Event Comment: Mainpiece: A new Comedy. In Three Acts. With a Dramatical Introduction. [By John Kelly. For a puff, see Daily Advertiser, 29 Nov.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Mr Dryden. Afterpiece: A New Tragi-Comi-Farcical Operatical Grotesque Pantomime. [By John Kelly.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh and C. Cibber Esq; Poet-Laureat. The Advance Money to be return'd to those who go out before the Overture of the Entertainment begins

Event Comment: Benefit Robinson, Sub-Treasurer. Mainpiece: Written by Sir John Vanbrugh. [Tickets for Gillibrand, Beaw, Lee, Atwood taken.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Acted before. [By John Hewitt.] Preface to edition of 1737: This Comedy made it's Appearance under many Disadvantages:...It was read for the first Time to the Performers, Tuesday the 15th, and acted Monday the 21st. Mrs Giffard, who had been Ill the Whole Season, undertook the Character of Lady Betty Manly, but finding herself indisposed, returned the Part on Thursday Evening. It was then given to Mrs Hamilton, who on Saturday about one in the Afternoon declared she could not do it unless it was cut, which the Nature of that Part not admitting, there was a Necessity to ask the Favour of Miss Hughes to undertake it, who with a great deal of good Nature, studied and played it perfect, tho' at so short a Warning

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Southern. Afterpiece: Never performed there before. [By John Arthur.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh, and Colley Cibber Esq; Poet-Laureat

Event Comment: By Desire. Don John de Nasaquitine, sworn brother and champion to the man that was to have jumped into the bottle...hereby invites all such as were then disappointed to repair to the theatre on Monday the 30th, and that shall be exhibited to them which never was before, nor ever will be hereafter seen. All such as shall swear upon the Book of Wisdom that they paid for seeing the Bottle man, will be admitted gratis; the rest at Gotham prices (General Advertiser). Receipts: #50 (Cross); #70 11s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: With proper scenes, Machines, &c. [This is the Dryden-Davenant version.] Paid G. Garrick balance of his bill #6 13s.; Christmas Box to ye Beadle 3s. 6d.; Mr Norton 5 chorus #1 5s.; Xmas Jury #1 1s.; Mr Madden for an Embroidered Coat and a velvet suit of Cloaths #12 (Treasurer's Book). [This month was published A Dissertation on Comedy (by John Hippisley, Jr) in which the Rise and Progress of that Species of the Drama is particularly considered and deduced from the earliest to the present age. By a Student of Oxford. Printed for T. Lowndes (Gentleman's Magazine, Register of Books). The "Student of Oxford" seems to have been a Garrick apologist in the extreme: "But whatever reason there may have been formerly for this complaint [the immorality of the stage] since Mr Garrick's management the Stage is become the school of manners and morality: Ribaldry and Profaneness are no longer tolerated, Sense and Nature exert their influence; Pantomime daily declines, Dancers are but little encouraged; the Burletta performs to empty benches, and the British can now vie with the Athenian Drama when in its severest state of purity" (p. 15). Also, from the same source, Reflections on that Species of Dramatic Writing which it improperly call'd Serious Comedy: from the French of M Maillet du Boulley.] Receipts: #120 (Cross); #126 3s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Whereas several Ungenerous aspersions have been cast on me, with respect to an Advertisement published in the London Gazetteer of Tuesday last, directed to the Friends of the Manager of Covent Garden Theatre, I declare that I was in no way consenting, or privy to the said Advertisement. John Rich (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: KKing John deferred on account of Mrs Cibber's Indisposition

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Sir John Vanbrugh

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author of the Prologue, Epilogue and Pastoral Dialogue. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Addison. A New Pastoral Dialogue for the benefit of ye Author of ye Dialogue, Cook ye Poet (Cross). [The Prologue was on comic poetry (spoken by Ryan); the Epilogue was on the Comic Characters of Women (spoken by Mrs Bland). See published version (London, 1753 "to which is prefixed an Ode to John Rich, Esq:"--British Museum 11795 K 31).

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [See 10 Feb. 1750.] We have advice that the John (Capt Smith) from Leith, which was supposed to be lost, got into Gottenburgh on the first of this month. The vessel had several passengers on board, among others Mr Gibson belonqing to Covent Garden Theatre

Event Comment: New Tragedy by John Brown never Acted before (playbill). This author is conceal'd, but is it ye first dramatic piece he ever wrote-Great Applause and deservedly (Cross). Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: At Mr Ogle's Great Room, Dean St., Soho. A Pastoral Opera [by John Hoadley] set by Dr Green. To begin at 7 p.m. Tickets 5s. Books of the Opera at places of Performance at 6d. Benefit for Robinson, organist of Westminster Abbey

Event Comment: Taken from a Midsummer Night's Dream written by Shakespear. The Songs from Shakespear, Milton, Waller, Dryden, Lansdown, Hammond. Music-Smith. [First edition Text by John Christopher Smith; see Garrick to James Murphey French, Dec. 1756; H. Walpole to R. Bentley 23 Feb. 1755.] Besides our own Singers, we had Sg Guadagni, Sga Passerini, Miss Potier [i.e., Mrs Vernon], and Savage's Boys. Very great Applause; Sabatini danced after it and fell down, not hurt (Cross). [See A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Hands of Garrick and Colman, G. W. Stone Jr, PMLA (June 1939).] Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Tragedy [by John Moncrieff] never acted before. [The Biographia Dramatica states it was brought on by Moncrieff's friend Sheridan, who altered it to suit his purposes and lopped off the whole fifth act.

Event Comment: For one Night Only. Benefit for the Author [John Slade]. A New Tragedy, never acted before. To begin 7 p.m. Places for the Boxes to be had of Varney at the Stage Door

Event Comment: Receipts: #115 9s. Paid Blackmore for the following Cloaths: A Blue velvet Coat & Breeches, with white sattin waistcoat emb. with gold, #18; a Light cloath coat & waistcoat (yellow) emb. with silver #12; A Blue & Silver stuff suit, #8; a crimson velt suit #6; a black velvet suit #4 10s.; a scarlet cloath suit trimm'd with black, #1 10s.; Paid into the hands of Mr Forrest [attorney] by John Rich #200. Mr Austin advanc'd 6d. each acting night form 29 Oct. for snuffing the candles

Event Comment: Receipts: #130 18s. Paid John Rich #500

Event Comment: Never Acted before. A Tragedy [By John Home]. I went to my Office and then slept [?] in at Drury Lane w here I see Mr and Miss Hayes, Lady Lindores who I see into a coach, I slept in at Covent Garden Gallery before the play, but see nobody I knew so I would not stay, otherwise I would have went out as I had set my mind on the Beggar's Opera for once more, but waived it all & went to my Office (Hailey Brietzcke Diary, Vol. 197, p. 72)

Event Comment: TThe Jovial Crew deferred because of Indisposition of Miss Brent. Receipts: #135 16s. Paid Kemp for Lamps #6 8s. Dall returned to salary list at #1 10s. Paid John Rich #500

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bellamy. Mainpiece: Reviv'd Tragedy [John Banks]