Event Comment: Mainpiece: a Mock Opera. [Author not known. Apparently not published.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Practice of a Dramatick Entertainment. [Author not known. Apparently not published.] Afterpiece: A Mock Tragedy. [Author not known, but Mrs. Lois G. Morrison of San Antonio College believes that it was written by Eustace Budgell. Apparently not published.] At Common Prices. Note, No Money to be return'd after the Curtain is drawn up. The Doors will be open'd at Fou , and begin exactly at Six

Event Comment: During the summer of 1741, at the New Wells, London Spaw, Clerkenwell, the proprietor presented daily programs of pantomime, singing, and dancing. In midsummer, however, he added a single play to his program but did not list the cast. The sequence of plays included: July 9-16: Flora; or, Hob in the Well. July 17-25: Damon and Phillida. July 27-August 10: The Honest Yorkshireman. August 11-17: The Mock Doctor. August 24-September 7: The Generous Free-Mason; or, The Constant Lady; With the Comical Humours of Squire Noodle and his Man Doodle

Event Comment: Masque: By Particular Desire. The Gentlemen's Magazine for Jan. 1742 (p. 28) in an article On Two Italian Dancers comments rather fully on the Fausans' performance in Le Boufon; or the Idiot: My expectation was rais'd to the height but at their entrance on the stage, they alarm'd me by the inexpressive Agility and descriptive Action, Look and Motion, which were all performed With such mimic Variety, that I defy the most severe Cynic to say that they wou'd not at least raise in him an agreeable surprise, to see all the attitudes, Oddities and mock Gesticulations of the two Idiots, who may be suppos'd to be in Love with one another. It is not any distortion of Body or unnatural transposition of the limbs which they exhibit to the view, but the extravagant Idiotry which the passions of Love, Disdain, Joy, Resentment, would on a real occasion actuate on the personages they represent: Nor do they so manage their Dance that it is ungraceful: they take opportunities to show by actions and movements, that in their comic Humour they have an elegancy. This performance therefore, on Reflection, appear'd to me, instead of an unnatural extravaganza to be founded on the nicest Observations of Human Nature, and prove Signor and Signora to be persons of good judgment, as well as agility. Receipts: #80

Event Comment: Afterpiece a Mock Opera, written by Shakespear. The Music composed by J. F. Lampe

Event Comment: [G+General Advertiser gives The Mock Doctor as the afterpiece. As 1 Oct., but Davy-$Hippisley.] Receipts: #76 15s

Event Comment: Receipts: #40 (Cross). [The Epilogue Occasioned by the Two Occasional Prologues published in the General Advertiser. Fifty-one lines ending: @"No more shall either rack his brains to teaze ye@But let the Contest be who most shall please ye." [In the form of a story, mocking Garrick and Berry]: "Once on a time two boys were throwing dirt@A gentle youth was one, and one was somewhat pert.@Each to his Master with his tale retreated,@Who gravely heard their different parts repeated,@How Tom was rude, and Jack poor lad ill treated."

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Acted but thrice these six years. [See 13 April 1748.] Written by Shakespear. Music composed by the late Mr Lampe. Afterpiece: A Mock Opera not performed these five years

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Not acted these 4 years. Full prices. [See 10 March 1750.] Mr Maddox ye Ballance Master perform'd [on the rope] in it. Great Expectations not answer'd (Cross). [See ridicule of this afterpiece at dl 6 Nov. and the summary account of the disturbance it produced, as recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine (Nov. 1752, p. 535): The Town had been allured to Covent Garden by a wire dancer and some strange animals, which the manager brought together from Sadler's Wells and the Fair. Mr Garrick ridiculed this perversion of theatrical entertainment, by exhibiting a mock entertainment of the same kind. At this the town was offened, and a party went one evening determind to damn it; a person of some distinction [Fitzpatrick] who was very busy in this laudable attempt threw an apple at Woodward and hit him. Woodward resented the blow by some words, which, by the gentleman's account, implied a challenge, but by Woodward's no such thing. Woodward's account is confirm'd by the affidavits of many; that of the gentleman only by his own, though the box in which he sat was full. The Inspector espoused the cause of the Gentleman; and the Covent Garden Journalist of the comedian.'

Event Comment: This day at noon will be published at 6d. A Letter to Mr Henry Woodward, Comedian, occasioned by his letter to the Inspector. by Simon Partridge, the facetious Cobbler of Pall Mall, and son to the late Mr Partridge, famous for his dispute with Isaac Bickerstaff. "Barbarian to attack, a chymist, Critick, Journalist, and Quack" (Anon). Printed for H. Jeffrey in Pope's Head Alley, Cornhill. [Another mock defense of Hill, casting opprobrium on him in the manner of the eightenth-century bully boys of the bathroom. A second edition of Sampson Edwards' Letter to Woodward appeared this day. See Comment, 9 Dec.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Foote play'd Buck & Miss Macklin Lucinda, --went off tol: ye Girl was lik'd-she sung in ye Character Aly Croky--fine, --& danc'd a Minuet--well (Cross). [Foote was engaged as an actor for a certain number of nights and made his 1st appearance on this evening-he spoke a Prologue written by Garrick which was encored every night Genest, IV, 380). The Prologue was printed in the Public Advertiser on 29 Oct. suggesting the many sources of laughter on stage as they appealed to various parts of the House, pointing fun at Foote, and closing with his mock, humble statement: @"Many my passions are, tho' one my view@They all concenter--in the pleasing you.'@ It also contained information about a specialty performer on the Cello, Monsieur Cervetti, and his reception by the upper galleries: @"...In like extremes your laughing humour shows@Have ye not roar'd from Pit to upper Rows@And all the jest was, What? a Fiddler's nose..."@ The person here meant is M Cervetti, who has been a standing joke with the upper gallery for a long time past, on account of the length of his nose: but as I am inform'd, that no feature of his Mind is out of proportion, unless it be that his good qualities are extraordinary, I take this opportunity to mention that it is cruel to render him uneasy in the Business, in which he is eminent, and by which he must gain his livlihood." See identical comment in Gray's Inn Journal, 27 Oct. A puff for Miss Macklin appeared in Gray's Inn Journal, 20 Oct.] Receipts: #190 [Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Lying-In Hospital for Married Women, in Brownlow Street, Long Acre. [On 18 Jan. appeared in the Public Advertiser the Occasional Epilogue]: @After this bounteous, well-intentioned play@You think I'm come to banter all away;@To mock the soft compassion in the breast,@And turn at once all charity to jest...@Tir'd of such arts, I'm now so serious grown@I mean to speak plain sentiments alone.@ [Then addressing each part of the house, with appropriate comment--and a good deal of banter--she praises marriage as an institution, and this hospital as an aid.] @Methinks I spy some amorous pairs above [to upper gallery]@Drawn here by tender flames of mutual love.@Close pack'd they sit,-and woo with secret squeeze,@With conscious elbows, sympathetic knees.@Go on my friends,-true to connubial law,@And leave to us the Women in the straw.

Event Comment: Benefit for Ackman, Harrison, and Scrase. Tickets deliver'd by Walker will be taken. No Building on the Stage. [Genest, IV, 519, lists The Mock Doctor for the afterpiece, apparently by mistake.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #150. Paid Meares #1 6s.; Mock #1 10s.; Kemp #9 12s.; John Rich #500; Mrs Colman for a purple and silver gown #18 18s

Event Comment: Benefit for Rice. Afterpiece: For the only time this season will be introduc'd a Mock Italian Burletta. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. To begin at Seven O'clock. As it was originally performed in 1754