Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, based partly on Die Indianer in England, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue, Epilogue by the author (see text)]: Written by the Author of The Castle-Spectre [Matthew Gregory Lewis]. Receipts: #706 5s. 6d. (350.16.6; 42.4.0; odd and after-money: 7.4.6; tickets: 306.0.6) (charge: free)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; D 3, by Henry Neuman, based on Der Opfertod, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Text (R. Phillips, 1799) assigns no parts]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. The Theatre, since the last Season, has been newly Decorated. [Beginning with 19 June the playbill: Printed by T. Woodfall, Drury Lane; on 4 Sept.: No. 104, Drury Lane.] Morning Chronicle, 27 June 1799: This Day is published Family Distress (2s.). Gentleman's Magazine, May 1800, pp. 406-8, prints a letter from "J. B." in which strong exception is taken to Kotzebue in general, and this play in particular. "Theatrical entertainments have an extensive influence upon the manners of Society. When well regulated, and the pieces for representation well selected both as to matter and manner, they may be esteemed friendly to morality, and improvers of public taste. But what shall we say when both these ends are disregarded; when moral virtue is banished from the scene, and purity of taste is destroyed by affected language and pantomimical decorations? Improvements in almost every art and science have been within a few years, rapid and important. But that is not the case with the stage; nor can it be, while Kotzebue and his friends usurp the venerable boards of Shakespeare." The writer then, in sarcastic terms, outlines the plot of Family Distress. [Pope and Miss Chapman were both from cg.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The British Museum copy of the 1653 copy of this play has, in an old hand: Deflores by Betterton. Pepys, Diary: Then by water to Whitefriars to the Play-house, and there saw The Changeling, the first time it hath been acted these twenty years, and it takes exceedingly. Besides, I see the gallants do begin to be tyred with the vanity and pride of the theatre actors who are indeed grown very proud and rich

Event Comment: Evelyn, Diary: Saw a fine Mask at court perform'd by 6 Gent: & 6 Ladys surprizing his Majestie, it being Candlemas day. Pepys, Diary, 3 Feb.: Then Mrs Pickering...did, at my Lady's command, tell me the manner of a masquerade before the King and Court the other day. Where six women (my Lady Castlemayne and Duchesse of Monmouth being two of them) and six men (the Duke of Monmouth and Lord Arran and Monsieur Blanfort, being three of them) in vizards, but most rich and antique dresses, did dance admirably and most gloriously. God give us cause to continue the mirthe!

Event Comment: See Cibber, Apology, I, 201-2, for his account of the mistake Betterton's Company made in not retaining Williams and Mrs Mountfort-Verbruggen, and of the problems of Rich's Company. In this passage Cibber implies that Hamlet, Othello, and Julius Caesar were acted at Drury Lane soon after the division of the companies

Event Comment: Luttrell, A Brief Relation, III, 488: On Tuesday Night last the play house in Dorset Garden was broke open and their rich garments, to the value of 300#, taken away

Event Comment: In spite of decrees concerning the transfer of a player from one house to another, Dogget entered into an agreement with Rich's Company. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 338-39. Cibber, Apology, I, 229: And the late Reputation which Dogget had acquired from acting his Ben in Love for Love, made him a more declared Male-content on such Occasions; he over-valued Comedy for its being nearer to Nature than Tragedy, which is allow'd to say many fine things that Nature never spoke in the same Words; and supposing his Opinion were just, yet he should have consider'd that the Publick had a Taste as well as himself, which in Policy he ought to have complied with. Dogget, however, could not with Patience look upon the costly Trains and Plumes of Tragedy, in which knowing himself to be useless, he thought were all a vain Extravagance: And when he found his Singularity could no longer oppose that Expence, he so obstinately adhered to his own Opinion, that he left the Society of his old Friends, and came over to us at the Theatre-Royal: This happened in the Winter following the first Division of the (only) Company

Event Comment: Although the reports do not fully agree upon the date, apparently it was on this night that Hildebrand Horden, of Rich's Company, was killed in a duel. See Protestant Mercury, 18-20 May 1696, and Luttrell, A Brief Relation, IV, 81

Event Comment: According to the Flying Post, 18-20 Oct. 1698: On Tuesday October 18, 1698, the Penny Lottery began at the Theatre Royal in Dorset Garden with the first draw. [On 28 Sept. 1698 James Brydges, Diary reported that he had gone into dg to see the "engine" for the lottery.] The Post Boy, 18-20 Oct. 1698: There is now Acting at the Theatre Royal in Dorset Garden a Tragy-Comedy called The Wheel of Fortune, or The Fools Expectation. And 'tis thought the Author will have a good Sixth Day. According to the Post Boy, 20-22 Oct. 1698: On Monday next will be publish'd, a Comical and Satirical Prologue and Epilogue, intended to be spoken at the Acting of the new Invented Farce, call'd, the Wheel of Fortune, or the Fools Expectation. [The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 305-10.] It seems probable that the lottery was dignified, for satiric purposes, by being given the title of a play, with a satirical Prologue and Epilogue. Post Man, 20-22 Oct. 1698: The Entertainment performed at the Theatre Royal in Dorset Garden, at drawing the Lottery, called the Wheel of Fortune; being the Speeches addrest to the Spectators, as Prologues and Epilogues. During a Symphony of Musick the Curtain rises slowly, and discovers two wheels upon the Stage; then two Figures, representing Fortunev and Astraea the Goddess of Justicev, descend over each Wheel, in two rich Chariots gilt with Gold

Event Comment: London Post, 4-6 Dec. 1699: At the Request of several Persons of Quality, on Thursday next, being the 7th Inst. at the Theatre in Dorset Garden, the Famous Kentishmen, Wm. and Rich. Joy, design to show to the Town before they leave it, the same Tryals of Strength both of them, that Wm. had the Honour of showing before His Majesty, and their Royal Highnesses, with several other Persons of Quality; for which, he receiv'd a considerable Gratuity....Beginning exactly at 2, and Ending at 4. The Boxes 4s. the Pit 2s. 6d. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gall. 1s

Event Comment: [By Richard Steele. Date of premiere unknown. Published 20 Dec.] Colley Cibber: I remember [Rich] once paid us nine Days in one Week: This happen'd when the Funeral...was first acted, with more than expected Success.-Apology, I, 263

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Newly Corrected. Katherine Tofts, in Daily Courant, 8 Feb.: I was very much surpriz'd when I was inform'd that Ann Barwick, who was lately my Servant, had committed a Rudeness last Night [5 Feb.] at the Playhouse, by throwing of Oranges, and hissing when Mrs l'Epine, the Italian Gentlewoman Sung. I hope no one can think that it was in the least with my Privity, as I assure you it was not. [The statement, addressed to Christopher Rich, was dated 6 Feb.

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. [In the Preface to the 1709 edition D'Urfey thanks Rich for allowing him to be the first to raise the admission prices for his benefit.