Event Comment: Benefit for Rooker, and Saunderson (machinist). No Building on Stage. [The Theatrical Review; or, Annals of the Drama (Volunteer Manager section for 1 May 1763, p. 212) comments upon a stage tradition of having the Mouse Trap" Play presented on stage with the players' backs to Claudius and Gertrude. The author wishes Garrick and Beard to revise this absurdity and bring the whole in more accord with reality. The same paper criticises Mrs Cibber as Ophelia. "I hope you will not let so flagrant an outrage to the decorum of the stage as the following pass unnoticed. As [Mrs Cibber] sat upon the stage, with Hamlet at her feet, in the third act, she rose up three several times, and made as many courtiess, and those very low ones, to some ladies in the boxes. Pray good Sir, ask her in what part of the play it is said that the Danish Ophelia is acquainted with so many British Ladies?" See similar comment on her Belvidera, 17 March 1760.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Neville MS Diary: I got a seat before the play began, which was the Jealous Wife, with the musical entertainment the Cunning Man. Oakly by Garrick...Never saw Garrick, Pritchard and Clive in Perfection before, & I think none of the characters were ill performed. Receipts: #246 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid salary list #435 19s. (Treasurer's Book). Read the 2 remaining Acts of Rule a Wife...About 15 minutes past 4 went into ye Pit, and contrary to my expectation got a seat almost in ye middle of ye 3rd row, which I prefer to any other. Garrick played Leon. By having seen him in the character before, and having read the play, I enjoyed the excellency of his acting more than I ever did. King played the Copper Captain for ye first time, and did it very well. Pritchard is excellent in Estifania, Love and Baddeley were good in Cacafago and the Old Woman (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #202 10s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Doors to open at half past Four. Play to begin at half past Six. Send servants to hold places by Four o'clock. [Mrs Vincent's deficit of 1st instant received #20 3s. 6d.] Paid scavenger's rate for St Martin's due Lady Day #5 1s. Paid printer's bill #9 6s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #262 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to Drury Lane, but could not get in. Stayed from half past 4, sometime at one Pit door, sometime at the other, till past 6, and got in at the right hand side just as the play began, and was dreadfully squeezed, but rewarded by seeing Garrick play Hamlet. The expression in his features, his eyes particularly, surpasses anything I ever saw. He is a little man, but handsome and full of that fire which marks the stronger, and of the softness natural to the tender passions. It is impossible to see his greatest excellencies from ye Gallery. Baddeley and Dodd are pretty well in Polonius and Ostrick. Mrs Baddeley and Yates do Ophelia and ye Grave Digger very well. Mrs Pritchard is great, as usual in ye Queen. Gravedigger's man-Castle. Horatio-$Mr Packer. Several parts of ye play, as it is in $Shakespeare, are omitted rather improperly...The Prince Brunswick, his wife and Louisa were present (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Farce not acted in 5 years. [See 28 Sept. 1762.] Brownsmith's Dramatic Time-Piece publish'd at 1s. The 3rd Theatrical Monitor appeared. Went into the Pit to see Garrick do Kitely again. Before the Curtain drew up finished reading the play with alterations by Mr Garrick...We had a foolish farce called the Double Disappointment (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: At 4 went into the Pit to see Garrick do Archer a 2nd time (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: By command of their Majesties. Did not go to see Garrick play Archer that I might avoid the abhorred sight of George and his family (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. At half past 4 went into the Pit to see Garrick do Archer a 3rd time....It is not agreeable to see Packer make love--he is oblig'd to do Aimwell, Palmer being ill....Moody does Hob pretty well, but not so well as Yates. Hartry did not do Old Hob so well as Parsons (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. [Neville stood in the Pit this evening to see Garrick as Ranger.

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