Event Comment: This date of performance is not a certainty; for the evidence, see Spencer, Shakespeare Improved, p. 94. Neither is Shadwell's authorship of the alterations a certainty, for the contributions of other playwrights have never been fully determined. (See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 43.) The instrumental music was composed by Matthew Lock, with new vocal music by James? Hart and Pietro Reggio. See Songs Set by Signior Pietro Reggio, 1680. And differing versions of the second Prologue and the second Epilogue are in BM Egerton MS. 2623, ff. 54-55. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 34-35): The Year after in 1673. The Tempest, or the Inchanted Island, made into an Opera by Mr Shadwell, having all New in it; as Scenes, Machines; particularly, one Scene Painted with Myriads of Ariel Spirits; and another flying away, with a Table Furnisht out with Fruits, Sweetmeats and all sorts of Viands; just when Duke Trinculo and his Companions, were going to Dinner; all things Perform'd in it so Admirably well, that not any succeeding Opera got more Money

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is known from a playbill. See Eleanore Boswell, A Playbill of 1687, Library, 4th Series, XI (1931), 499-502, and Cecil Price, A Playbill, c. 1686, Notes and Queries, Vol. 194 [1949), p. 519. The bill Price saw is in the State Papers James II, 31@3, ff. 215-16, among documents referring to 1686, but the date and day of the week point to 1687. The bill reads: At the Theatre Royall this present Tuesday being the Twenty second day of February will be presented, A Play called, A King, and No King. Beginning Exact...t Four of the Clock....their Majesties Servants. VIVAT REX

Event Comment: Receipts: #32 4s. [Universal Spectator, 16 Jan., reports that the subscription for Rich's new playhouse in Covent Garden has reached #6,000 and that James Sheppard, the architect, has completed the plans for the structure.

Event Comment: Benefit Woolley and Mrs James. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Gay. Afterpiece: By particular Desire

Event Comment: Benefit Jenkins and James. At the Particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Distinction. By the Lilliputian Company of Comedians. At the Tennis-Court, in James-street, in the Hay-Market. 7 P.M. Boxes 3s. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. N.B. The Company will continue to Play every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, during the Summer Season. Daily Advertiser, 29 April: I went to see them; upon my entrance I was surpris'd at the Spaciousness and Decencies of the Place; when the Curtain was drawn up, I found the Scenes not inferior to any I had seen, the Stage copious, the Decorations regular, the Actors perfect both in Words and Performance

Event Comment: Tickets for James taken. Receipts: money #7 9s. 6d.; tickets #46 3s. [Benefit for Marshall, according to Egerton 2267.]

Event Comment: Benefit Penkethman and James. Tickets for Tench and Anderson also taken

Event Comment: Benefit Oates and Miss Oates. Tickets at Oates', within two Doors of Mitre Tavern, James Street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: At the Theatre in James Street, near the Haymarket...between the two Halves of a Concert of Vocal and Instrumental Musick will be presented...gratis...Benefit of Miss Rogers. 6 p.m. Prices, Boxes 3s., Pit 2s., Gallery 1s. Tickets may be secured from Pinchbeck. [Customary notice of prices and concert formula repeated in every notice of performance.

Event Comment: Benefit Destrade and Reinhold. Tickets deliver'd out by Mrs Louch will be taken. No tickets sold at the door will be admitted. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality, for the Benefit of Mrs Middlehurst, from Cheshire, whose name is now Louch; Tickets at Mrs Louch's, three Doors above St James Church, Piccadilly [Folger Bill]

Event Comment: Benefit the Author [Havard]. Tickets to be had at his lodgings, the Corner of the Great Piazza, in James St, Covent Garden; at the Bedford Coffee House, and of Mr Hobson at the stage door of the theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Dr Clancy. "The Day returns, but not to me returns," Milton. This Gentleman being deprived of the Advantages of following his profession; and as the writing he had produced for the stage could not be brought out this season, the Master of the Playhouse has been so kind as to favour him with a Benefit Night: It is therefore hoped, that as this will be the first instance of any person laboring under so heavy a deprivation, performing on the stage, the Novelty, as well as the Unhappyness of his case, will engage the favour and protection of a British Audience. Note: Tickets to be had at the Temple-Exchange Coffee House in Fleet Street; Tom's Coffee House in Cornhill; St. James Coffee House, St. James's Street; Child's Coffee House, St. Paul's Churchyard and the Chapter Coffee House in Paternoster Row. Places for Boxes to be Taken at the Stage Door of the Theatre. [General Advertiser, 4 April, publish'd a fifty-six Prologue (licensed) Intended for Oedipus, acted for the Benefit of the Very Ingenious Dr Clancy, written by Mr Lockman.

Event Comment: Benefit for Matthews and James. Rec'd Cash #44 9s., plus #116 12s. from tickets. Total #161 1s. Paid Mr Barsanti for music by order of Garrick #1 11s. 6d. Paid Mr Williams 1!2 year's rent K: passage #11 15s. (Treasurer's Book). Mr Mills bury'd at St Marks [Cross). Receipts: #160 (Cross); charges, #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: To begin exactly at 6:00 o'clock. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Mr Varney at the Stage door. [Repeated throughout the season.] Ye Naturalizing Bill having made some Noise against the Jews, some people call'd out for ye Merchant of Venice, & a Letter was thrown upon ye Stage desiring that play instead of the Opera, but we took no Notice of it, some little hissing but it dy'd away (Cross). [Sometime in the calendar year 1753, Lacy and Garrick drew up a mortgage on the Drury Lane property for #10,000, to be amortized to James Clutterbuck over a period of twenty-one years at the rate of #4 per acting night, and permission to grant free seats in any part of the theatre (except the stage, scenes and orchestra) to forty persons. These latter to be named and seats assigned ten days prior to the opening of any season. This thirteen-page document, which describes accurately the bounds of the 13,134 square feet of land on which the ten buildings comprising Drury Lane Theatre stood, contains protective clauses for Clutterbuck, to the effect that Garrick and Lacy will exhibit nowhere else in London without the #4 nightly payment and for Garrick and Lacy, to the effect that arrears in payment could be collected solely from Drury Lane property, and not from the individual incomes of the mortgagees. It was not signed, so apprently was not executed. (See Havard, Collection of Documents dealing with affairs of Drury Lane, No 2, fMS, Thr 12.)] Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Scrase & Mathews (Cross). Tickets of Scrase at Tauranac's Wine Vault, in James St., Covent Garden, and at the Stage Door. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Foote for ye farce (Cross). Mainpiece:Not acted these 12 years. [See 20 Nov. 1745.] Austin did Bertran r(first time) (Indiff) (Cross). Tickets to be had of Foote at the Whalebone Warehouse in James St., Covent Garden, and of Varney at the stage door. Part of pit laid into boxes. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #107 19s. [Additional Renters coming in at 1 share each were Frederick Hesse Esq and James Mann.] Paid Mr Blackmore a Bill for Sundrys for Dioclesian #104 14s. Paid Mr Bingner (Wigmaker) in full of Bill #13 13s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: MMr Vernon-Macheath, 1st time; Mr Parsons-Filch, Mrs Parsons-Mrs Peachum (Cross Diary). Mr William Parsons came with Mr James Love from Edinburg, and Made his first appearance on the stage in London this evening; He died of an asthma on Tues. 3 February in the severe winter of 1795, and was buried in the churchyard of Lea-Church near Blackheath in Kent; he was in his 60th year (Macmillan [Hopkins MS Notes]). Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 19 Oct. 1759.

Event Comment: The Fifth Performance of the Mainpiece. The Music by Mr Linley of Bath. Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid James Abbott for Flowers etc. for the Garland Dance #5 11d. and paid Mrs Winter for flowers etc. for the same #2 13s. 4d. (Account Book). [See 14 Dec.] Receipts: #211 2s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 4s. 1st Gallery 3s. 2nd Gallery 2s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. Books of the Oratorio to be had at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season. The Account-Book notes that the director of the oratorios this season was James Hook.

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Pope. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by James Cobb, based on La Fausse Suivante; ou, Le Fourbe Puni, by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux. Prologue by the author (Knapp, 117). Larpent MS 476; not published. In 1780 this was acted at the hay as The Female Captain]. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Public Advertiser, 15 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Miss Pope, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #202 10s. (54.14; 17.6; 1.12; tickets: 128.18) (charge: #65 17s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jackson. 3rd piece [1st time in London; F 2, by James Solas Dodd, based on Le Naufrage, by Joseph de laFont, and 1st acted at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 1772, as The Funeral Pile. "The performers were exceedingly correct, which is unusual in benefit piece" Oulton, 1796,1,81). Prologue by the author (Town and Country Magazine, May 1779, p.270)]: With an Indian Processionv. Public Advertiser, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jackson in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, probably by Richard Wilson. Larpent MS 557; not published]. 3rd piece [1st time; F 2, by James Cobb. Larpent MS 556; not published. Author of Prologue unknown]. Receipts: #222 6s. 6d. (122.18.6; tickets: 99.8.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [MS annotation on playbill in Harvard Theatre Collection: "Mrs Cargill run away this day with Colman Jun. James? Winston?." And see 11 Sept.