Event Comment: Afterpiece: Altered from the Comedy of The Committee; or, The Faithful Irishman [by Sir Robert Howard]. Never acted here

Event Comment: [Mrs Upsdell is identified in MS list, in hay playbills now at Harvard, of new performers for the 1797 season.] 3rd piece: Never acted here

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Never acted here [i.e. in the regular summer season; see 28 Mar. 1780]

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett. 3rd piece: By permission of T. Harris, Esq.; never acted at this theatre. True Briton, 29 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Fawcett at his house, No. 10, Golden-square

Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. 1st piece: By permission of G. Colman, Esq.; never performed here. [Bannister Jun.'s 1st appearance at this theatre was on 2 Feb. 1779.] 3rd piece: Not performed here these 3 years. [No play of this title had been hitherto acted anywhere. But it appears to be the same as The Sailor's Prize, for which see cg, 1 May 1795.] Morning Chronicle, 22 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 19, Piazza, Covent Garden. Receipts: #478 (208.6.6; 13.17.6; tickets: 255.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett. 1st piece: By Permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay-Market. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]. 3rd piece: Never acted here; by Permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay-Market. With appropriate Scenes, Dresses & Decorations. The Music composed & selected by Attwood. Morning Chronicle, 15 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Fawcett, No. 3, Tanfield-court, Temple. Receipts: #535 6s. (233.2; 7.3; tickets: 295.1)

Event Comment: Under the Patronage of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Duke of Clarence, Duke of Cumberland, and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York [and] the Duchess of Devonshire and the Duchess of Gordon. Benefit for O'Keeffe, the Unfortunate Author of the following successful Dramatic Pieces: The Son in Law, Agreeable Surprise, Peeping Tom, Dead Alive, Young Quaker, Life's Vagaries, Castle of Andalusia, Czar, Tony Lumpkin in Town, Poor Soldier, Modern Antiques, Basket Maker, Wild Oats, Wicklow Mountains, French Grenadier [never acted], Positive Man, Love in a Camp, Tantara Rara Rogues all, Beggar on Horseback, Toy, London Hermit, Highland Reel, Blacksmith of Antwerp, Man Milliner, Irish Mimic, Little Hunchback, World in a Village, Fontainbleau, Magic Banner, Farmer, Doldrum, Sprigs of Laurel, Birth Day, Prisoner at Large, &c. &c. Tickets delivered for The Belle's Stratagem will be admitted. [O'Keeffe is referred to as being unfortunate because he was totally blind. In delivering his Poetical Composition, which is printed in Dramatic Censor, II, 265-67, the Monthly Mirror, June 1800, p. 367, reports that he was led on and off the stage by Lewis. It also notes that "Mrs Jordan...came from Drury-Lane, where she had performed the Child of Nature, to officiate at Covent-Garden as the handmaid of charity."] The Last Night of the Company's performing this season. Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Gibbs. 1st piece: Never acted here. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1. In it the playbill lists Dicky Gossip by Suett, but "Fawcett came forward with an apology, stating that Suett had been suddenly taken ill, and was unable to attend the theatre. The galleries...insisted on Fawcett's singing the song in Suett's stead. Fawcett pleaded his incapacity, and at length, by dint of a little buffoonery and grimace (talents essentially necessary on such occasions) succeeded in a appeasing the tumult" (Dramatic Censor, III, 127)]

Event Comment: Ladies send servants by 5 to keep Places and prevent Confusion. Doors will be opened at half after five o'clock. To begin at half after 6 o'clock (playbill). Mr G. Voice and Spirits was never finer he never wanted Spirit or Voice thro' the whole part and Convinced the Audience that those Amazing powers he has always possess'd are now as brilliant as ever. Never was a part play'd with greater Propriety nor an Audience more lavish of their Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly.] [A full column letter for the Morning Chronicle this date from Theatricus to Garrick protested the fact that his announced benefit for the Theatrical Fund on the 30th of May would be all sold out to the highest bidders for tickets; that a nobleman offering ten Guineas for four box seats would get them in preference to the tradesmen who offered only a pound, the stated price of the tickets. Since charity was the cause this writer suggested that Garrick give a second benefit night to the Fund, with the hopes (1) that the Fund would be thereby vastly increased, and (2) that opportunity might be given for twice as many People to see a Garrick final performance. It was, perhaps, in response to this public request that Garrick gave a second Benefit night for the Fund on 10 June. The Morning Post, 29 May, noted: "The concourse of servants assembled yesterday morning at seven o'clock, at Drury Lane Stage Door, to take places for the approaching benefit, in which it is said Mr Garrick will again play Richard III , was astonishing, amounting to many hundreds, three fourths of which were not able to Succeed in their embassies' (Hampden, Journal).] Receipts: #307 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: According to Robert Withington (English Pageantry, An Historical Outline, Cambridge, Mass., 1918, I, 242n), the expense of the entertainment came to #7888 2s. 6d. (See also Pepys, Diary, and other accounts.) The Diurnal of Thomas Rugg, ed. Sachse, pp. 98-99: A lane [was] made in the Citty, made by the livery men of several companyes; and many pageants in the streets...Att Cheap sid his Majesty beheld a famous pagien, and staid there for som littl space, where were speeches made by the lady paganetts. Evelyn, Diary: I saw his Majestie go with as much pompe & splendor as any Earthly prince could do to the greate Citty feast...but the exceeding raine which fell all that day, much eclips'd its luster:...the streets adorn'd with Pageants &c: at immense cost

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: So we returned and landed at the Bear at the Bridge foot, where we saw Southwark Fair (I having not all seen Bartholomew Fair)

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Tom and I and my wife to the Theatre, and there saw The Silent Woman. The first time that ever I did see it, and it is an excellent play. Among other things here, Kinaston, the boy, had the good turn to appear in three shapes: first, as a poor woman in ordinary clothes, to please Morose; then in fine clothes, as a gallant, and in them was clearly the prettiest woman in the whole house, and lastly, as a man; and then likewise did appear the handsomest man in the house

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, where I saw The Lost Lady, which do not please me much

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: we went by water to Salisbury Court play-house, where not liking to sit, we went out again, and by coach to the Theatre, and there saw The Scornful Lady, now done by a woman, which makes the play appear much better than ever it did to me

Event Comment: The King's Company. An edition appearing in 1661 lists no cast, no prologue, no epilogue. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, where I saw The Virgin Martyr, a good but too sober a play for the company

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To Whitefriars and saw The Spanish Curate, in which I had no great content

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. See 2 March 1661. Pepys, Diary: I and Captain Ferrers to Salisbury Court, by water, and saw part of the Queen's Maske

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Mrs Pierce and her husband and I and my wife to Salisbury Court, where coming late he and she light of Col. Boone that made room for them, and I and my wife sat in the pit, and there met with Mr Lewes and Tom Whitton, and saw The Bondman done to admiration

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. An edition dated 1661 lists no cast, no prologue, and epilogue. Pepys, Diary: And so to White-fryars and saw The Little Thiefe, which is a very merry and pretty play, and the little boy do very well

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, wher I saw a piece of The Silent Woman, which pleased me

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, and saw Harry the 4th, a good play

Event Comment: According to the diary of the Reverend John Ward, ed. Charles Severn (London, 1839), Ward saw The Alchymist at this time. The Folger MS V.a. 292, of Ward's journal, gives it as performed between 1 and 25 Sept. 1662. See Shakespeare Quarterly, XI (1961), 336. See also Dec. 1660

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, and there I saw The Tamer Tamed well done

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre,...The Merry Devill of Edmunton, which is a very merry play, the first time I ever saw it, which pleased me well

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Captain Ferrers and I to the Theatre, and there saw The Alchymist