Event Comment: Paid Mrs Furnival for her performing the part of Alicia this night, Mrs Cibber being ill...#5 5s. (Account Books, Egerton 2268) [Mrs Cibber's name was in the General Advertiser notice.] Receipts: #156 17s. We hear that there is now in Rehearsal a new Comedy called The Rake, which Character is to be represented by Mr Garrick

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into Boxes, and stage form'd into Front and Side Boxes. Tickets and Places to be had at Mrs Pritchard's in Duke's late Earl's Court, (Bow Street), at Mr Vaughan's at the Golden Fan, next the Royal Exchange, Cornhill; and of Hobson at the stage door. Receipts: #220 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel); cash, #63 10s. 6d.; tickets, #118 17s. (Clay MS). By her agreement she has ten Guineas return'd her out of this charge, and therefore I shall subtract that out of the rest (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years.[See 2 April 1745]. Pit and Boxes laid together, where servants will be allowed to keep Places, and on the stage; which for the better Accommodation of the Ladies will be inclos'd and form'd into Front and Side Boxes. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets of Mrs Cibber at New Street, Spring Garden, and of Hobson. Receipts: #275 (Cross); house charges, #60. This must be subtracted as before (Powel)

Event Comment: Last Tuesday Signior Pasquali, Master of the Band of Music at the Theatre Royal, Mr Cibber and some other prominent players arriv'd from England to act the ensuing season [in Dublin]. Mrs Bland arriv'd [in Dublin] last Sunday from England and will appear tomorrow night in the character of Miranda in the Busy Body. Receipts: #180

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. By desire of Several Ladies of Quality. Part of the Pit and Boxes will be laid together, and servants will be admitted to keep Places on the Stage. N.B. The building on the stage is rais'd on a new plan, much more convenient than any ever yet erected, the Area of the being kept entirely clear, and the Building enclos'd so as to form distinct Boxes, like those in the Front of the House. Tickets and Places to be had of Mrs Pritchard, next the Chapel in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields, and of Mr Hobson at the stage Door. Receipts: #250 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. By Particular Desire. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Servants admitted to keep places on the Stage. Ladies are desired to send servants by 3 o'clock. Play to begin at 6. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Pritchard in Great Queen Street, and at the stage door of the theatre. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: [L+Letter to Miss Nossiter on Her First Appearance, pub. at 1s. praises her "natural acting" and analyses the character of Juliet as a most appropriate one for beginners: "In the First act she hath scarce anything to say; which affords her some breathing time to recover the confusion, into which her first appearance, before so awful an assembly must naturally throw her." Criticizes a supposed rival for planting herself full against her, as if with an intent by the superior force of her effrontery to stare away the little degree of Courage" Miss Nossiter had left. Her youth and freshness required no paint, so her color came and went as the passion required it, no small addition to the impression of natural acting. She is never inattentive on stage. She feels what others say as much as what she speaks herself. The Author gives practically a speech by speech account of her part, describing her gesture, action, and modulation of voice minutely. Concludes by pointing the reader's attention to Otway's contribution to the Garrick version which was played then at both houses. Praises Barry for instructing Miss Nossiter and bringing her to the stage. Hopes Garrick will refrain from attacking her in his papers, The Craftsman and Gray's Inn Journal, because she will one day become such an ornament to the stage, that I shall be proud to own myself the first who publicly displayed her merit.' Hers is the greatest real first attempt made by man or Woman on the stage, within these 40 years." See also 1 Nov.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Pritchard at her house in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; and at Pritchard's Warehouse in Tavistock St. Receipts: "230 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Tickets delivered for The Orphan will be taken. No building on stage. [Goldsmith, in his Bee (Vol. 1759, p. 56), commenting on Mad Clairon s' excellent preservation of character on stage, glances at Mrs Cibber, perhaps in this night's performance: 'I can never pardon a lady on the stage who, when she draws the admriation of the whole audience, turns about to make them a low courtesy for their applause. Such a figure no longer continues Belvidera , but at once drops into Mrs Cibber." See comment upon her deportment as Ophelia , 29 April 1763.

Event Comment: Margaretta 1st time by Mrs Robinson not perfect. very B. & Disconcerted Mr G. very much (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly in wording.] Receipts: #239 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mrs Chitty (coal merchant) #90. Receipts: #242 11s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mrs Parks boy 4 nights #1 10s. Receipts: #276 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Middlesex Hospital. House Charges #84. [Profit to Hospital #10 11s. The Treasurer's Book does not break down charges as minutely as does the Covent Garden Account Book. They are lump sum affairs. Nor does Victor include ticket receipt analysis.] Paid George Garrick for use of the managers #169; B. Johnson's Head Bill #1 11s. 9d. Philips for men's cloaths #10 10s.; Costain for old point lace #1 15s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #94 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: TTamerlane is oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of Mrs Cibber's indisposition

Event Comment: Tragedy never acted. By James Thomson. Characters New Dress'd. But as it is rather more fashionable to run mad about Mr Thomsons's play, I will change my theme and talk to you of Tancred. I want much to know how you like it, at this distance I would lay any wager you do not like it so well as your sister does, who certainly cannot be your sister and not have been to see it long ago. Everybody agrees that no play was ever so much improved in acting, at least since the Booths and Bettertons. That first scene expecially, where Siffredi discovers to Tancred who he is, pleased me almost beyond anything I ever saw, indeed even before I saw it, that scene was my favourite. But what do you think of the story, and what of the style?-A Series of Letters between Mrs Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot, I, 60 (dated strangely 2 March). [On 26 April, the Daily Post published a letter by Bellario on Tancred and Sigismunda, discussing the kind of support it received]: A very remarkable new Lord of the Treasury was proud of appearing its Foster Father, and attended at the public rehearsals; the first night of the performance this celebrated person and his friends in the Box with him (all very lately most flaming Patriots) were seen clapping their hands at the following remarkable speech: First of You All...To Quit Mistakes. [The letter also discussed political aspects of the play, then the poetry of the lines. The author heard that three hundred lines were cut out after the first performance, and was of opinion that double that amount would have been beneficial.

Event Comment: 1 Ladies send servants by three o'clock to keep places. [A customary note for subsequent performances this season.] Paid Mrs LaFont for her performance 3 nights in The Rape of Proserpine 15s. Receipts: #189 7s

Event Comment: CCross: An apology made for Mrs Cibber's being ill, tho she play'd her part. Receipts: #180 (Cross); #181 5s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Leviez, Ballet Master. Tickets deliver'd for Romeo and Juliet will be taken. Mr Leviez is oblig'd to change the play on account of Mrs Cibber's illness. Romeo advertis'd but Mrs Cibber's illness chang'd it (Cross). Tickets to be had of Leviez at his house in Great Queen St., and of Hobson at the Stage Door. Receipts: #180 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Afterpiece [written by Mrs Clive]: A new farce partly singing, part speakg. Went off well (Cross). Music by Dr Boyce. Five rows of Pit &c. [Stage arranged as on 10 March. The framework for financial analysis of receipts appears in Treasurer's Book, but the figures are missing. The parts for The Rehearsal, according to the Larpent MS 86, were: Mrs Hazard, Nelly, Tom, Witling, Mr Cross; Miranda-$Miss Norris; Corydon-$Beard; Marcella, Miss Giggle, Sir Albany Odelove, Miss Sidell, Miss Daudle.] Receipts: #240 (Cross); charges, #60 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: MMr Barry flew from his articles & engag'd with Rich; Mrs Cibber (who did not play last season) is also engag'd there--Y: King went to Ireland--Macklin and Wife came from thence to Mr Rich (Cross). Passage open'd from Russel St. into the boxes where Ladies and Gentlemen may be set down from their coaches, and there is likewise a better accommodation made for Chairs to come up to the House, and be kept in waiting, at the end of the Passage from Bridges St. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Hobson at the stage door of the Theatre. [The notice about the Passage was continued through 20 Sept. The notice about prices was customary throughout the season. Neither will be repeated further here.] Receipts: #110 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive-She did Zara (Cross). Farce (not acted these 2 years) with Alterations and an Additional Scene. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. [None behind scenes.] Tickets of Mrs Clive in Henrietta St., Covent Garden, and at The Stage Door. Receipts: #250 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Part of Pit will be laid into Boxes, where servants will be allowed to keep places, and on the stage, which will be formed into an Amphitheatre. Receipts: #253 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Not acted these 3 years. [See 8 April 1756.] The great Demand Mrs Cibber has had for places, has oblig'd her to lay the whole Pit into the Boxes; and the Stage form'd into an Amphitheatre, where servants will be admitted to keep places. Tickets deliver'd for Barbarossa 9 March will be taken. Receipts: #300 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mr Lacy a Proprietor of this Theatre made his first appearance upon the Stage in the part of Alexander. He is very Tall, & Thin, a good Voice but His Fright took away from it's power--he was rec'ed with Applause. Mr Garrick wrote a New Occasional Prologue to introduce him, which was Spoken by Mr King & rec'ed with great Applause (Hopkins Diary). Paid 4 days list at #91 8s. 10d. per diem #365 15s. 4d.; Mr J. French on Acct #10 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [The Westminster Magazine commented on Willoughby Lacy's performance (Oct. 1774): "His performance was far from answering the expectations we had been taught to form from a friend and pupil of our English Roscius. Indeed Mr Lacy is a very young man: therefore we ought not to draw the line of our expectation. His figure is at present lank, awkward, and unengaging; his voice distinctly powerful, but inharmonious; his action outre, vulgar and forced: his attitudes unnatural, affected and disgustful; and his delivery a continued rant, without proper change, a pleasing variety, or a just discrimination of the necessary difference of tone demanded by the different passions. These...capital defects...are not unsurmountable...The play was prefaced by a new Prologue, evidently the production of Mr Garrick. It had some humor and was well received. The purport of it was to beg favor for the hero of the evening, whom it compared to a young swimmer, who had tried to float in two shallow streams, and was now about to venture himself in the great deep. This image is certainly an apt one, though, it is no great compliment to the audiences of Norwich and Birmingham."] Receipts: #248 19s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 years [not acted since 27 Oct. 1758]. With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Prologue by David Garrick]. The Characters new dressed. This Play is revived with Alterations (by R. B. Sheridan Esq) and a new occasional Prologue written by Mr Garrick? and spoken by Dodd, both well received. Miss Essex made her first Appearance upon this stage in Silvia, a small mean Figure and shocking Actress, so bad that she is to do the Part no more. Reddish was very imperfect in Vainlove from the Beginning, but was so very much so in the last Act, that the Audience hissed very much, and cryed out, 'Off, Reddish, Off!" He went forward, and addressed them as follows, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been honoured with your Favour and Protection for these ten years past, and I am very sorry to give any cause for your Displeasure now; but having undertaken the Part at a very short Warning, in order to strengthen the Bill, and having had but two Rehearsals for it, puts it out of my Power to do Justice to the Part, or myself.' The Play then went on. So great a Lye was never delivered to an Audience by any Actor or Actress before. He had the Part at least six weeks in his Possession, and repeated Notice to be ready in it, and six Rehearsals was called for it,--indeed, he attended but three. Vernon undertook to study the Part at eleven o'clock to-night, and to perform it to-morrow (Hopkins Diary). [Miss Essex was from the hay.] Receipts: #209 6s