Event Comment: [The Gentlewoman who played Polly was probably Mrs Chambers. See 25 Nov.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Afterpiece: A Dramatic piece of one act taken from the French. Never perform'd before. The characters in it to be newdress'd. Pit and boxes laid together and amphitheatre on stage. Tickets deliver'd for 3 March will be taken. [See, 20 March. The note in Have at you all; or, The Drury Lane Journal (19 March) seems to comment on this performance: Those heroic full-bottomed perukes, whose bushy expanse is spread over the whole back of the wearer, have lately been exploded on the stage, and a more natural, I mean a less enormous covering for the head substituted in its stead. Unfortunately Mr Barry this night chose to appear in one of the most curiously frizzled out and of the fullest tragical flow I ever saw: When in the last act it was our heroes turn to be kill'd, honest Ryan being eager to dispatch him, just as he was to plump down upon the carpet, entangled his hand in the vast profusion of Macbeth's hair; and by jerking back his sword after the concluding stab, away came poor periwig along with it, while our hero was left expos'd, in the last agonies of death-bare headed. Ryan in the meanwhile with some confuconfusion contemplated Full-Bottom, which he held dangling in his hand, but sadly tumbled out of curl; at length he good naturedly adjusted it on the bald pate of the tyrant, who was then enabled to make his dying speech with proper regularity and decorum."

Event Comment: Benefit for Clarke. Mainpiece: Not acted this season. No Building on Stage. Receipts: #53 15s. 6d. plus #99 14s. from tickets (Box 129; Pit 379; Gallery 106) (Account Book). Charges: #65 17s. 6d. (Account Book). [Query: for Mrs Evans, Miss Mullart?. See Comment, 28 Dec. 1761.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire, Afterpiece: By Desire. [Mrs Copin's name spelled Copen until 12 Nov.

Event Comment: Benefit for Cibber. Mainpiece. Reviv'd, not acted these 4 years [see 1 March 1746]. Afterpiece: Taken from the French of Dancourt, a Ballad Opera, performed by particular desire. Tomorrow, The Jubilee, for Benefit of Mrs Horton. [Baker, Biographia Dramatica, lists the afterpiece as written by James Wilder, taken from Dancourt. Cibber had announced (General Advertiser, 27 Feb.) for his benefit The Man of Mode, with Pasquin, with Alterations. In which would be performed The Rehearsal of a Comedy call'd The Election; or, Bribes on Both Sides, by the Author of Tom Jones.

Event Comment: [M$Mrs Barrington, formerly Mrs Hale.] To the Author of the General Advertiser, &c. Sir: I am far from being of the opinion of too many of my countrymen, who exclaim against the performances of foreigners be they ever so extraordinary: on the contrary whenever I hear of a person who merits Encouragement from the Publick, I use all my interest in his favour; and will always continue so to do, though he should come from the extremity of the globe--Nor am I of the opinion of another class, who imagine no man can by a great performer unless he comes from a strange land. I am convinced we have an artist at present among us, as excellent in his way as ever was seen in Britain. He is an Englishman, and citizen of London; and without any instruction (as I am inform'd) performs all the surprizing Equilibres on the Slack Rope that were exhibited by the famous Turk. I have seem his performances once already and they gave me infinite pleasure. Tomorrow evening I intend to see them again, at the Theatre in the Haymarket, and heartily wish him the success he deserves, Yours, &c A. B. [See 23 Dec. 1749 note about Rich's engaging Caratha@the@Turk, and note, 28 Oct. 1749.] Receipts: #67 9s

Event Comment: Two days ago a Letter [price 1s.] came out to Miss Nossiter in which Mrs Cibber is abu'd & tother greatly extoll'd. The Author has also fell foul upon Mr Murphy author of Gray's Inn Journal. It is wrote by one Morgan an Irish Gent: High words has pass'd at ye Bedford Coff. H. between him and Murphy & 'tis thought a Duel will be ye Consequence (Cross). [See The Authorship of a Letter to Miss Nossiter, Shakespeare Quarterly, January 1952, p. 69.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hamilton. No building on Stage

Event Comment: Benefit for Chapman, Mrs Dyer, Miss White, and Miss Sledge. Tickets deliver'd out by Mrs White, Mrs Leppie, Mrs Viviez, and Mrs Hitchcock will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Baker, Miles, Miss Young. Tickets deliver'd out by Mrs Ferguson will be taken. No building on Stage. Receipts: #36 17s. plus income from tickets: Miles, #60 13s. (Box 103; pit 182; Gallery 76); Baker, #41 6s. (Box 69; Pit 125; Gallery 53); Miss Young #32 10s. (Box 28; Pit 98; Gallery 108). [All shared equally in the charges.] Mrs Ferguson's income of #18 16s. from tickets was clear (Box 9; Pit 61; Gallery 74) (Account Book). Charges: #64 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Cresswick, Desse, Mrs Jansolin. Last time of performing till Whitsun holidays. Receipts: #25 plus #173 7s. 6d. from tickets: Cresswick #30 17s. (Box 53; Pit 106; Gallery 17); Desse #80 12s. (Box 146; Pit 186; Gallery 162); Mrs Jansoline #61 17s. (Box 105; Pit 130; Gallery 161). Rec'd from John Rich #200 by the hand of Mrs Rich. [The House is now showing a deficit of #727 5s. 11d. (Account Book).] Charges: #63 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wignell and Mrs Lee. No building on Stage. Receipts: #38 10s. plus #134 17s. from tickets: Wignell #90 14s. (Box 52; Pit 324; Gallery 291); Mrs Lee #44 3s. (Box 94; Pit 107; Gallery 46) (Account Book). Charges: #63 10s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hamilton. Mainpiece: Not acted this season

Event Comment: As 4 Dec. 1740. Benefit Mrs Porter. Pit and Front Boxes together at 5s. N.B. All imaginable Care will be taken to keep the House warm; in order to which only one Door will be open in the Front-Boxes, where Tickets will be delivered. Receipts: money #90 16s. 6d.; seals #78 10s. (Account Book); #180 (Rylands MS.)

Event Comment: Benefit Mr and Mrs Hale. Mainpiece not acted these 14 years [see 15 May 1734]

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Pritchard. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Servants admitted to keep places on the stage, which will be fram'd into Front and side boxes, and entirely enclosed after the manner of an Oratorio. Ladies are desired to send servants to keep places to prevent mistakes. Tickets and places to be had at Mrs Pritchard's in Duke's late Earl's Court, Bow St.; At Mr Vaughan's, the Royal Exchange, Cornhill, and at the stage door

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Horton

Event Comment: MMr and Mrs Dyer are arriv'd from the theatre in Dublin; and in a few days he will appear in the part of Tom in the Conscious Lovers at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Receipts: #55 8s

Event Comment: Benefit for Bencraft and Mrs Vincent. Mainpiece: Containing the Memorable Battle of Agincourtv; with the total overthrow of the French Armyv; and many other historical passages. Tickets to be had of Mrs Vincent at the Cock and Turk's Head, in Bedford St., Covent Garden; of Bencraft at the corner of the Piazzas; and of Mr Page at the Stage Door of the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy

Event Comment: Receipts: #65 6s. (Account Book). Benefit for Mrs Mayo. Charges #80. Deficit to Mrs Mayo #14 14s., covered by #79 1s. from tickets (Boxes 160. Pit 191. Gallery 104)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Widow in Distress, with Four Children (Public Advertiser). Benefit for Mrs Calvert. Receipts: #57 7s. Income from tickets #112 13s. (boxes 113; pit 318; gallery 361). Charges #84 (Account Book). [The Account Book shows a profit again of #31 9s. 6d.

Event Comment: MMiss Susan Mullart, since call'd Mrs Evans [See 5 Jan. 1762]. It is said that Mr Ridout very artfully seduc'd her, and that proofs of their Intimacy appearing Miss Mullart assumed the name of Mrs Evans, and gave out that she had been privately married (Hopkins MS Notes). Ridout had died 28 May 1761. [See 30 Dec. 1761 and also 2 April 1761.

Event Comment: Benefit Delane. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. [Tickets at Delane's Lodgings (No. 6) in Wild Court, Wild Street, and at Mrs Delane's Lodgings, at the Fig-Tree, opposite Salisbury Street in the Strand.

Event Comment: Benefit for Bencraft and Mrs Hale. Mainpiece: Not acted these 9 years. [See 4 Dec. 1740.] N.B.: A parcel of tickets having been lost, none sold at the doors of the theatre will be admitted. Tickets to be had and places taken of Page at the Stage Door of the Theatre. [Inserted in the General Advertiser this day is Buskin's Apology]: @Enur'd to ills of various kinds,@By ancestors undone;@The Author has severely paid@For failings not his own.@From Disappointments Buskin writes,@Confesses 'tis for gain@Yet scorns all profits which arise@From giving others pain.@No private character he sneers,@No venom taints his mind;@His sole ambition is to please,@Not satyrise Mankind.@ On Wednesday last the Tragedy of Othello was acted at Covent Garden towards the relief of the unhappy sufferers by the late Fire; and on Saturday the sum of #218 12s. 4d. was paid into the hands of Messrs Ironside and Belchier; the company of comedians and the band of musick having generously given their performances (General Advertiser)