Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the London Gazette, No. 3151, 20-23 Jan. 1695@6, and entered in the Term Catalogues, February 1695@6, suggests that it was probably acted not later than December 1695. According to the Edition of 1696, the music was set by John Eccles: Come, Thyrsis, come was sung by Reading and Mrs Hodgson; the other songs in the edition lack the names of the singers. In addition, Rich mines of hot love are rooted here, sung by Bowman, was in Deliciae Musicae, The First Book of the Second Volume, 1696; and Let us revel and roar, set by John Eccles and sung by Curco and Reading, was published in Thesaurus Musicus, The Fifth Book, 1696. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 44: Lovers Luck, a Comedy, Wrote by Captain Dilks, which fill'd the House 6 Days together, and above 50# the 8th, the Day it was left off. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20, lists it among the plays under the heading: Damn'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

Event Comment: Benefit for furnishing the new Wards in the Middlesex Hospital. Paid Charlotte Lane for altering a cloth coat, and green corded silk waistcoat lac'd with silver for Mr Wm. Smith, 5s. 6d.; shalloos back & bod lining to coat & stiffening, 3s. (MS list in Davies, Life of Garrick II, 332). [The Occasional Prologue, written by Mr Boyce was publish'd in the Public Advertiser 19 Dec. 1755]: @And, Britons, Godlike charity is yours...@'Tis yours to silence Misry's plaintive moan@And make the grief of others all your own...@Give balm to Nature's accidental woes,@And sooth th'impovrish'd matron's pregnant throes...@ [The Epilogue, written by C. Smart, and spoken by Shuter in the character of a Man-midwife, was published in the same paper: Shuter enters with a child]: @Whoe'er begot thee has no cause to blush:@Thou'rt a brave chopping boy (child cries) nay, hush, hush, hush.@.......................@Nay if you once begin to puke and cough@Go to the nurse. Within, here, take him off.@Well Heav'n be prais'd, it is a peopling age,@Thanks to the Bar, the Army, and the Stage...

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Dress'd in the Habits of the Times. Mr Powell King Henry for 1st time (Hopkins). Mr Powell played King Henry with great feeling, and was very well received in it (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Receipts: #142 3s. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. King? & Queen? (Cross Diary). Mr Havard being ill, Mr Aickin played Leonato (Hopkins Diary)

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Wrighten. This Farce wrote by Mr Vaughan pretty well receiv'd (Hopkins Diary). [The Westminster Magazine for April damned the afterpiece as to plot and characters. Allowed it passible only as a beneift piece.] Paid 2 extra flutes 10s. Receipts: #90 5s. Charges: #66 9s. Profits to Mr and Mrs Wrighten: #23 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Altered into Three Acts. "All the comic part of the play is cut out" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1795, p. 123). Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by William Pearce]: The Incidents principally selected from the legendary Ballads of the 13th Century. The Scenery, Machinery, Music, Dresses and Decorations entirely new, and in correct conformity to the Times. The Pantomime invented by Mr Lonsdale. The Songs written by Mr O'Keeffe. The Overture and the Music (with the exception of a few Antient Ballad Tunes) by Reeve. The Dances invented by Byrn. [The concluding Grand Scene regulated by Thomas Harris (Monthly Mirror, supra).] The Scenery painted by Hodgins, Lupino, Phillips, Thorne, Hollogan, Blackmore, and assistants. The Machinery by Sloper and Goosetree. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [For a further assignment of the Vocal Characters and for a more detailed synopsis, see 4 Jan. 1796.] Account-Book, 16 Jan. 1796: Paid Goosetree for the Keep and Hire of Horses for the Pantomime #15 13s. Receipts: #321 19s. (318.10; 3.9)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the play was licensed 6 April 1687 in the Stationers' Register, 24 May 1687. The play was probably given first in March, as the Prologue refers to the speaking head, which was mentioned in the Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 26 March 1687: A Country man haveing invented a head & soe contrived it that whatever language or tune you speak in the Mouth of it it Repeated distinctly and Audibly. [I owe this reference to Professor John Harold Wilson]

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first production is not known, but the play was probably not acted later than September 1695, as it was advertised in the London Gazette, No. 3122, 10-14 Oct. 1695. Preface, Edition of 1696: It was the first I ever made Publick by appearing on the Stage, which (with the Advantage it met with, of admirable Acting) is all the Recommendations I have for exposing it...Ariadne. A song, Restless, in thought disturbed, set by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hodgson, is in A Collection of Songs, 1696

Event Comment: Benefit the Author, Mr Johnson of Chesire. Never Acted before. [See Remains of John Byrom, Vol. I, Part II, pp. 349-50.

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 608; not published. CG playbill of 16 Nov. 1795 has a detailed synopsis of the action]: Intermixed with Songs and Dialogue. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, Machinery, and Decorations. The new Music composed by Shield. The new Scenes designed by Richards, and executed by Richards, Hodgins, and assistants. To conclude with a Representation of the Lord Mayor's Show on the Water. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "As to the Pantomime it wanted nothing on the first Night but Abbreviations . . . [which should be] omission of the Doctors, the two Women of the Town, and the whole of Edwin's Character" (Public Advertiser, 27 Nov.). Gentleman's Magazine, Jan. 1783, pp. 29-31, contains a detailed synopsis of the procession, and adds, "The personages of this procession were all dressed in the characters of the time in which they lived, and before each of them a label, a scroll, or a pageant was carried, bearing their name, or some allusion of the poets to their occupation. The figures in transparency were all painted as large as the life, and had a most grand and beautiful effect . . . The idea of the paintings was furnished by Mr Richards and Mr Smirk [sic], and all of them executed by the latter in a style of so much taste and excellence that it is a matter of some wonder to us, where an artist of Mr Smirk's abilities has been so long concealed . . . The glee introduced with so much applause is the composition of the late Dr Rogers (who lived in 1600); the other airs in the pantomime and procession arc by Handel, Lord Kelly, Abel, Stamitz and Shield, and have very great merit. The expense of preparing this splendid spectacle must have been very great, and the cost of continuing its representation cannot be inconsiderable, since more than 200 supernumeraries are employed to walk in the procession." Receipts: #215 3s. (206/3; 9/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based on DER DEUTSCHE HAUSVATER, by Otto Heinrich Freiherr von Gemmingen. Prologue by the author and John Thelwall (Boaden, Kemble, II, 114). Epilogue by the author (Knapp, p. 263)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Morning Chronicle, 18 Feb. 1794: This Day is published LOVE'S FRAILTIES (2s.). Oulton, 1796, II, 154: It was the first play published at the advanced price of 2s. [i.e. hitherto (since, at least, 1776) the price of full-length plays had been 1s. 6d.]. Receipts: #308 17s. 6d. (296/8/6; 12/9/0)

Event Comment: Benefit Roberts and Miss Lindar. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Roberts. Particular Care is taken to perform the Play with Decency and Regularity, to the best Capacity of the Company. [Advertised in Craftsman, 19 Dec., and notice exists also in a clipping in BM, 11791 dd 18, Volume 5.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Roberts

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Afterpiece: a new Farcical Ballad Opera of one Act. [By Robert Drury.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Roberts. At the particular Desire of several Ladies

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Roberts

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Roberts. Tickets at her House in Duke St., lif

Event Comment: [The Public Advertiser substitutes Court for Roberts in the Choruses.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 10 Years. Afterpiece: Not acted these 20 years. Music, Dances and Other Decorations for afterpiece entirely new. [In a letter to John Gilbert-Cooper, the actor Charles Adams states that "the Prompter gave me a little Part in the Emperor of the Moon...I appear'd in it thrice." He was "paid Twenty Shilling Pr Week." See Theatre Notebook, XI (1957), p. 136. The only male parts left were Baliardo's servant Peter and the figures in the tableau of the final scene.] Receipts: #160 (Cross); #158 11s. (Powel)