Event Comment: Benefit for Scrase and Miss Thomas. Tickets of Scrase at Mr Cross's in Crown Court, Russel St., Covent Garden; of Miss Thomas at the Ring and Pearl, Duke's Court, Bow St., and at stage door. No Building on Stage. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 117. The King's Company. Andrew Newport to Sir Richard Leveson, 6 Dec. 1660: Plays at court every week (HMC, 5th Report, Part I, 1876, p. 158)

Event Comment: Benefit Richard Neale. Tickets at Neale's House in Nottinghamstreet near Plumbtree-street, Bloomsbury

Event Comment: The United Company. Writing on 3 Jan. 1692@3, Anthony Wood states: A new comedie composed by Mr Tate, poet laureat, was acted before their majesties, M. 2 Jan. (Andrew Clark, The Life and Times of Anthony Wood [Oxford, 1894], III, 413). Since no new play by Tate is known to have been acted at this time, and since A Duke and No Duke was reprinted in 1693 (Term Catalogues, May 1693), and acted several times (Gentleman's Journal, January 1692@2, issued in March):A Duke and no Duke being often acted now, and scarce, is reprinted, with the addition of a curious Preface, by our Laureat, concerning Farce. [Possibly Wood was mistaken in thinking that A Duke and no Duke was a new play. It seems the one most likely to fit the circumstances of this period.

Event Comment: Receipts: #132 0s. 6d. Paid Kemp #9 12s.; Meares #1 10s.; Mr Day (turner) #12 1s.; Pattinson (tallow chandler) three bills to 11 Feb., #54 8s. 8d. Was at Covent Garden Gallery with Sir Harriott to see the Jovial Crew and Duke and No Duke. I met Legyt, Piggot, Bettenson there & got home by 10 (Hailey, Brietzcke Diary, Vol. 197, p. 72)

Event Comment: Did I tell you that the Archbishop tried to hinder the Minor from being played at Drury Lane? For once the Duke of Devonshire was firm, and would only let him correct some passages, & even of those the Duke has restored some. One that the Prelate effaced was 'You snub-nosed son of a bitch.' Foote says he will take out a license to preach Sam Cant against Tom Cant. (Walpole to Montagu, 24 Nov.). [See also Duke of Devonshire's statement to Garrick concerning the alteration of some lines, Private Correspondence, ed. Boaden, I, 120. See Gentlemen's Magazine, p. 502: Extracts from Christian and Critical remarks on a droll or interlude, call'd the Minor, said to be acted by authority; and Mr Foote's answer. Ten columns of alternate attack and justification.

Event Comment: [T+The Anatomist, as 10 Sept., instead of A Duke and no Duke, according to the General Advertiser.] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: By Command. Receipts: #194 19s. 6d. Present His Majesty. Gave Yeomen of the Guards 10s. 6d. (Account Book). Public Advertiser: We hear His Majesty will be at Covent Garden this night to see the Comedy of She Wou'd and She Wou'd not, with the Duke and No Duke

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Went to ye Pit to see ye Beggar's Opera-oblig'd to stand till ye play was over-Read some parts of ye Opera which I borrowed at Davies's, before it began and between the acts. Barry is a good Macheath, but most persons who have seen him when young observe that he has not ye activity and fire he then had. He sings tolerably as does Mrs Dancer; but both are greatest in ye acting part. Mrs D. is ye best Polly I ever saw, having that sensibility which your mere singing Pollys generally want. Mrs Mahon did Lucy with great ease and propriety, and has a good deal of expression in her countenance. Thomson has a force and mellowness of voice very suitable to ye character of Lockit. I do not think Weston excels in Filch. Shuter raised vast applause by adding, after Trapes has said "done under the Surgeon's hand'--"Oh dreadful and in such weather too!" Bannister in Mat added--"Die hard"--and Palmer in Budge--"Die game--" Mrs Gardner's pretending to get drunk in Mrs Slam is new. We had at ye end of Act 2 the Fing., of Act 3 a New Hornpipe, and at ye end of ye Opera the H. Peasant by $Miss Froment, with Duke and No Duke-of which I am tired

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by John Burgoyne, based in part on Le Pere de Famille, by Denis Diderot. Prologue by the Hon. Richard Fitzpatrick; Epilogue by the author (see text)]: With a Variety of new Scenes [by Greenwood (Daily Universal Register, 16 Jan.)], Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 4 Feb. 1786: This Day is published The Heiress (1s. 6d.). "It rarely happens that all the characters of a piece are so well sustained" (Morning Chronicle, 16 Jan.). "We never saw a play more admirably performed in all its parts" (Gazetteer, 16 Jan.). "In point of performance the comedy had every advantage" (Morning Herald, 16 Jan.). Receipts: #226 2s. (205/10; 20/7; 0/5)

Event Comment: [As afterpiece the playbill announces Richard Coeur de Lion, but because of "Mrs Jordan's sudden indisposition [it was changed] to The Humourist" (General Advertiser, 22 Nov.).] Receipts: #177 7s. 6d. (148.10.0; 27.8.0; 1.9.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Smith. No building on stage. Tickets sold at the doors will not be admitted. Ladies send servants by Three. Tickets to be had and places to be taken of Smith in Duke St., York Buildings, and of Crudge at the Stage Door