had of Mr Varney at the stage door. No admittance behind scenes, nor any money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. [This notice regularly occurs at foot of bill and will not be noted further this season. The box receipts recorded from Winston MS 8 seem to have been taken by him from the Huntington Library playbills (second set) annotated by J. P. Kemble from a Treasurer's Book.] Letter to Mr G@k on Opening of the Theatre, With Observations on Managers, Actors, Authors, and their Audiences and Particularly New Performers. 6d. Published by Cooke opposite Drury Lane Theatre. [It is a plea for more frequent appearances of Garrick, especially in lighter parts, now that Woodward has left; for especially good plays on Saturday nights; for striking from the repertoire all immoral, immodest and cruel plays; for being a sport about competition with Rich; for better regulation of the boxes, on a first-come, first-pay basis; for training up the most promising young actors gradually and not casting them in parts beyond their reaches; for more new plays; and for an advisory council in selecting them; for omission of personal satirical attacks in comedy.

Event Comment: OObrien did Brazen, for his first appearance, & met with great Applause (Cross). [See a two-column comment on The Recruiting Officer and O'Brien's acting in Theatre No II published in The London Chronicle, No. 277, 5-7 Oct., p. 343: "The character of Brazen never existed in human nature, but is merely the child of Farquhar's own licentious invention...and for this reason I imagined it impossible for any actor to appear to advantage in it, without having recourse to that buffoonery and grimace which has always been made use of by the most eminent to support it; but I was agreeably surprised to find myself mistaken: for the young gentleman who has now got it into his possession goes through the whole with a genuine comic spirit; and, by his peculiar method of acting it, in a great measure corrects the unnatural absurdity of the writer." Specific details of his acting as well as comments on other roles are given.] Receipts: #150 (Cross); #174 3s. 6d. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Boxes #17 2s. 6d. Paid Mr Younger a Bill for writing Parts #3 1s. 7d. (Account Book). Receipts: #153 1s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [Harlequin Skeleton] now advertised under its original title, but the New Scene with additions continued (playbill). Paid Younger for a license for ye 2 Sisters #2 2s. (Account Book). [See 18 Feb.] Receipts: #244 11s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wells. Public Advertiser, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wells, No. 417, Strand. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Edward Topham, with incidental music by James Hook. Prologue-Epilogue by Edward Topham {Public Advertiser, 21 Apr.)]. Morning Herald, 25 Apr. 1786: This Day is published The Fool (1s.)-Receipts: #174 15s. 6d. (45/3/0; 20/14/6; 0/2/0; tickets: 108/16/0) (charge: #108 13s. 9d.)

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Afterpiece: [By Edward Philips.] A Comedy (of one Act), Intermix'd with Songs made to old Ballad Tunes. Benefit the Author

Event Comment: Benefit the Author of the Afterp1ece [Edward Phillips]. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve. Afterpiece: A Farcical Ballad Opera. Receipts: money #44 7s. 6d.; tickets #32 7s

Event Comment: By Desire. Afterpiece: A new Farce. [By Edward Phillips.

Event Comment: Benefit Peacopp (Housekeeper), Mayle, Walker, Edwards, Pritchard (Officer-Keeper). Tickets deliver'd for Saturday last will be taken

Event Comment: Both pieces By Command of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. We hear that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, with Prince Edward will be this night at Covent Garden, to see the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, and Harlequin Skeleton. On Tuesday 3 March, will be reviv'd a Tragedy call'd Macbeth (as written by Shakespear) the part of Macbeth by Barry, and Lady Macbeth by Mrs Cibber, being the first time of her appearing in that character. To which will be added the Oracle, a new Dramatic piece (of one act) taken from the French, the Principal Part to be perform'd by Mrs Cibber. Pit and boxes laid together

Event Comment: [Letter to Woodward from Samson Edwards, The Merry Cobler of Haymarket. Answer to Henry Woodward's reply on Hill's Letter, 6d. Ironical defense of Hill casting further opprobrium upon him.] Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Masque [by Capt. Edward Thompson] never perform'd. With New Music, Dresses, Scenery, and Decorations. The Music composed by Fisher. The Scenes painted by Dall and Carver. Books of the songs to be had at the Theatre. [The Westminster Magazine for March also lists Boreas -Reinhold; Carlos -DuBellamy; Traverse -Mahon; Druid -L'Estrange, and tells the story of the play. The reviewer did not approve of the piece, since for him it lacked unbounded fire of fancy, originality of idea, language, and character. He approved of Fisher's music.

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Younge. Interlude [1st time; M. INT I, by Edward Jerningham]: Interspersed with Music [by James Hook. Text 1st published in Jerningham's Poems, vol. I (J. Robson, 1786)]. Public Advertiser, 20 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Miss Younge at Thelwall's, Silk Mercer, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #222 9s. (80.14; 18.10; 1.19; tickets: 121.6) (charge: #65 17s.)