Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance. Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 377: Lady Morley and one in the Box att Sham Lawyer 8s. [There is no certainty that this performance was the premiere, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 26-28 June 1697 (Luttrell's copy, Huntington Library, bears his acquisition date of 24 June 1697) suggests that its premiere occured in late May.] Title Page, Edition of 1697: As it was Damnably Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane

Event Comment: Rich's Company was apparently suspended because of its action in allowing John Powell, who had been involved in an altercation with Colonel Stanhope and Charles Davenant, to act before making satisfaction for the incident. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 368, and Cibber, Apology, II, 20n. The suspension lasted but a day; on 19 May 1698 Powell was forbidden to be received at either Drury Lane or Dorset Garden

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Post Boy, 31 May-2 June 1698: London, June 2nd. This Day, at the Theatre in Drury-Lane, will be Acted a Play, called, The Plain-Dealer, upon a very charitable Account, the Profits of the Play being given for the Release of a distressed Gentleman from Prison: And the chief Part is acted by Capt. Griffin, formerly a famous Actor, and lately Captain of a Company of Foot in His Majesty's Service, through the Wars in Ireland

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Post Boy, No 494, 2-5 July 1698: This Day is Acted the Tempest, at the Kings Playhouse in Drury-Lane, for the Entertainment of a Foreign Prince, who, we are positively inform'd, is the Prince of Parma in Person

Event Comment: Post Boy, 20-23 Aug. 1698: Jephtha's Rash Vow: Will be play'd again this Bartholomew Fair at Blakes and Penkethman's Booth, over against Hosier Lane. [See also William King, 25 Aug. 1698.

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance: Lady Morley and nne in the Box att Bonduca. 8s. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 377. When this play was revived at Drury Lane on 12 Feb. 1705, the bill bore the heading: Not Acted these Six Years

Event Comment: Flying Post, 21-23 Feb. 1699: The famous Italian, Seignor Fideli, is to Sing next Tuesday at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane; both in Italian and English; which he never yet performed

Event Comment: Tom Brown, writing to George Moult, 30 Aug. 1699: As I have observ'd to you, this noble Fair is quite another thing than what it was in the last Age; it not only deals in the humble stories of Crispin and Crispianus, Whittington's Cat, Bateman's Ghost, with the merry Conceits of the Little Pickle-herring; but it produces Opera's of its own Growth, and is become a formidable Rival to both the Theatres. It beholds Gods descending from Machines, who express themselves in a language suitable to their dignity; it trafficks in Heroes; it raises Ghosts and Apparitions; it has represented the Trojan Horse, the Workmanship of the divine Epeus; it has seen St. George encounter the Dragon, and overcome him; In short, for Thunder and Lightning, for Songs and Dances, for sublime Fustian and magnificent Nonsense, it comes not short of Drury-Lane or Lincolns-Inn-Fields (in Thomas Brown, Works, 4th edition, 1715, I, 212-13). [For a colorful account of Bartholomew Fair at the turn of the century, see The London Spy Compleat, 1703, Parts X and XI, particularly pages 228-58.]

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. London Post, 28 June-1 July 1700: Yesterday the Play called the Tempest was acted at the Old Play-house; and that called Love for Love at the new, both for the benefit of the poor English Slaves, &c. and I am told, that the sum arising thereby, amounted to about 250 #. It being put on the Playhouse Bills on Friday last, That each Company were to Act that day, and the whole Profits to go to'ards the Redemption of the English now in Slavery at Machanisso in Barbary, we are credibly informed, That, pursuant thereunto, the Treasurers of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, did on Saturday last pay into the hands of the Churchwardens of St.@Martin's the sum of 20 #. out of the Receipts of the Play acted by that Company, towards the Relief of those our Natives from Slavery, which good example 'tis hoped, may move others to be speedy and generous in their Charity for the same purpose. What the other Company gave I do not yet hear

Event Comment: Rich's Company. London Post, 5-8 July 1700: This day at the Theatre Royal in Drury-lane, will be presented a Play called, Sophonisba, or Hannibals Overthrow, not performed by the publick Actors but all by young Gentlemen and Ladies for their own Diversion. The Benefit for the young People of the House

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Post Boy, 11-13 July 1700: In consideration of the great Success of a Play, call'd, the Constant Couple, or a Trip to the Jubelee, and in Answer to a Scandalous Prologue spoken against it by the New House. At the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane this day, being the 13th of July, the said Play will be presented, for the Benefit of the Author, it being the last time of the Company's Acting this Summer. [The play, with the new Prologue, was published 20 Aug. 1700, according to the Post Man, 17-20 Aug. 1700.

Event Comment: Not acted these 25 years. As it was several times presented at court by persons of Quality, for the Entertainment of his late Majesty King Charles the 2d. The Company will continue Acting three times a week, during the term of Bartholomew Fair. [No further performances at Drury Lane during the summer are known.

Event Comment: At Parker's and Dogget's Booth near Hosier-Lane

Event Comment: [An order of this date by the Lord Chamberlain restricted the queen's to operas, Drury Lane to plays; the change became effective after 10 Jan. 1708.

Event Comment: Announced but not given. On 6 June the Lord Chamberlain silenced Drury Lane because of its failure to obey an order issued earlier which forbade the deduction of more than #40 from the receipts at a benefit

Event Comment: Post Boy, 13-15 Sept.: On Tuesday, the 7th [sic] instant, in Drury-Lane, when the Players were just going to act, but were, by Order from their Superiors, stopp'd from farther Proceeding; so that they were, to their great Mortification, forced to dismiss their publick Auditors. [See also Female Tatler, 12 Sept.

Event Comment: [Opening night, under the management of John Rich.] By the Company of Comedians under Letters Patents granted by King Charles the Second. Beginning exactly at Six. No Persons are to be admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money to be return'd after the Curtain is drawn up. Receipts: #143. Weekly Packet, 18 Dec.: This Day the New Play-House...is to be open'd...by the Company that act under the Patent; tho' it is said, that some of the Gentlemen who have left the Theatre in Drury-Lane for that Service, are order'd to return to their Colours, upon Pain of not exercising their Lungs anywhere; which may in Time prove of ill Service to the Patentee; that has been at vast Expence to make his Theatre as convenient for the Reception of an Audience as any one can possibly be

Event Comment: Benefit Pitchford. At 7 p.m. Tickets 5s. At the Academy in Chancery Lane

Event Comment: Mrs Mills, a Drury Lane actress, died on this day

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. N.B. The Tickets deliver'd to Subscribers will be taken at this Play, or on Monday Night, which is the last time of Acting till after Southwark Fair. Original Weekly Journal, 30 Aug.: The King hath order'd the Comedians gf the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane to perform at Hampton-Court, during his Majesty's stay there, for which Service they are to be allow'd 100l. extraordinary each Night they Act

Event Comment: Benefit Bickerstaff, who has not been able to wait on his Friends, by reason of his being lame. By Command. Tickets for Henry VIII taken. Original Weekly Journal, 25 April: His Majesty was to have come to Drury Lane... but was prevented by the arrival of some important Dispatches from abroad

Event Comment: At Common Prices. N.B. Part of the Company will continue to Act two Days in a Week during the Summer Session. Original Weekly Journal, 6 June: A Quarrel happening in Drury-Lane Play-House, betwixt a Gentleman and an Officer, they immediately drew their Swords, and the Latter was wounded in the Arm

Event Comment: The Spartan Dame advertised, but The Orphan Reviv'd or Powell's Weekly Journal, 19 Dec., states: On Monday Night his Mae Author. The Spartan Dame advertised, but The Orphan Reviv'd or Powell's Weekly Journal, 19 Dec., states: On Monday Night his Majesty came to the playhouse in Drury-Lane, and saw the Comedy of the Busie Body

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Oldfield. Post Boy, 5 March: On Thursday Morning the King's Company of Comedians, belonging to the Play-House in Drury-Lane, were sworn at the Lord Chamberlain's Office in Whitehall, pursuant to an Order occasion'd by their Acting in Obedience to his Majesty's Licence, lately granted Exclusive of a Patent formerly obtained by Sir Richard Steele Kt. The Tenor of the Oath was, That as his Majesty's Servants, they should act Subservient to the Lord Chamberlain, Vice-Chamberlain, and Gentleman Usher in Waiting