Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This apparently was not the first performance, but the time of premiere is not known. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Mercer to the Duke's house, and there saw The Rivalls, which is no excellent play, but good acting in it; especially Gosnell comes and sings and dances finely, but, for all that, fell out of the key, so that the musique could not play to her afterwards, and so did Harris also go out of the tune to agree with her. Downes (p. 23): The Rivals, A Play, Wrote by Sir William Davenant; having a very Fine Interlude in it, of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, mixt with very Diverting Dances: M Price introducing the Dancing, by a short Comical Prologue, gain'd him an Universal Applause of the Town....And all the Womens Parts admirably Acted; chiefly Celia, a Shepherdess being Mad for Love; especially in Singing several Wild and Mad Songs

Event Comment: As it was altered from Shakespear by Sir William D'Avenant and Mr Dryden. With all the Songs, Dances, and other Decorations proper to the Play

Event Comment: As it was alter'd from Shakespear by Sir William D'Avenant and Mr Dryden. With all the Songs, Dances, and other Decorations proper to the Play. At Common Prices

Event Comment: As it was alter'd from Shakespear, by Sir William D'Avenant and Mr Dryden. With all the Songs, Dances, and other Decorations proper to the Play

Event Comment: Mainpiece: As it was alter'd from Shakespear by Sir William D'Avenant and Mr Dryden. With all the Songs, Dances, and other Decorations proper to the Play. At Common Prices

Event Comment: As it was alter'd from Shakespear by Sir William D'Avenant and Mr Dryden. With all the Songs, Dances, and other Decorations proper to the Play

Event Comment: Not Acted these Twelve Years. Written by Sir William D'Avenant, and carefully revised. Receipts. #28 7s. 6d

Event Comment: As it was altered from Shakespear by Sir William D'Avenant and Mr Dryden. With all the Songs, Dances, and other Decorations proper to the Play. [The Rural Modes intended, but deferred by the indisposition of a player.

Event Comment: As it was alter'd from Shakespear by Sir William D'Avenant and Mr Dryden. With all the Songs, Dances, and other Decorations proper to the Play

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear, by Sir William Davenant and Mr Dryden

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Alter'd form Shakespear by Sir William Davenant and Mr Dryden

Event Comment: As altered by Mr Dryden and Sir William Davenant from Shakespear

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [in 5 Acts by Sir William Davenant, slightly altered for the stage by Henry Woodward] never acted there. [The lady identified by Hopkins MS Notes and named in the Edition of 1775. The Westminster Magazine for Nov. suggests Shuter instead of Quick for Sancho. The review thought it an indifferent Comedy which "yet could be made a most excellent farce....The dialogue has all the rust of antiquity about it, and the modernizing scenes are left to the discretion of the performers. However, in representation, this piece cannot fail of entertaining....Miss Leeson, who appeared in the character of Isabella, has an agreeable plaasing figure, a good face and a marking eye; her voice is weak, but after she got rid of her fright was sufficiently articulate; there was an ease and nature in her deportment and dialogue that entitles her to encouragement."

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@142, p. 81: At the Man of Mode. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. Nell Gwyn also attended this performance. See VanLennep, Nell Gwyn's Playgoing, p. 407. It is uncertain whether this is the premiere, but the licensing date of 3 June 1676 suggests that the first production may have occurred at this time. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 36): This Comedy being well Cloath'd and well Acted, got a great deal of Money. One song, As Amoret with Phyllis sat, the words by Sir Car Scroope and the music by Nicholas Staggins, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Second Book, 1679; another, When first Amintas charmed my heart, the music by Staggins, is in the same collection, Fifth Book, 1684. John Dennis: I remember very well that upon the first acting this Comedy, it was generally believed to be an agreeable Representation of the Persons of Condition of both both Sexes, both in Court and Town; and that all the World was charm'd with Dorimont (A Defence of Sir Fopling Flutter, 1722, p. 18). For the full text of Dennis' discussion of this play, see The Critical Works of John Dennis, ed. E. N. Hooker (Baltimore, 1943), II, 241-50

Event Comment: Benefit Cibber. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Sir George Etheridge. Afterpiece: Taken from the French of Moliere

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by William Linley. Larpent MS 1150; not published]: With new Dresses and Decorations. The Overture and Musick new by W. Linley. Receipts: #245 13s. 6d. (196.9.6; 45.19.0; 3.5.0)

Event Comment: Never Acted before. [By William Popple.] Grub St. Journal, 26 Feb. 1736: It was play'd the first night to about a 30l. house; three parts of which were the Author's friends, who came on purpose, right or wrong, to applaud it: notwithstanding which, little or no applause was given