Event Comment: MMrs Woffington fainted (Rylands MS.). Last night, in the First Act of All's Well, which was acted at Drury Lane, Mrs Woffington was taken so violently ill, that she fainted away, as she stood at the scenes, ready to come on; After a proper Apology being made, the Audience with great Humanity and Patience, waited till another person dress'd to read the part.--This night the Alchemist (by Particular Desire) is to be performed; and on Thursday, His Royal Highness and the Duke and Princesses have commanded the Tender Husband. On Friday the Play All's Well will be represented; when if Mrs Woffington is not recover'd, Mrs Mills will be ready in the part. Receipts: #100

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber to Garrick, 26 Feb. 1746: I despise your vanity when you imagine my danger was as great from Mrs Copin, as yours from Perkin Warbeck; my rival met with disgrace the first night of her appearance; and my not naming her when I writ you about Perkin Jan. 1746] was a piece of generosity scarcely to be met with in the female sex, for my rival was then dismissed the house.--Boaden, Private Correspondence of Garrick, I, 39

Event Comment: Mainpiece written by Beaumont and Fletcher. Benefit Mrs Woffington. Not acted in 10 years. Servants admitted to keep places on stage

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Roberts. Tickets had of Mrs Roberts at her house in Duke St., near Lincoln's Inn Fields; and at Bradshaws, &c. Receipts: #130

Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser: We hear that Mrs Clive, who has been so dangerously ill that her life has been despair'd of, is now judged to be in a fair way of recovery. Receipts: #60

Event Comment: GGarrick's performance was capital, the scenes where he particularly excelled were those with Cherry when he delivered Lady Howd'ye's message, and the picture scene with Mrs Sullen. Genest, IV, 33

Event Comment: Last Night Mrs Woffington was taken ill just as the play was going to begin, which obig'd the managers to have her part read; but was so happily recover'd before the Farce was over, that she will this night perform her part of Maria

Event Comment: By particular Desire. Benefit Mrs Ridout and Miss Budgell. Tickets deliver'd out for Love's Last Shift will be taken

Event Comment: By particular Desire. Benefit Goodfellow and Barrington. Tickets for Barrington at Mrs Gwyn's a Silk Dyer in Drury Lane. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. [Simpson doubled in the part of Tyrrel.] Tickets delivered out by Hussey will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit Lowe. Mainpiece at the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Tickets to be had of Lowe at his Lodgings at Mr Venables, Wine Merchant in the great Piazza, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit Lowe

Event Comment: Benefit Lowe. Tickets at the Seven Stars in Bedford St., Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Miles, Mrs Baker,Miss Young

Event Comment: Benefit Maclelan, Boromeo and Sga Costanza. Mainpiece By Particular Desire. Tickets deliver'd by Baker, and for Comus will be taken. Lowe from this day sang Mornings in the Grand Concerts of Vocal and Instrumental Music at Ruckholt House, near Low-Layton, Essex.--Advertisement in London Daily Post and General Advertiser

Event Comment: Benefit Miss Cibber and her sister, daughters of Mr Cibber by the late Mrs Jane Cibber. Mainpiece: At the Particular desire of several Persons of Quality. Tickets to be had of Bradshaw, &c., and of Miss Cibber and her Sister, at Mrs Brett's (their Aunt)in Berwick St., near Soho. Tickets deliver'd out by Mrs Boultby will be taken. Receipts: #78

Event Comment: Written by Colly Cibber Esq. Benefit Theophilus Cibber. No persons to be admitted into the Boxes, or behind the scenes, but by Box ticket, which will be deliver'd at White's Chocolate House in St. James' St.; Tom's Coffee House in Covent Garden, and of Mr Bradshaw, &c. Places for the stage (which will be form'd into Boxes and carefully enclos'd) may be taken at Mrs Moor's in the Playhouse passage. Tickets for the Boxes and the stage will also be deliver'd at the proper offices of the theatre. Receipts: #150

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Macklin and Mrs Bennet. Tickets deliver'd out by Leigh, Carter and Miss Story will be taken. Tickets and places to be had of Bradshaw &c., and of Mrs Macklin at No. 12 in Wild Court, Wild St. Afterpiece: The Most Grave, Whimisical, Serious, Operatical Tragedy of Half and Act. Receipts: #150

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Butler. Amphitheatre on stage. Tickets of Bradshaw, &c., and at Mrs Butler's in King St., Covent Garden. Receipts: #140

Event Comment: Benefit Raftor, Mrs Clive's brother (Winston MS.). Bayes attempted by Mrs Clive, instigated to it by Cibber (as an) act of envy to Garrick, but he missed his aim, for she did it most wretchedly. It was believed she would not have gone through the part. A great house. If she had succeeded she meant to repeat it for her own Benefit. (Winston MS. from Dyer MS.) Mrs Clive did Bayes at the Desire of Several Ladies of Quality. Three rows of the Pit rail'd into the Boxes, where servants may keep places as well as on the stage. To prevent Mistakes in places already taken, it is desir'd that those Gentleman and Ladies, in whose names they are set down, would please to send for Tickets to Hobson at the stage door

Event Comment: Benefit Stevens, Waters, Brook, Hussey. As we could not have our Benefit on Saturday Last, the Company are so kind to pay for us at us at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's Inn Fields; we humbly hope that our friends will excuse the Disappointment (it not being in our power to avoid it) and favour us on Friday, 3 June, when tickets deliver'd out for the 28th of May for Drury-Lane will be taken this night at Lincolns Inn Fields..-London Daily Post and General Advertiser. This was not acted at dl. Fleetwood refused and they acted at lif, Friday 3 June. Yates, Taswell, Mrs Macklin, Mrs Pritchard, Mrs Hale of cg and Havard Played. N.B. there was an execution on dl at the time.-Winston MS. from Dyer MS

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Benefit Mrs Giffard. Tragedy not acted for 7 years. The Ballad Opera, by Mendez, never performed before. Servants admitted to keep places. Tickets at Mr Giffard's (No 11) in Craven Buildings, Drury Lane; and places for the boxes of Hobson, at the stage door

Event Comment: Not Acted these Eight Years [see 24 April 1741]. Benefit Cibber, Jr. Tickets and places of Hobson at the Stage door. Tickets ddliver'd out for All's Well at Covent Garden theatre will be taken to the above mentioned play this night. [Mrs Clive's Prologue recommended the cause of Liberty to the Ladies of Great Britain. Cibber had pleaded in his advance advertisement on 5 April in the General Advertiser.] As I have in justice to my creditors assigned over so much of my salary as reduces the remainder to a very small pittance, I very much depend on the encouragement and indulgence of the town at my Benefit. [On the day of the benefit he inserted in the General Advertiser a long, double column address to the Publick puffing his Benefit, and scotching a rumor industriously and invidiously spread that he came to Drury Lane only to impede Mrs Cibber in her performance there. In this he washes in public the linen of his domestic affairs at some length, professing his virtue, forbearance, and generosity, and Mrs Cibber's unfairness and ingratitude, citing her salary as about #700 per year, not a penny of which would she afford for his relief from creditors, or to bail him out of the Fleet prison where he languished six months. He alleges that she was instrumental in forming a cartel between the rival theatrical managers with precluded his employment by either house, and that she refused to act a benefit for him when he was in debtor's prison.

Event Comment: [Full column in Daily Advertiser describing Barry's and Mrs Macklin's acting techniques.] Barry from the Theatre in Dublin, perform'd the part of Othello, at Drury Lane, before a numerous and polite audience; and met with as great Applause as could be express'd.--General Advertiser, 6 Oct. Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole: You have probably been there since I left you, and consequently have seen the Mr Barry you desired some account of; yet as I am not certain of this and should be glad to know whether we agree about him, I will nevertheless tell you what he is, and the impression he made upon me. He is upwards of six feet in height; wdll and prortionably made, treads well and knows what to do with his limbs; in short a noble graceful figure. I can say nothing of his face but that it was all black, with a wide mough and good eyes. His voice is of a clear and pleasing tone, something like Delane's, but not so deep-mouthed, not so like a passing bell. When high strain'd it is apt to crack a little and be hoarse, but in its common pitch, and when it sinks into any softer passion, particularly expressive and touching. In the first scene, especially when he recounts to the Senate the progress of his love and the means he used to win Desdemona, he was quite mistaken, and I took a pique against him; instead of a cool narration he flew into a rant of voice and action, as though he were relating the circumstance of a battle that was fought yesterday. I expected nothing more from him, but was deceiv'd: in the scenes of rage and jealousy he was seldom inferior to Quin in the parts of tenderness and sorrow far above him. These latter seem to be his peculiarly; his action is not very various, but rarely improper, or without dignity, and some of his attitudes are really fine. He is not perfect to be sure, but I think may make a better player than any now on the stage in a little while. However, to see a man in one character, and but once, is not sufficient, so I rather ask your opinion by this, than give you mine.--Horace Walpole's Correspondence with Thomas Gray, II, 6-7

Event Comment: Benefit for Legge, Desse and Mrs Chambers. Tickets deliver'd out by Madam Petite will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author of the Prologue, Epilogue and Pastoral Dialogue. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Addison. A New Pastoral Dialogue for the benefit of ye Author of ye Dialogue, Cook ye Poet (Cross). [The Prologue was on comic poetry (spoken by Ryan); the Epilogue was on the Comic Characters of Women (spoken by Mrs Bland). See published version (London, 1753 "to which is prefixed an Ode to John Rich, Esq:"--British Museum 11795 K 31).