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: A draft of a proposed order, i Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 201, specifies the companies acting at this time: Forasmuch as wee are advertis'd, that divers persons, and Companies have assembled, and doe dayly assemble themselves together at the Play-Houses called the red bull, in St. Johns Street, the cockpit in Drury Lane, and a certaine Play-House in Salisbury Court, and at other places within our Citty of London and County of Middlesex, without the least Colour of Authority, and doe there act, performe and shew in publique, Comedies, Tragedies, and other Entertainments of the Stage

Event Comment: The King's Company. This marks the opening of the new Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, Drury Lane, to which Killigrew moved his company from Vere Street. Downes erroneously gives the opening date as 8 April, a fact which led to the creation of the famous spurious playbill for Bridges Street, Thursday, 8 April 1663. See Montague Summers, The Restoration Theater (London, 1934), p. 15. Pepys, Diary: This day the new Theatre Royal begins to act with scenes the Humorous Lieutenant, but I have not time to see it, nor could stay to see my Lady Jemimah lately come to town, and who was here in the house. Downes (p. 3): Note, this Comedy was Acted Twelve Days Successively

Event Comment: Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 8) gives a cast for Julius Caesar [by William Shakespeare] which includes Richard Bell, who died in the Drury Lane fire at the end of this month. It is not known when a performance of this play occurred, but a Prologue to Julius Caesar is in Covent Garden Drollery, 1672. Downes lists: Julius Caesar-$Bell; Cassius-$Major Mohun; Brutus-$Hart; Anthony-$Kynaston; Calphurnia-$Mrs Marshal. [Downes adds Portia-$Mrs Corbet, but this probably refers to a later performance.

Event Comment: The King's Company. It is difficult to assign a date to this burlesque, but it is obviously a satiric thrust at Elkanah Settle's The Empress of Morocco, which had been acted on 3 July 1673, and on Macbeth, which had been most recently acted (probably) on 9 Aug. 1673. As the title page of Duffett's burlesque does not name a theatre, it is not known whether it was acted before the King's Company left Lincoln's Inn Fields for the new theatre in Drury Lane. But the fact that Settle's Empress of Morocco was acted again at Dorset Garden on 6 Dec. 1673 makes December 1673 a likely month (or the King's Company to play its burlesque, although it may have been given in the late summer or early autumn, as many lesser actors are in the cast

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance, which marks the opening of the new Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 73. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 345. The Prologue and Epilogue were printed in Miscellany Poems, 1684. That the Prologue was spoken by Mohun is indicated in BM Sloane MSS. 4445

Event Comment: The King's Company. There is no certainty as to when this play was first performed. As it was licensed on 27 May 1675, the month of May is the latest for its premiere, but it was quite possibly presented before May, as the known performances for Drury Lane in May do not provide much opportunity for another play

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first production is uncertain, but John Harold Wilson (Six Restoration Play-Dates, pp. 221-22) assigns it to mid-June primarily because of the Prologue intended to be spoken by Haines and the order, dated 18 June 1677, for the arrest of Haines for speaking an obscene Epilogue (error for Prologue?); in addition, the next play at Drury Lane, The Rival Kings, refers to Haines and "last time," establishing the sequence of performance of these two plays. For the arrest of Haines, see Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 328n. Wits Led by the Nose was licensed for printing on 16 Aug. 1677

Event Comment: It is not certain that this performance was given by the King's Company, but because it first produced the play, it has been assigned to Drury Lane. Pepys, Diary: Tuesday January the 27th...comeing home at night (after I had carryed my Cozen Winn Houblon home from a Play (shee would if she could). [Mornamont MS II, folio 1192, Cambridge University Library.] See also Arthur Bryant, Samuel Pepys: Years of Peril (New York, 1935), p. 314

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known; an entry in L. C. 5@145, p. 120, lists it for 1 March, but leaves the year in question. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349. Because the Prologue upbraids the audience for deserting Dorset Garden to see The Female Prelate at Drury Lane (beginning 31 May 1680) and because the Epilogue refers to railing at the Penny Post, a service inaugurated on 1 April 1680, a performance in mid-June 1680 seems the likely first production. If so, the L. C. entry for 1 March probably represents a revival for 1 March 1680@1. A song, Bonny lass gin thou wert mine, with music by Thomas Farmer, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book, 1681. For Leigh as Sir Jolly and Nokes as Sir Davy, see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 147-48. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 36): These two Comedies [The Soulder's Fortune and D'Urfey's The Fond Husband] took extraordinary well, and being perfectly Acted; got the Company great Reputation and Profit

Event Comment: The King's Company. True Protestant Mercury, 25 Feb.-1 March 1681@2: Tomorrow, we hear his Majesty is to be there [Drury Lane] to see the Mock Tempest

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play was also reprintdd in 1683. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@145, p. 120: Wth ye Q: & a box for ye Maides of honor. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349. On this day Drury Lane was leased for nineteen years to Charles Davenant and his associates in furthering the union of the two companies. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 277

Event Comment: This score of Albion and Albanius was licensed for publication, 15 March 1686@7, and sold at the Theatre Royal (Drury Lane) entrance. Possibly a revival occurred at this time

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@148, p. 145. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 351. When this play was revised and revived as The Royal Merchant; or, Beggar's Bush at Drury Lane, 19 June 1705, the bill bore the heading: Not acted these Twenty Years

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is known by one of the rare playbills extant from this period. It is in HMC, Verney MSS., 7th Report, p. 509, and reproduced opposite page 240 in Lawrence, Elizabethan Playhouse, 2d Series: Never Acted but once. At the Theatre Royal, in Drury-Lane, this present Wensday being the Nineth day of November, will be presented, A New Play called, Henry the Second King of England. No money to be return'd after the curtain is drawn. By their Majesties Servants. Vivant Rex & Regina. Lady Margaret Russell to Katherine Russell, 10 Nov. 1692: You will be surprised that Lady Cavendish has been hindered by a little sore throat from going yesterday to a new play of King Henry and Rosamond, which is much commended (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Part V, Rutland MSS., p. 124)

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is known from a playbill: At tne Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane this present Wensday, being the last day of November, will be presented, a Play called, The Indian Emperour, Or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. No money to be return'd after the Curtain is drawn. By their Majesties Servants. Vivant Rex and Regina. [See HMC, 7th Report, Verney Papers, p. 509; and Lawrence, Elizabethan Playhouse, 2d Series, opposite page 241.

Event Comment: See Cibber, Apology, I, 201-2, for his account of the mistake Betterton's Company made in not retaining Williams and Mrs Mountfort-Verbruggen, and of the problems of Rich's Company. In this passage Cibber implies that Hamlet, Othello, and Julius Caesar were acted at Drury Lane soon after the division of the companies

Event Comment: As a result of litigation in 1704, we know that the regular company at Drury Lane and Dorset Garden resumed acting (after the younger performers had had possession of the theatres) on 9 Oct. 1695, and acted 214 days to 13 July 1696, after which the young actors played until 12 Oct. 1696, acting 57 times in the long vacation. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308

Event Comment: According to Sir Edward Smith's bill--see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308-the regular company at Drury Lane resumed acting (after the summer vacation) on 11 Oct. 1696 and acted 200 times to 7 July 1697, after which the young actors played 58 days to 7 Oct. 1697

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The evidence for this date as the premiere of The Relapse is Jennens' report on 19 Nov. 1696 that Drury Lane expected to produce a new play on this date, coupled with the fact that Lady Morley saw this play on 25 Nov. 1696. The play was advertised in the Post Boy, 26-29 Dec. 1696. Preface, Edition of 1697: One word more about the Bawdy, and I have done. I own the first Night this thing was acted, some indecencies had like to have happen'd, but 'twas not my Fault. The fine Gentleman of the Play, drinking his Mistress's Health in Nants Brandy, from six in the Morning, to the time he wadled upon the Stage in the Evening, had toasted himself up, to such a pitch of Vigor, I confess I once gave Amanda for gone, and am since (with all due Respect to Mrs Rogers) very sorry she scap'd; for I am confident a certain Lady (let no one take it to herself that is handsome) who highly blames the Play, for the barenness of the conclusion, wou'd then have allowed it, a very natural Close. Gildon, English Dramatick Poets, p. 145: This Play was received with mighty applause. Cibber, Apology, I, 216: This Play (the Relapse) from its new and easy Turn of Wit, had great Success, and gave me, as a Comedian, a second Flight of Reputation along with it

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the London Gazette, 18-21 Jan. 1696@7 (Luttrell acquired his copy, Huntington Library, 20 Jan. 1696@7) suggests that it was first given not later than December 1696. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), pp. 20-21, lists it among the "Masterpieces" on which Drury Lane "subsisted" in the early years after the separation of the theatres