Event Comment: Benefit Odell, formerly Proprietor of GF. N.B. Mr Odell humbly begs his Friends will pardon the many unavoidable delays [of his benefit]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never acted before. Characters new dressed &c. [See Theatrical Review; or, Annals of the Drama, 1763, pp. 67-74: Bless us what a sweet consistent piece of business is a modern Tragedy." See Boswell's account of his attendance that night with two friends, With oaken cudgels in our hands and shrill sounding catcalls in our pockets," ready prepared to damn the play (London Journal), p. 154 ff.).] Critical Strictures on the New Tragedy of Elvira, published this month (Gentleman's Magazine). I then undressed for the Play. My father and I went to the Rose, in the Passage of the Playhouse, where we found Mallet, with about thirty friends. We dined together, and went from thence into the Pitt, where we took our places in a body, ready to silence all opposition. However, we had no occasion to exert ourselves. Not withstanding the malice of a party, Mallet's nation, connections and indeed imprudence, we heard nothing but applause. I think it was deserved. The play was borrowed from de la Motte, but the details and language have great merit. A fine Vein of dramatick poetry runs thro' the piece. The Scenes between the father and son awaken almost every sensation of the human breast; and the Council would have equally moved, but for the inconvenience unavoidable upon all Theatres, that of entrusting fine Speeches to indifferent Actors. The perplexity of the Catastrophe is much, and I believe justly, critisized. But another defect made a strong impression upon me. When a Poet ventures upon the dreadful situation of a father who condemns his son to death; there is no medium; the father must either be monster or a Hero. His obligations of justice, of the publick good, must be as binding, as apparent as perhaps those of the first Brutus. The cruel necessity consecrates his actions, and leaves no room for repentance. The thought is shocking, if not carried into action. In the execution of Brutus's sons I am sensible of that fatal necessity. Without such an example, the unsettled liberty of Romev would have perished the instant after its birth. But Alonzo might have pardoned his son for a rash attempt, the cause of which was a private injury, and whose consequences could never have disturbed an established government. He might have pardoned such a crime in any other subject; and the laws could exact only a equal rigor for a son; a Vain appetite for glory, and a mad affectation of Heroism, could only influence him to exert an unequal & superior severity (Gibbon's Journal, ed. D. M. Low [New York, n.d.], pp. 202-4)

Event Comment: DDaily Journal, 31 Dec.: Whereas a Cracker was thrown with an evil Intention into the New Theatre in Goodman's-Fields on Tuesday last...This is to certify, that Peace Officers are constantly attending to prevent all kinds of Disorders, and that whoever shall discover the Offender or Offenders above-mentioned, shall receive five Guineas reward from me the Master of the said House. December 31, 1729. Thomas Odell

Event Comment: Benefit R. Williams. Mainpiece: Not Acted these Twenty Years. On this day the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen of the City presented a petition to the King seeking the suppression of the theatre in Goodman's Fields. Thomas Odell, Master of the Theatre, also appeared before His Majesty and sought royal leave to continue acting.--See Grub St. Journal, 7 May, for a summary of the events, but see also Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer and London Journal, 2 May

Event Comment: UUniversal Spectator, 27 June: Thomas Odell, Esq. Master of the New Theatre in Goodman's Fields, hath been at Windsor to obtain Leave to bring his Company of Comedians down thither to perform Plays during the Court's Stay at Windsor; and we hear that he hath succeeded therein

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Morgan. Daily Post, 20 May: Mrs Morgan being disappointed in her first Benefit, Mr Odell and the Company have indulg'd her so far as to revive...Sophonisba...for her Benefit

Event Comment: Benefit Miss Odell. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Mr Odell, formerly Master of Goodman's Fields Theatre. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Addison

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Odell

Event Comment: Benefit Mr Odell, Formerly Proprietor of [GF]. Afterpiece: Written by Mr Carey

Event Comment: By a Company of Comedians under the Direction of Mr Odell. At Common Prices. 6 P.M

Event Comment: Benefit Odell, formerly Proprietor of Goodman's Playhouse. [Daily Advertiser has benefit postponed to 10 June, but probably not given then; see 30 Aug.]

Event Comment: Benefit a Gentleman who has wrote for the Stage. [Since The Prodigal did not achieve a three-night run, Cibber may be giving Odell a benefit tonight.

Event Comment: MMrs Odell had some Tickets (Cross). The New Masque, entitled Alfred, will be acted for the first time on Saturday next at Drury Lane. The Publisher has earnestly been desired to print the songs by themselves immediately, that the Audience may have them the first night of the representation. They will be published accordingly on Saturday at noon, price 6d. at A. Miller's, over against Catherine Street in the Strand. Receipts: #110 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #200 7s. 6d. (Account Book). Mainpiece: With New Dresses and Decorations. [The first of a series of five performances (the last, Merchant of Venice, 18 Nov.) which got Macklin dismissed from the theatre until 1775, when his lawsuit against six persons whom he claimed formed a conspiracy to hiss him from the stage and ruin his livlihood was concluded favorably for him. His performance of Macbeth was favorably treated but with certain misgivings in the Morning Chronicle (25 Oct.), but he was mercilessly criticized in the London Evening Post and St James Chronicle: "In Act II, Sc. i, Shakespeare has made Macbeth murder Duncan; Now Mr Macklin, being determined to copy from no man, reversed this incident, and in the very first act, scene the second, murdered Macbeth." The favorable review (Morning Chronicle) thought he did well in first and last acts, but gave way to stage rant and "vehemence of energetic expression" wanting any variation in tone in between. It also pointed out a certain faulty memory of his lines. His novel stage effects came in for a paragraph of comment: The alterations in the jeux de theatre respecting the representation of this tragedy do Mr Macklin great credit. His change of the scenery is peculiarly characteristical. The Quadrangle of Macbeth's castle, and the door which is supposed to lead to Duncan's apartment (both of which are entirely new) are additions of consequence to the exhibition of the play. The door also through which Macbeth comes to the Weird Sisters, in the 4th act, is a better and more probable entrance than through the common stage portal. The dresses are new, elegant, and of a sort hitherto unknown to a London audience, but exceedingly proper. The Banquet was superbly set out, and it must be confessed that the managers seem to have spared neither cost nor assiduity to ornament and add to the effect of the representation." A favorable letter from a correspondent to the London Evening Post adds: "I must observe, Mr Printer, that from the graceful and characteristic manner in which Macbeth was introduced by the martial music and military procession, from the manner of M. Macklin's acting, from his judicious alteration of the dresses, the disposition of the scene where the King is killed, the cave of the witches in the 4th act, from the improvement of Mrs Hartley's thinking in Lady Macbeth and from her manner of speaking, which seemed plainly to be the effects of some intelligence she had received from Mr Macklin...I thought Mr Macklin deserv'd great praise." See the newspaper comments all gathered and reprinted in an Apology for the Conduct of Charles Macklin, (London, 1773). See also note to 30 Oct. See also London Chronicle, Oct. 23-26 (cf. Odell, I, 453). The Westminster Magazine suggests the performance was pitiable. "Macklin knew what he ought to do, but could not do it." The Scenemen's pay this week was about double the normal cost. (Account Book).] Verse Squibs from St James Chronicle (Oct. 1773) against Macklin: @Macbeth@"Eight Kings appear and pass over in order, and Banquo the last"@Old Quin, ere Fate suppressed his lab'ring breath@In studied accents grumbled out Macbeth:--@Next Garrick came, whose utt'rance truth impressed,@While ev'ry look the tyrant's guilt confess'd:--@Then the cold Sheridan half froze the part,@Yet what he lost by nature sav'd by art.@Tall Barry now advanc'd toward Birnam Woodv@Nor ill performed the scenes--he understood--@Grave Mossop next to Foris shaped his march@His words were minute guns, his action starch.@Rough Holland too--but pass his errors o'er@Nor blame the actor when the man's no more.@Then heavy Ross, assay'd the tragic frown,@But beef and pudding kept all meaning down:--@Next careless Smith, try'd on the Murd'rer's mask,@While o'er his tongue light tripp'd the hurried task:--@Hard Macklin, late, guilt's feelings strove to speak,@While sweats infernal drench'd his iron cheek;@Like Fielding's Kings [in Tom Thumb] his fancy'd triumphs past,@And all be boasts is, that he falls the last.@ Also from St James Chronicle:@The Witches, while living deluded Macbeth@And the Devil laid hold of his soul after death;@But to punish the Tyrant this would not content him,@So Macklin he sent on the stage to present him.

Event Comment: The date of this amateur performance is not known, but the date generally accepted is December 1689. See Alfred Loewenberg, The Annals of Opera, Second Edition, Columns 85-86; and R. E. Moore, Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre (Cambridge, Mass., 1961), pp. 38-69. The Epilogue is in New Poems (1690)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: This Tragedy is founded on Fact, which happened in the Year 1618, and is recorded in the Annals of King James I

Event Comment: A new Opera. [Music by Galuppi, text P. Rolli. See Loewenberg, Annals of Opera, I, 198.

Event Comment: Today, will be reviv'd an Opera. The Musick compos'd by Mr Handel. With Dances and other Decorations entirely new. Pit and Boxes to be put together; and no Person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this Day at the Office in the Haymarket, at Half a Guinea each. Gallery 5s. 6 p.m. Note. The Subscribers to the Opera are desir'd to send for their Silver Tickets to the Opera-Office in the Hay-Market. [This customary notice will not be included further. According to Loewenberg, Annals of Opera, I, 102, this is the new opera Rossane, Lampugnani's first composition, at the house for which he was the new resident composer. Musicologists have not arrived at the identity of this piece, Burney and Loewenburg attributing it to Lampugnani, Schoelcher and Deutsch to Handel. See Deutsch, Handel, p. 572, where he reviews the evidence.

Event Comment: A New Opera [a pasticcio by Gluck, chiefly from Tigrane, Sofonisbe, and Ipermestra; libretto revised by F. Vanneschi from B. Vitturi (Loewenberg, Annals of Opera, p. 104); see also W. B Squire, Musical Quarterly, I (1915).