Event Comment: Mainpiece Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry the Sixth; the Artful Acquisition of the Crown by King Richard; The Cruel Murder of Prince Edward and his Brother in the Tower; the Landing of the Earl of Richmond, and the death of King Richard in the Memorable battle of Bosworth Fieldv; being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. Receipts: #160 19s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry the Sixthv; the Artful Acquistion of the Crown by King Richardv; the Cruel Murder of Prince Edwardv and his Brother in the Tower; the Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and the death of King Richard in the Memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv; being the last that was faught between the Houses of York and Lancasterv. [A customary elaboration of the title, appearing at subsequent performances this season, but not repeated here.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 29 Feb. 1748.] Containing the distresses and death of King Henry VIv; the Artful acquisition of the Crown by King Richardv; The cruel Murder of Prince Edward and his brother in the Towerv; the landing of the Earl of Richmond, and the death of King Richardv in the Memorable battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. [Customary advertisement for this play this season. It will not be repeated further.] This month was published Characters in Dancing; with a Rhapsody (Gentleman's Magazine). Receipts: #164 13s

Event Comment: Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry VIv; the Artful acquisition of the Crown by King Richardv; the cruel murder of Prince Edwardv and his brother in the tower; the Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and the death of King Richardv in the memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster

Event Comment: Containing the Distresses and death of King Henry VI ; the Arthful acquisition of the Crown by King Richard ; the Cruel Murder of Young King Edward V , and his brother in the Tower; The Landing of the Earl of Richmond , and the death of King Richard at the Memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv ; being the last that was faught between the Houses of Yorkv and Lancasterv . With many other Historical Passages (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. Afterpiece: A New Dramtic Satire in two acts. N.B. As several of the Town have prejudged the Pit the Boxes and Galleries acting their own parts themselves for their diversion, to be of the same species of the Lick at the Town last year; and that it can mean only the ordinary Approbation or Disapprobation of the Audience, Signor Pasquin thinks it incumbent on himself to assure to Publick that all those conjectures are groundless; And farther, he assures them that the Pit, &c. acting their parts has no other meaning than the common literal sense; and that the Audience are really interwoven in the piece; and are to be bona fide part of the Dramatis Personae; and he makes no doubt but that he shall make them perform their parts to a numerous and polite audience, and with universal Applause. But he begs that those Ladies and Gentlemen who intend to perform in the Pit and Galleries will be at the Theatre betimes, for particular reasons; and those who are to act in the Boxes are requested to send their servants to keep their places by three o'clock. Signor Pasquin has received the letters sent by the Town and the Village, and they may depend upon having Places kept for them upon the Stage. The Hiss concerning the Robin Hood Society will be complied with (General Advertiser). [The parts were: Pasquin, Marforio, Sir Eternal Grinn, Sir Conjecture Positive, Sir Roger Ringwood, Bob Smart, Soloman Common Sense; Count Hunt Bubble, Sir John Ketch, hic and Hac (Scribblers), Hydra, Lady Lucy Loveit, Miss Diana Singlelife, Miss Brilliant, Miss Bashfull (Larpent MS 96).

Event Comment: [The Duke's Company. For Harris' role, see Pepys, 11 May 1668. For Angel as Stephano, see An Elegy Upon...Mr Edward Angell, reprinted in A Little Ark, pp. 38-39: @Who shall play Stephano now? your Tempest's gone@To raise new Storms i' th' hearts of every one.@ For Underhill as Trincalo, note his nickname of Prince Trincalo. (For Mary Davis as Ariel and Mrs Long as Hypolito, see J. H. Wilson, All the King's Ladies, pp. 140, 166.) Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 33): The Tempest...Acted in Lincolns-Inn-Fields...alter'd by Sir William Davenant and Mr Dryden before 'twas made into an Opera. Pepys, Diary: At noon resolved with Sir W. Pen to go see The Tempest, an old play of Shakespeare's, acted, I hear, the first day; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I afterwards by ourselves; and forced to sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke's house, close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones. The house mighty full; the King and Court there: and the most innocent play that ever I saw; and a curious piece of musique in an echo of half sentences, the echo repeating the former half, while the man goes on the latter, which is mighty pretty. The play [has] no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary plays. Thence home with Sir W. Pen, and there all mightily pleased with the play

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known; an entry in L. C. 5@145, p. 120, lists it for 1 March, but leaves the year in question. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 349. Because the Prologue upbraids the audience for deserting Dorset Garden to see The Female Prelate at Drury Lane (beginning 31 May 1680) and because the Epilogue refers to railing at the Penny Post, a service inaugurated on 1 April 1680, a performance in mid-June 1680 seems the likely first production. If so, the L. C. entry for 1 March probably represents a revival for 1 March 1680@1. A song, Bonny lass gin thou wert mine, with music by Thomas Farmer, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book, 1681. For Leigh as Sir Jolly and Nokes as Sir Davy, see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 147-48. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 36): These two Comedies [The Soulder's Fortune and D'Urfey's The Fond Husband] took extraordinary well, and being perfectly Acted; got the Company great Reputation and Profit

Event Comment: Afterpiece With the Scene of the Drawing. [William Hint in a Letter on Managers (Daily Gazetteer 26 Oct.) laments that Dunstall was cast as Sir William Belfond in the mainpiece and that Hippisley was cast in an inferior part. He thought Hippisley would have done better as Sir William.

Event Comment: [In text of mainpiece Sir Harry Lizard is Sir Harry Lovewit, but "Lizard" was the form invariably used in the playbills.] Receipts: #120 13s. (118.4; 2.9)

Event Comment: [In 2nd piece the playbill assigns Orlando to Kemble, but "On account of indisposition, Barrymore last night performed Orlando for Kemble" (Oracle, 4 Oct.).] 3rd piece: To conclude with the Glorious Defeat of the Spanish Armada, and a Grand Procession. "Equal to any actor I ever saw, as far as his line extends, is Mr Parsons; his conception and expression of Sir Fretful Plagiary, in Mr Sheridan's Critic, are as strong and masterly as were Garrick's in Kitely [in Every Man in his Humour]; and his 'laughing without mirth' therein equally admirable" (Jonson, ed. Waldron, 171). Receipts: #251 4s. 6d. (213.6.6; 37.0.0; 0.18.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Text 1st published in his Posthumous Dramatic Works, Vol. II (G. and W. Nicol, 1813); it assigns no parts, but adds George Ivey and David Duncan, acted by Caulfield and Packer. Genest erroneously assigns Sir Adam to Wewitzer and Beau Tiffany to R. Palmer. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (True Briton, 9 May). Songs by Michael Kelly, in Act I harmonized by Sir William Parsons.] True Briton, 25 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #581 15s. (294.18.6; 72.7.0; 3.17.6; tickets: 210.12.0) (charge: #213 6s. 8d.)