Event Comment: Not Acted these Twelve Years [but see 2 May 1709]. Written by the late Mr Dryden. All the Habits being entirely new. With Decorations proper to the Play. Steele wrote a Prologue for this play, possibly for this run; it was not used but appeared in The Theatre, 2 Feb. 1720. See also The Works of John Dennis, Hooker, ed., II, 162-65. Cibber states that #600 was expended on the habits, scenes, and decorations

Event Comment: Benefit Cibber. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by the late N. Rowe, Esq; Poet Laureat. Afterpiece: Taken from the French by the late Sir John Vanbrugh

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Egerton 2320: Receipts: #80. A quarrel betwixt Mr Quin and Mrs Cibber about dressing in ye Green Room

Event Comment: Benefit Rogers, Simson, and Mrs Chetwood. Tickets to be had of Rogers at Mr Molloy's, Wine Merchant in Bear Yard, Lincoln's Inn Fields; at Mr Settre's, Linen Draper, at the Golden Anchor, next Tom's Coffee House, Covent Garden; of Mrs Chetwood, Castle Tavern, Drury Lane; and of Simson, at Mr Gill's, a shoemaker, Basinghall St. [At 5 p.m. this day Jack, Joseph and Polly Granier are scheduled to dance in several dances at the New Wells, Lemon St., Goodman's Fields. Carney has also gone over to the New Wells.

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Not acted in 50 Years. It is hoped no Gentleman will take it ill, he cannot be admitted behind the scenes, the play being so full of characters, that any company there will be of great prejudice to the performance. [The play advertised as ready on 15 Feb., but held off until after the first performance of Papal Tyranny at cg so as not to detract from Cibber's first night.] The Principal Characters New Dress'd

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: 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 Mrs Cibber. Play By Command of Prince & Princess of Wales. Play taken from the French of M de Voltaire. Never acted there before.' Pit and boxes to be laid together, where the Ladies and Gentlemen will be admitted as at the Oratorios. And for the better accommodation of the Ladies the Stage will be form'd into an amphitheatre (with particular care to keep it warm) where servants will be allowed to keep places, as also in the Pit. Ladies send servants by three o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber (Cross). Tickets delivered for the 11th will be taken (playbill). Receipts: #280 (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: [By Joseph Addison.] Never Acted before. G. Berkeley to Sir John Percival, 16 April: On Tuesday last...Cato was acted the first time. I am informed the front boxes were all bespoke for nine days, a fortnight before the play was acted. I was present with Mr Addison, and two or three more friends in a side box, where we had a table and two or three flasks of burgundy and champagne, with which the author (who is a very sober man) thought it necessary to support his spirits in the concern he was then under, and indeed it was a pleasant refreshment to us all between the acts....The actors were at the expence of new habits, which were very magnificent. (Rand, p. 113. See also Victor, II, 29-31, and Cibber, I, 122-23, II, 127-33)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke, and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, Mary, and Louisa. Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh and Colley Cibber Esq; Poet-Laureat. Afterpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh

Event Comment: Benefit Cibber. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by George Duke of Buckingham. Afterpiece: With Additions, the Words and Musick by Mr Carey. 6:30 p.m. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 6 June: Yesterday Morning died Mrs Hallam

Event Comment: Benefit for Beard. Mrs Cibber first did Ophelia (Cross). Afterpiece: By particular desire. Five rows of Pit laid into Boxes and stage as on 7 March. Tickets and places of Hobson at the stage door. Receipts: #275 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)