Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 15 May 1782]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 5 years [not acted since 25 Mar. 1775]. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Banquo to Bensley, but "Poor Bensley's illness last night took him off; but on another night he will give and take in the triumph" {Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). In afterpiece he is assigned to The Guardian. On the Kemble playbill in both cases his name is deleted and MS annotations substitute Hull's.] "Macbeth at Drury-lane will. . . gag the drivellers who, on the failure of Constance [in King John], ventured a sweeping prophecy of condemnation that 'the Siddons never could play Shakespeare.' Would it not have been better to have borrowed Farren, rather than Hull, for Banquo?" (Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). "'Why,'say some of the critics, 'should Mrs Siddons wear a white dress in her last scene of Lady Macbeth? She is supposed to be asleep, not mad.' What reason except custom can be given for a mad heroine appearing in white we know not [and see DL, 20 Dec. 1782]. Yet there is an obvious reason why a person walking in their sleep should wear a white dress of the loose kind worn by Mrs Siddons ... It [is] the nearest resemblance which theatrical effect will admit, to the common sort of night-dresses" (Public Advertiser, 7 Feb.). Receipts: #346 16s. (198/10/0; 7/2/6; 0/8/6; tickets: 140/15/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations [by John Philip Kemble]. The Scenery and Dresses are entirely new. The Scenes designed and executed by Marinari and Capon. [Oracle, 29 Feb.: Capon painted three scenes of Westminster Hall.] An accurate Edition of The Plain Dealer to be had in the Theatre. Receipts: #324 14s. 6d. (322.6.6; 2.8.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by George Colman, ynger, based on Raoul Barbe Bleue, by Michel Jean Sedaine (although, in the 1st edition of the play, this denied by Colman). Text (Cadell and Davies, 1798)]: The Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick composed and selected [from Paisiello] by Kelly. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood? Jun, Chalmers, and others. The Machinery, Decorations, and Dresses designed and under the direction of Johnston, and executed by him, Underwood, Gay, and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. Times, 8 Feb. 1798: This Day is published Blue Beard (1s. 6d.). "In the course of the representation, many blunders in working the scenery, which are unavoidable in a first representation of this nature, occurred, and the delays which took place were frequently very great...It was twelve o'-clock before the curtain dropped...The Expense of getting it up is said to be not less than #2,000" (London Chronicle, 18 Jan.). Proud swells the tide, with loads of capering heels, And vacant Folly shouts applause in peals; Hoards, even beyond th miser's wish, are thrown, To deck some sham farago for the town...Money for dresses, money for new scenes, New music, decorations, and machines; The cost of these, including every freak, Would pay ten decent players four pounds a week. Anthony Pasquin (pseud. for John Williams), "Innovation," in The Devil [1787], II, no. 2, 46. Receipts: #319 14s. 6d. (216.17.6; 102.2.0; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Moody and Weston. Tickets deliver'd by Keen, and for Macbeth will be taken. Charges: #64 4s. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: Benefit for Moody. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Receipts: #237 8s. 6d. Charges: #74 14s. Profits to Moody: #152 14s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Moody. Afterpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 16 May 1763.] Receipts: #236 6s. 6d. Charges: #66 4s. 6d. Profits to Moody: #170 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Moody. Public Advertiser, 16 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Moody at the New Inn Coffee-house, Wych-street. Receipts: #173 6s. 6d. [98.17.0; 12.18.6; 0.8.0; tickets: 61.3.0) [charge: #66 16s. 6d.)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece: Prologue by George Colman, the elder.] Powell: Love a-la-mode rehearsed at 10 (for King); Lodoiska music at 11 (for Kelly, Storace, Crouch); Natural Son at 12 (King, Moody. Miss Farren one scene). Receipts: #347 15s. 6d. (283/0/0; 53/13/6; 7/2/0)

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (playbill). Prince of Wales and 6 more (Cross). Receipts: #210 (Cross). [Kemble's note in MacMillan suggests that Holland was ill so Garrick gave Moody 5 guineas to play Thyreus, actually his first appearance at dl.

Event Comment: Benefit for Moody, Hurst, Mrs Dorman. Mainpiece: Acted but once these 23 years. [But see 29 Dec. 1760 and 29 Oct. 1747.

Event Comment: Benefit for Moody and Weston

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. The Second Time. Paid Moody for a coat 8s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #272 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 30 April 1773. See, for afterpiece, the Regatta attached to Queen Mab, 11 Nov.] Mr Moody very bad in Maj. Oldfox , &c. Mrs Greville not much better in Olivia (Hopkins Diary). Rec'd from the late Mrs Johnston for Old Women's Cloaths #10 10s.; By ditto from Mr Garrick for wax candles #1 12s. Receipts: #150 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Merope, announced on playbill of 4 Jan. "We played last night Much Ado about Nothing, and had an apology to make for the change of three principal parts. About twelve o'clock Mr Henderson sent word he was not able to play. We got Mr Lewis from Covent Garden, who supplied the part of Benedick. Soon after Mr Parsons sent word he could not play. Mr Moody supplied the part of Dogberry; and about four in the afternoon Mr Vernon sent word he could not play. Mr Mattocks supplied his part of Balthazar...In the middle of the first act, a message was brought me that Mr Lamash (who was to play the part of Borachio) was not come to the House. I had nobody there that could go on for it, so I was obliged to cut his scenes in the first and second acts entirely out, and got Mr Wrighten to go on for the remainder of the part. At length we got the play over without the audience finding it out. We had a very bad house. Mr Parsons is not able to play in The School for Scandal to-morrow night; do not yet know how we shall be able to settle that" (Garrick, Private Correspondence, II, 328-29: Hopkins, prompter,in letter to Garrick, 6 Jan. 1779. He does not state who took Wrighten's place as the Sexton.).] On account of the sudden Illness of a Principal Performer, the new Pantomime [The Wonders of Derbyshire, announced on playbill of 4 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred till Friday. Receipts: #74 11s. (48.19; 25.10; 0.2)

Event Comment: [Mrs Yates's 1st appearance as Portia was at this theatre, 27 Mar. 1770. On this present night Moody acted in the mainpiece at dl and in the afterpiece at cg.] Receipts: #246 4s. (244.17.6; 1.16.6)

Event Comment: By Desire. By a Company of Comedians from all the other Theatres. In which the Character of John Moody will be preserved (by Desire)

Event Comment: The King's Company. There is uncertainty as to the date of the first performance, but in A Bibliography of John Dryden, p. 193, Macdonald cites as evidence for this date, Wood's Ath. Ox., IV, 209. The play was certainly first acted not later than this month, because John Evelyn saw it on 14 Dec. 1671. For further details, see 14 Dec. 1671

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the premiere is not certain. This performance is known from an entry in the Newdigate newsletters, which also states that Rollo was to be acted on the following Monday. If this statement is accurate, the performance of The Loyal Brother on 4 Feb. 1681@2 may be the third night rather than the opening performance. Newdigate newsletters, 4 Feb. 1681@2: On Monday morn [the Moorish Ambassador] & ye Comers meet to conclude ye treaty and in ye afternoon goes to see Rollo D. of Normandy at ye Ks playhouse wre ye K was this afternoon to see ye new play calld ye Loyall brothr (Wilson, More Theater Notes from the Newdigate Newsletters, p. 59). The Prologue and Epilogue were printed separately and have been reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 70-72. Luttrell acquired his copies (Huntington Library) on 7 Feb. 1681@2. In The Life of John Dryden (Chapel Hill, 1961), Charles E. Ward believes (pp. 166, 355) that The Loyal Brother was first acted in the autumn of 1681; but the entry in the Newdigate newsletters seems to make February 1682 the more probable time

Event Comment: The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 3 May 1790]. Paid Say for Tallow Candles last Season #88 6s. 3d. "That beautiful and best drawn character that the world ever saw, Sir John Falstaff, was mangled by Ryder. He substitutes savageness to jollity, and stiff mimicry to the natural debauchery that should hang as easily on Sir John as the Roomy mantle he moves in...Lewis gave us more the manner of the pretty man of fashion than of a dissipated hero" (Prompter, 4 Nov.). Receipts: #168 1s. 6d. (164.12.6; 3.9.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece (1st time; C 3, by John O'Keeffe. Prologue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Salary list (Enthoven Collection): Paid O'Keeffe for London Hermit #108 15s. Morning Chronicle, 17 July 1793: This Day is published The London Hermit (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Henry James Pye. Prologue by William Sotheby; Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]: With new Dresses and Decorations. "From the first drawing up of the curtain, till its final fall, we could not discover one single flight of fancy, one solitary scene of woe...It is but justice to add that for a first night the performers, with the exception of Barrymore, were very perfect in their respective parts [and see 27 Jan.]" (Dramatic Censor, I, 175, 181). Receipts: #309 13s. (246.4.6; 61.0.6; 2.8.0)

Event Comment: Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 22 Oct. 1687: There are to be 5 Pageants on the Ld Mayors day one representing Liberty by a Beautifull young Lady attended with Riches Plenty and ffreedom &c. (transcribed by Professor John Harold Wilson). Luttrell (A Brief Relation, I, 418): The 29th was the anniversary of the lord mayors show, the new one, sir John Shorter, now entring on his office; the shew was splendid and the entertainment great, according to custome: his majestie, with the prince of Denmark, did the citty the honour to dine with them at Guildhall, as also the nobility, foreign ministers, amongst which was the popes nuncio (who was invited particularly by some of the aldermen): the streets were new gravell'd all that morning on one side of the way, from Charing-crosse to the citty, for his majesties passage. His majestie was well satisfied with the whole entertainment. The Duke of Beaufort to the Duchess, 29 Oct. 1687 [a summary, apparently]: Has just come from the greatest entertainment he ever saw at a Lord Mayor's feast in the city, and the best ordered, though there was the greatest concourse there and in the streets that was ever known, and the greatest acclamations, all through the city as the King passed. The Queen did not dare venture, remembering that the Bristol entertainment had put her out of order, but all the nobility in town, and the foreign ministers were there. The Pope's Nuncio in particular was invited by the Lord Mayor and nobly entertained (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Beaufort MSS., Part IX, pp. 90-91)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known; It is one of several plays which may have been acted in or near December, for three were entered in the Term Catalogues at approximately the same time. Of the three, The Mistakes was given first near Christmas 1690; the other two may have come earlier in the month. A song, When Sylvia was kind, the music composed by John Eccles, is in Joyful Cuckoldom, ca. 1695. In the text of the play is a song, Corinna in the bloom of youth, sung by Mrs Botoler

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the fact that it was advertised in the Post Boy, 27-29 Feb. 1695@6 and entered in the Term Catalogues, February 1695@6, suggests that it was probably acted not later than January 1695@6. It may have appeared around the turn of the year. One song, While Phillis does drink, set by John Eccles and sung by Coper; and another, So well Corinna likes the joy, the composer not named but sung by Young Laroch, a Boy of seven, are in Deliciae Musicae, The First Book of the Second Volume, 1696. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 45: A Comedy, wrote by Mr George Greenvil, when he was very Young; Extraordinary Witty, and well Acted; but offending the Ears of some Ladies who set up for Chastity, it made its Exit. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20: And a good Comedy, tho it had the Misfortune to be ill receiv'd

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 16-18 April 1700, suggests that the first production came before Easter, March 31. A song, Delia tired Strephon with her flame, with music by John Eccles and sung by Bowman, is in Wit and Mirth, 1706