Event Comment: Rich's Company. Post Boy, No. 818, 4-6 July 1700: For the Benefit of Mrs Oldfield. This day at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane, will be presented, a Comedy call'd, The Pilgrim. Revis'd with Large Alterations, and a Secular Masque. With the Dialogue between the 2 mad Lovers. Being Acted this time at the desire of several Persons of Quality. And Entertainments of Singing and Dancing between the Acts and in particular, a new Entry Compos'd by the late Mr Eaglesfield, and perform'd by Mr Weaver, Mr Cottin, and Miss Campion. A Scotch Song with the Dancing of the Bonny Highlander; never done but once before on the English Stage

Event Comment: The Prize Musick, Compos'd by Mr Weldon, the Profits of the Galleries being for the Benefit of Mr Dogget and Mr Wilks, they having Farm'd 'em of the Performers. [See 21 March.

Event Comment: [Text by N. F. Haym. Music by G. F. Handel.] Colman's Opera Register: Mr O. Swiny ye Manager of ye Theatre was now setting out a New Opera, Heroick. all ye Habits new & richer than ye former with 4 New Scenes, & other Decorations & Machines. Ye Tragick Opera was called Theseus. Ye Musick composed by Mr Handel....ye Opera being thus prepared Mr Swiny would have got a Subscription for Six times, but could not.--he then did give out Tickets at half a Guinea each, for two Nights ye Boxes lay'd open to ye Pit, ye House was very full these two Nights

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. At 6 p.m. Post Boy, 28 Sept.: We hear that last Week Mr Rich made an Assignment of the New Theatre in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, and his Patent granted by King Charles II to Mr Keene and Mr Bullock jun. and that they open on Saturday next, with a celebrated Play of Shakespear's call'd, Cimbiline, which will be entirely new dress'd

Event Comment: Benefit J. Clegg (from Ireland), a Youth of Ten Years of Age, who play'd at Mrs Barbier's Benefit

Event Comment: Written Originally by Shakespear. [By Lewis Theobald.] Theophilus Cibber: [Booth's] Illness...returned soon after his playing King Henry VIII. He was then studying the Part of Julio in the Double Falsehood; he rehearsed it several times,-when the Play begin ready for acting, he was prevented appearing in it, by a Relapse into his former Indisposition.-The Part was supplied a few Nights by Mr Charles Williams (a promising Player, who died young) to whom Mr Booth had given the Part to study, as doubting the Certainty of his being able to appear in it himself: But, at Mr Theobald's Entreaty (backed by many Gentlemen and Ladies) he good-naturedly (but fatally) disregarded his Indisposition, which was then an intermitting Fever, and acted that Part from the fifth to the twelfth Night; which was alas! the last time of his Appearance on tle Stage.-Lives and Characters, pp. 82-83

Event Comment: DDaily Journal, 3 Nov.: We are assured that a Patent for the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, is order'd to pass the Seals in Favour of Mr Wilks, Mr Booth, and Mr Cibber, The Patent for the said Theatre was granted to Mrs Oldfield, deceas'd, upon the Death of the late Sir Richard Steele

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh. Receipts: #30 5s. 6d. Daily Journal, 11 Jan.: [On Sunday] Night the Corpse of Mr Boheme...was interr'd at Greenwich. The Pall was supported by Mr Quin, Mr Ryan, and 4 other Comedians

Event Comment: Not Acted these Seven Years. Written by Ben Johnson. Daily Advertiser, 1 Nov.: On Saturday Night a great Number of Wax Candles were lighted in the Windows of Mr Cibber's, Mr Booth's, and Mr Wilks's Houses...on account of his Majesty's Birthday

Event Comment: Benefit Chetwood. Mainpiece: With proper Habits, Scenes, Machines, and Decorations in a new Manner

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve. St. James's Evening Post, 31 Oct.: We are informed, that John Ellys Esq: the eminent painter, succeeds Mr Wilks in the management of Drurylane Play-House; and that Mr Cibber Jr succeeds his father, who has resign'd to him

Event Comment: A new Opera. Written by the late Mr Gay. With New Habits and Scenes. Receipts: #207 11s. 6d. Daily Courant, 12 Feb.: Mr Pultney and Mr Pope were in the Pit....They were in the House before any body else was admitted. Sir William Windham was also present at this Performance; but notwithstanding the Countenance given to it, there was so much Obscenity and Scurrility in it, that it raised a general Abhorrence in the Audience. [See also The Bee, 17 Feb., for a puff concerning this performance and the play in general.

Event Comment: Preface to edition of 1734: The Fourth Night a Set of about eight or ten young Fellows went to the Bedford Coffee-House ... and declared publickly that they came purposely to damn the Play, and would not leave the Play-House till they had compassed their Ends. . . . Accordingly Mr Ryan coming on to speak the Prologue, they began their Uproar, but were soon silenced, and the Prologue was heard with Applause. The Play beginning, they began again, and were so loud that Mr Ryan acquainted them, that as he could not imagine there was anything in the Play they could except against, he was apprehensive he had the Misfortune to displease them. Mr Quin then came on, and told them he found the House was divided, and as the Majority was for hearing the Play, he hop'd those who were not, would go out. The House on that were unanimous, and cry'd, Turn them out, Turn them out, but they saved the Audience the Trouble of doing it, and retired under the general Hiss of every Person then present

Event Comment: Grub St. Journal, 26 Feb. 1736: The second night (so well was this Comedy receiv'd by the Town) the audience of about 5l. was dismiss'd. Daily Journal, 29 April: We hear . . . The Double Deceit . . . was not acted last Night, on Account of a Letter sent by Mr Walker, who had a principal Part in it, acquainting Mr Rich, that he had study'd his Part, but could not make himself Master of it, and therefore desired he wou'd provide some body else to do it. N.B. The Part is about Eight Lengths, and was above eight Weeks in Mr Walker's Hands

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Dramatic Masque. Admission 5s., 3s., 2s., 1s. No Money under the full Price will be taken; and the Advance Money will he returned to those who chuse to go out before the Overture to the Entertainment begins. Edition of 1736: Invented by Mr Pritchard. Musick composed by Mr Arne. Scenes painted by Mr Hayman

Event Comment: Benefit Winstone and Miss Cole. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. [Tickets for Mrs Anderson, Villeneuve, Rainton, and Master Green taken.]

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 17 March: This is to inform the Publick, that the new Tragi-Comedy, intitled The Free-Thinker; or, The Fox uncas'd, which was last Summer rehearsed and was to have been play'd at [lif], but by Mr Rich's letting that House to Mr Giffard, for that Season, was prevented, will be acted on the 14th of April next [at yb], by Mr Hallam's Company of Comedians. The Play is writ much in the same Stile and Manner of George Barnwell....The Author hopes that the Generous and Judicious will encourage the Performance, tho' the Company of Players are not dropt down from the Clouds, nor does the Play libel the Government. [No further announcement of the performance has been noted before 28 April.

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Brethren of the...Masons. Benefit Mr Heath, a Distress'd Brother and Citizen of London, and Mr Kilburne. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Farquhar

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Alter'd from Beaumont and Fletcher, by Sir John Vanbrugh and Mr Dryden. Afterpiece: An English Opera, written by the late Mr Addison, and new set to Musick by Mr Arne, reserving two or three Favourite Songs, out of his former Opera