Event Comment: VViscomica to the Printer of the Public Advertiser: As burlettas have been laid aside some years, and they are a species of entertainment I am particularly fond of, as there is vivacity in the music, and great humour and satire in the performance, I was much pleased with the thoughts of being as well entertained as I had heretofore been; and more so when I found I could gain admittance to so good a place for hearing, for the trifling sum of three shillings; a place in which I never dared to shew my face before, not being on a footing with the riotous company that used to be admitted there, to attend their several masters' call; a nuisance, from which I rejoice the managers have at length, after so many hints and solcitations, found out a method to deliver their audience. I remember to have seen a darkish way down a flight of steps to a dismal winding staircase, which I was told led to the footman's gallery, and, supposing that the road I was to take on this occasion, was very agreeably undeceived by being shewn up about halfway to the five shilling gallery, and by a turn through an arch introduced to a new and convenient staircase leading to this region of the gods, where I was surprised to find myself arrived before I thought I was half-way up. The managers have indeed made this place very neat and commodious, by rendering the descent much less steep, lowering and matting the benches, painting and lighting the whole place; so that I found myself as much at my ease there, as in any other part of the house, and much better situated than I had expected; likewise, by their following Mr Garrick's example, in removing the pendant lustres, and lighting after the foreign manner, you have a full view of the whole stage; by which the magnificance appears greatly increased. The performance was beyond my expectations, as I think the performers excel any in their way which have appeared in this country; but I need not expatiates upon a subject the town in general have been, or I dare say will be, as good judges of as yours, &c

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Benefit for the Increase of a Fund Establish'd by the Performers at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden, for the support of such actors, and their families, who from age or infirmities shall be incapable of their business. Such of the Nobility, Gentry, &c., who are pleased to favour this undertaking, are desir'd to send for places, Box or Pit tickets to Mr Sarjant at the Stage-Door. Charges #65. Profits to the Fund #13617s., plus #22 6s. from tickets (Box 82, Pit 12). Paid Mr Weller as per bills for property and machinery in Faustus #14 13s. (Account Book). Receipts: #201 17s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Rec'd stopages #1 8s.; from John Palmer in part of his bond #70; Paid 5 days salary list #367 13s. 4d. Receipts: #173 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to the 2 shilling Gallery to see the new tragedy, with its musical entertainment The Cunning Man, a sort of translation of Rousseau's Devin du Village. Holland, Powell and Bensley played Warwick, Edward and Pembroke very well. Mrs Yates did great justice to Queen Margaret. Mrs Palmer did Elizabeth. The Prologue was spoken by Bensley, the Epilogue by Mrs Yates. The characters were very richly dressed in the dresses of the time. The improper use of ridiculous modern dresses on the stage often offends me (Diary of Sylas Neville, unpublished MS portion)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. With the latest improvement by Mr Handel. Pit and boxes to be put together. Tickets will be deliver'd that day, at the Office in the theatre at Half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at Half an Hour past Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To Begin at Half an Hour after Six (Public Advertiser, 4 March). [N.B. This is an Advance notice. No notice occurs on this day, but the following: This Day publish'd Esther: An Oratorio, with the last improvements by Mr Handel. To be performed, by Their Majesties Command at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Price 1s.] Went into the First Gallery at Covent Garden to hear the Oraortio, Esther, composed by Handel. The Stage was formed into an orchestra, like one side of an amphitheatre divided by an organ, atop of which was a head of Handel in a radiated frame. In the front sat the vocal performers, Champney, Vernon, Mrs Arne, Mrs Pinto, Miss Young, and Mrs Frasi. Stanley played on the Organ but retired after the 1st or 2nd act. The house was not much crowded, tho the King and Queen, those idols of fools, were there (Neville MS Diary). Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Woodward. Mainpiece: Not acted these 10 years. Places (with Tickets) to be had of Mr Sarjant at the stage Door. [See 31 Jan. 1760.] Charges: #68 9s. Profit to Woodward of #123 3s. 6d. plus #61 income from tickets (Box 244) (Account Book). [The House launched the benefit season with a profitable balance of #9616 5s. 5d. on the books.] Receipts: #191 12s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Smith. Tickets sold at the doors will not be admitted. Tickets and Places to be taken of Mr Smith at his house in Beaufort Buildings, Strand; and of Mr Sarjant at the stage-door of the Theatre. Charges: #70 19s. 6d. [Profit to Smith #79 10s. 6d. plus #136 16s. from tickets (Box 388; Pit 198; Gallery 101).] Receipts: #150 10s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pinto. Tickets to be had of her in Charlotte Street, Rathbone Place; and of Mr Sarjant, at the stage-door (playbill). Charges #65 15s. [Profit to Mrs Pinto #103 8s. 6d., plus #78 11s. from tickets (Box 229; Pit 110; Gallery 48)] (Account Book). Receipts: #169 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bellamy. Tickets to be had of her Two Doors beyond the Rising Sun in Great Suffolk St; and of Mr Sarjant at the Stage-Door. Charges #64 5s. [Profit to Mrs Bellamy #33 16s. 6d. plus #102 1s. from Tickets (Box 251; Pit 262)] (Account Book). Receipts: #98 1s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Afterpiece: For only time this season. Pit and Boxes to be laid together. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock and to prevent disappointments come early themselves. Tickets to be had of Miss Macklin at the Golden Fan in Leicester Fields and of Mr Sarjant at the Stage-Door. Charges #64 12s. [Profit to Miss Macklin #90 2s. 6d., plus #165 from tickets (Box and Pit 648; Gallery 30).] (Account Book). Receipts: #154 14s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Gibson. Mainpiece: Not acted these 25 years. Written originally by Shakespeare, and reviv'd and adapted to the stage by Mr Theobald. Charges #66 5s. [Profit to Gibson #37 18s. 6d. plus #30 15s. from Tickets (Box 79; Pit 74).] Paid one year's Rector's Rate for the Theatre #8 6s. 8d., and for House in Bow Passage, due at Lady Day 8s. 4d. (Account Book). [Neville attended, noted the information contained in the playbill, but could not hear well from his 2s. seat in the Gallery.] Receipts: #104 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. Neville MS Diary: Went into ye first row of ye Pit. Before ye play began and between ye acts read ye part of Lord and Lady Townly, Sir Francis, J. Moodie, and Sir Richard...The little girl who dances is more applauded than anyone who appears on that stage

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Went to ye Pit to see ye Beggar's Opera-oblig'd to stand till ye play was over-Read some parts of ye Opera which I borrowed at Davies's, before it began and between the acts. Barry is a good Macheath, but most persons who have seen him when young observe that he has not ye activity and fire he then had. He sings tolerably as does Mrs Dancer; but both are greatest in ye acting part. Mrs D. is ye best Polly I ever saw, having that sensibility which your mere singing Pollys generally want. Mrs Mahon did Lucy with great ease and propriety, and has a good deal of expression in her countenance. Thomson has a force and mellowness of voice very suitable to ye character of Lockit. I do not think Weston excels in Filch. Shuter raised vast applause by adding, after Trapes has said "done under the Surgeon's hand'--"Oh dreadful and in such weather too!" Bannister in Mat added--"Die hard"--and Palmer in Budge--"Die game--" and at ye end of ye Opera the H. Peasant by $Miss Froment">Mrs Gardner's pretending to get drunk in Mrs Slam is new. We had at ye end of Act 2 the Fing., of Act 3 a New Hornpipe, and at ye end of ye Opera the H. Peasant by $Miss Froment, with Duke and No Duke-of which I am tired

Event Comment: The Fifth Day. Neville MS Diary: Going into the first Gallery to hear the Prologue...was obliged to stay and see the Play. When the Epilogue was called for, Barry appeared and said, Mrs Dancer is so ill, she hopes you will excuse her." The gods were so brutish as to continue hissing and crying Off Off" All the while little Froment danced, who stood it very well. At last Mrs Dancer came on the stage and said I have been very ill all night. Otherwise I would not have requested this indulgence. The "Nos" and Clappers prevailing, at last she got off without speaking the Epilogue. The Farce was...purged of a little of its obscenity

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No money taken at Stage Door. No Money returned after Curtain is drawn up. [Customary note on subsequent bills.] Yates and Mrs Yates not engag'd. They went to Covent Garden Theatre. Mr Barry and Mrs Dancer engag'd (Winston MS 10). For performances at HAY and MARLY, 12-21 September, see close of Season 1766-1767, pp. 1264-65

Event Comment: MMr Bannister made his first appearance on this stage in Merlin with a new Song introduced.--He was received with applause, --is a tall figure, good voice and sings well (Hopkins MS Notes). [The grand procession of the orders of chivalry hereafter a regular feature of Cymon.

Event Comment: Benefit for Theatrical Fund, instituted by Persons of this theatre. Mainpiece: Acted there but once. Such of the Nobility, Gentry, etc. who are pleased to favour this undertaking are desire to send for places, Pit or Box tickets, to Mr Sarjant at the stage-door. [Neville attended at half-past four and read the principal parts of the play, as altered by Colman. Noted that Sga Manesiere did The Sicilian Peasant in boy's clothes.] @Receipts #164 19s.@Charges to House #63@Chorus Singers #1 15s.@Candles #1 5s.@Kettle Drum 5s.@Bag Pipes 5s.@#66 10s.@Dr to the Fund #98 9s.-Account Book@

Event Comment: Benefit for Westminster New Lying in Hospital, near Westminster Bridge. N.B. Those Ladies and Gentlemen who have taken tickets, are desired to secure places immediately, of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door. [The Theatrical Monitor, No IX, asked this day for a public declaration of receipts and salary expenditures for the 1766-67 season from Garrick and Lacy. Not receiving it the war breaking out in January came to absorb his interest, and the estimate never appeared.] Receipts: #261 4s. 6d. (Winston MS 10)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Published Animadversions on Mr Colman's True State etc., with some remarks on his little serious piece, The Oxonian in Town (20 pp.). [Criticizes the play as having a bad influence on the young, with its characters of whores, bawds and pickpockets. Did our author flatter himself that he could wipe out these rooted impressions with a cold moral sentence uttered by the mouth of a woman of pleasure, and perhaps never reaching the ears of one half of the audience from the variety of noises which accompany the finishing speech of every play?" Concludes: "The reputation of our Universities is a national concern of the highest and most sacred importance....I blush when I see academical characters brought upon the stage, but I burn when I see them lampooned."] House Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard, being her last time of appearing on the stage. [Prices first announced: Pit and Boxes 10s. 6d. Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 2s. 6d. but acted to usual prices. Garrick wrote farewell adress.] N.B. As all the places are taken, there will be no admittance into the Pit and Boxes, but with tickets; Mrs Pritchard entreats the Ladies and Gentlemen to avoid confusion, and for their own convenience to be at the theatre a little earlier than usual, and to send their servants at 3 o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit for Bransby and Burton. Tickets deliver'd by W. Palmer will be taken. [In the afterpiece Frank-Palmer, last appearance on the stage (MacMillan).

Event Comment: Last Time of Performing this Season. Benefit for Theatrical Fund. Pit and Boxes thrown together. Doors open half an hour before. Play begins promptly at half after 6.[This was Palmer's last appearance on the stage in Absent Man (Winston MS 10), but see 29 April. MacMillan notes that Palmer died 23 May.

Event Comment: Being desir'd by many Persons of Quality, for ONE NIGHT ONLY, and By Permission of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Catch-Club, at the Thatch'd House in St Jame's St., will be perform'd the Favourite Catches and Glees which were exhibited Last Summer at Ranelagh-House, With TWO DESIR'D ALTERATIONS. After the 2nd Act, a Concerto on the Violin, by Barthelemon. A Considerable number of the Best Vocal and Instrumental Performers are engag'd on this occasion. Books for the Performance to be had at the theatre. Great care will be taken to keep the Theatre Cool. Ladies and Gentlemen send servants before the opening of the doors, which will be at Half-past 4. No persons can possibly be admitted behind the scenes. To Begin at exactly Seven o'clock. Tickets to be had and places to be taken (ONLY) of Mr Johnston at the stage Door (playbill)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. King of Denmark. Richard-Mr Garrick (Cross Diary). For the King of Denmark.--Richard by Mr Garrick, for the first time these six years-Beyond discription fine, -his voice clear to the last (Hopkins Diary). No money taken at stage door. None returned after curtain is up. The doors (by particular desire) will be opened at half an Hour after Five. To Begin at Seven. Neville MS Diary: Hearing about 7 o'clock that Garrick did Richard III, one of his very capital characters which he has not done these 7 or 8 years, resolved (if I could get in to see him) to bear the abhorred sight of that woman-like painted puppy, the King of Denmark. After one unsuccessful attempt got into the Pit with the greatest difficulty after the third act. Garrick is inimitably great in Richard & very different from the other Richards I have seen; his expression of the dying agony of that wretch is beyond description. Some actors speak with as strong & loud voice in that scene as if they had received no wound & were not dying. One Lloyd, who waits on Garrick sometimes, observed that he himself says he never acted better in his life, modestly observing that something must be allowed to the improvement of his judgment. During the dance (for there was no farce) I was within a yard of the Danish tyrant

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 9 years. [See 7 Feb. 1757.] Mr J. Aickin hissed.--Mr Holland and Mrs Baddeley played well (Hopkins Diary). Mr Garrick had the honour of being with the King of Denmark Tuesday morning last, and conversed with him for near half an hour on the state of the stage in England and France. The King gave him an elegant gold snuff-box studded with diamonds as a small mark of the great regard he had for his extraordinary talents (London Evening Post, 14 Oct.)