Event Comment: ccording to the Account Book, the deficit with which the theatre began this season (see 25 Sept. 1749) was finally wiped out by the receipts of this night, and the company on this night became solvent.] Receipts: #194 16s. 2d

Event Comment: A Concert, etc. by the English Anti-Gallic Company that perform'd the Beggar's Opera last Season. Play translated from Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer. Prices: 5s., 3s., 2s. None to be admitted into the Boxes, but with printed Tickets, which will be delivered at the Office of the said Theatre. To begin at Six o'clock

Event Comment: The Conscious Lovers was given out, & in the Bills for this Night, but Mr Barry being ill, Mr Garrick made an Apology & ye Audience took ye P; Wife in its stead. Mr Barry over night said he wou'd not play, so that his sickness was doubted--the Farce was ill receiv'd that in ye middle I went on & said--Gent: we must beg yr Indulgence in permitting this piece to be perform'd once more, for the benefit of Mr Arne who has taken great pains in composing the Music & it shall be play'd no more--Applause (Cross). Bill alter'd from the Conscious Lovers, Mr Barry saying he was ill (Treasurer's Book). No latter account. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the theatre. Receipts: #90 (Cross); #78 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Box & Pit 10s. 6d. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. Oratorio to begin at half past 6 o'clock. No persons to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd this day at the Office in Covent Garden Theatre. The Galleries opened at half past Four. Pit and boxes at Five

Event Comment: Benefit for Lowe. Charges #60. Deficiency to Lowe #11 16s. covered by #104 9s. from tickets. [Afterpiece appears under the Shakespearian title in the Account Book. Actually it was James Worsdale's Cure for a Scold taken from Shakespeare's play.] Mainpiece: By particular desire. Tickets to be had of Lowe at his lodgings the corner of Southampton St., Covent Garden, and of Page at the Stage door of the Theatre. Receipts: #48 4s

Event Comment: "Mash note" appeared in the Daily Advertiser referring to a girl and an incident that occurred at the Provok'd Wife Sat 31 March. The Girl sat in a side-box, but slipped going down the stone steps of the theatre.

Event Comment: A concert, etc. Benefit for Mrs Rachel Hooper, who perform'd Six Years ago at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's Inn Fields. [Earlier bills listed The Recruiting Officer for this night. Today's bill calls only for a concert.] To begin at six o'clock. (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bridges and Blakes. Rec'd Cash #47 3s., plus #100 4s. from tickets. Total #147 7s. (Treasurer's Book). Yesterday Morning died of a Dropsy, Mr William Mills, belonging to the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane; a person formerly well esteem'd in his profession, and if his infirmities in the latter part of his life render'd him less useful to the stage, yet he amply made amends for it, in the deserv'd character of an Honest man, and an indulgent Husband. -The Stratagem will be play'd on Sat. next, for the benefit of Mrs Mills (General Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Villeneuve. Charges #30. Deficiency to Villeneuve #4 12s. 6d., covered by #111 11s. from tickets. N.B. Mr Villeneuve has been robb'd of a number of tickets, therefore none sold at the Doors of the theatre will be taken. By desire of several Ladies of Quality. Receipts: #26 7s. 6d

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s, Upper Gallery 1s. No persons to be admitted behind the scenes, nor any money to be returned after the curtain is drawn up. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Page at the stage door of the theatre. To begin exactly at Six o'clock. [Customary notice repeated for each bill this season.

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: A one Volume Pocket edn. of The Actor at 3s. dedicated to the Managers of the British Theatres publish'd. A Treatise on the Art of Playing, interpersed with theatrical anecdotes, Critical Remarks of Plays, and Occasional observations on Audiences (General Advertiser). Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: Kite by Mr Layfield from Dublin (Cross). Last night Mons Devisse perform'd (for the 1st time) at Drury Lane, and was receiv'd with general applause (General Advertiser). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Beard ill (Cross). Robin Hood Defer'd. Love's Last Shift deferr'd till Wednesday next. The Comedy of All's Well that Ends Well (written by Shakespear); and the Comedy of Every Man in his Humour (written by Ben Johnson) are now reviving at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane (General Advertiser). Receipts: #60 (Cross)

Event Comment: Whereas several Ungenerous aspersions have been cast on me, with respect to an Advertisement published in the London Gazetteer of Tuesday last, directed to the Friends of the Manager of Covent Garden Theatre, I declare that I was in no way consenting, or privy to the said Advertisement. John Rich (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. This evening their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales and the young Princes will be at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden to see the tragedy of the Fair Penitent (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the office in Covent Garden theatre at Half a Guinea each; 1st Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. The Galleries will be open'd at half an hour after Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: Tomorrow will be publish'd at 1s 6d. Alfred, a Masque as it is now acting with great applause at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Printed for A. Miller, opposite Catherine St., in the Strand. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for one Barry a Jeweller (Cross). A Charity Play, recommended by the City of London for Barry, Jeweller in Salisbury Court (being in great distress). Tickets at Grigsby's, Shadwell's, Janeway's and Sam's Coffee Houses by the Royal Exchange; Peele's, Nando's Anderton's and Temple Exchange in Fleet St., Marsh's Coffee House in Silver St., and at the stage door. Stage will be form'd into an Amphitheatre (General Advertiser). Mr Reinhold dy'd (Cross). A man no less admired for his private character than his publick performance. He has left behind him a Wife and Four small children in great distress; for the relief of whom the Managers of Drury Lane, and the actors have agreed to perform a play Gratis, some time next week; when it is hop'd the good nature of the publick will favour the intention of the performers. Tickets to be had of Mr Beard, at his house in North St., Red Lion Square, and at the theatre (General Advertiser, 16 May). Receipts: #60 (Cross)

Event Comment: Box 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken at the Stage Door of the Theatre. No persons to be admitted behind the Scenes, nor any money to be returned after the curtain is drawn up [Customary notice on subsequent bills, which will not be repeated here.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Ye Audience allarm'd in the Middle of ye farce by Cap Robinson & Cap Loyde fighting behind ye Boxes; people suspected at first it was fire, but being convinc'd to ye Contrary set down again. Cap Rob was wounded (Cross). Was a terrible alarm at Drury Lane theatre by a noise from behind the boxes, occasion'd by two gentlemen quarrelling and drawing their swords, which produc'd a rumor of fire through the house, and so great a confusion that many were hurt in attempting to force their way out. A woman was with difficulty saved from throwing herself over the gallery into the pit (Gentleman's Magazine, p. 425). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places to be taken of Mr Page at the Stage Door of the Theatre. [A customary notice each night. It will not be repeated further here.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted in 5 years. [See 11 Dec. 1744. For further comment on Dexter, see Genest, IV, p. 341.] One Mr Dexter did Oroonoko , a Gent of Ireland--who never appear'd upon a Stage before--he had ye Greatest applause ever heard & indeed deservedly a Sweet Voice, great feeling--his name was not in ye Bills--only by a Gent (Cross). We hear that a Comedy call'd Eastward Hoe; or, The Prentices, written by Ben Johnson, Chapman, and Marston, is now reviving at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will be acted the 29th. [A four page double column account of the text of Oroonoko appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1752, pp. 163-67.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Never were the theatres more in Estimation than at present, nor was there ever a time at which so much pains appear to have been taken, in order to continue them upon a good footing. We owe our thanks to Mr Garrick for engaging in the expence of such a number of additional performers, but we owe him also our applause for the success with which they have played (Inspector No 203, in Daily Advertiser and London Gazette). Receipts: #110 (Cross)

Event Comment: mong the Addresses of the Lords and Commons to the Sovereign which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine (Nov. 1751, pp. 513-14) one recommended that provision be made for suppressing audacious crimes of robbery and violence. A contributor called Mr Urban's attention to a "method of reformation earnestly recommended more than 40 years ago by an eminent Divine" (Dean Swift). In this treatise occured the following paragraph: "The Reformation of the Stage is entirely in the power of the Court; and in the consequence it hath upon the minds of younger people, doth very well deserve the strictest care. Surely a pension would not be ill employed on some men of wit, learning and virtue, who might have power to strike out every offensive and unbecoming passage from plays already written, as well as those that may be offered to the stage for the future, by which, and other wise regulations, the theatre might become a very innocent and useful diversion instead of being a scandal and reproach to our religion and country."] Receipts: #120 (Cross)