Event Comment: On Wednesday next in the Evening Mrs Midnight's Concert and Oratory will again be performed...at the Haymarket. The last time this Entertainment was performed, the House was crowded, that many Hundreds could not get admittance, and persons of Quality and Distinction found Satisfaction...My Service to Sister Henley. Mary Midnight (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: [For the King (Cross). With New Music, Scenes, Machines, Habits, and other Decorations. Compos'd by Mr Noverre. All our Dancers appear. A good deal of hissing & Clapping & some Cries of No french Dancers; a great clapping too-the Dance is fine-(Mr Delaistre is a good Dancer) (Cross). [See for details of preparation, importation of dancers, especially of M Delaistre, The Chevalier Noverre, Father of Modern Ballet, Deryck Lynham (London, 1950), pp. 26-40. See also advertisement in Public Advertiser: 'Mr Noverre, whose entertainments of Dancing have been celebrated in almost all the courts of Europe, exhibits this evening his Chinese Festival at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, in pursuance of a contract made above a year ago with the managers of the said theatre: The Insinuation that at this time, an extraordinary number of French dancers are engaged, is groundless, there being at Drury Lane at present as few of that nation, as any other theatre now has, or perhaps ever had. Mr Noverre and his brothers are Swiss, of a protestant family in the Canton of Berne, his wife and her sisters Germans; there are above sixty performers concerned in the entertainment; more than forty of which are English, assisted only be a few French (five men and four women) to complete the Ballet as usual. As the intention of the Managers on this occasion is to give Variety to Entertainments of the town, it is not doubted it will meet with public approbation.'] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Unhappy Sufferers by the late Dreadful Fire in King's Stredt, Covent Garden (playbill). We gave our Night's pay for ye Sufferers by the fire in King's Street Covent Garden Sun: ye 23d. of Dec. (Cross). Sisters diner at Mrs B's. I slept [slipt?] in after the play at Drury Lane & see them in the Gallery, where I had a few words with Mr Williams (Hailey, "Brietzcke Diary," Vol. 197, p. 69). Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #142 4s. Paid Kemp for 5 nights #8; Mr Dall at work upon scenes of Oratorios, for which his salary is stopp'd from 28 Jan. 60; Paid Meares 6s.; Heaford (plaisterer) #78 10s.; Pearce (bricklayer) #79 18s.; Martin (wardrobe keeper) on acct of his salary #5. [I] was in both the Galleries both before and after the plays, met Mr Ware going into Covent Garden Gallery who said his sisters were there but I did see them (Hailey, "Brietzcke Diary," Vol. 197, p.71)

Event Comment: Receipts: #212 7s. Paid Kemp for lamps #6 8s.; Meares, 5s. I slept in at the Play Houses but did not see him [his brother George] there. I met Miss Smith going into the Gallery at Covent Garden. I think it is a fortnight tomorrow that her sister has been buried (Hailey Brietzcke Diary, p. 147)

Event Comment: For the Author. By Command of the Prince of Wales. The Prince of Wales was at Drury Lane to see the new tragedy of Aquileia. I went there at 9, but it was all over and done & met Miss Smith coming from thence with Capt. Johnston. I think it very unnatural for her to be going to plays when her sister is but just laid in the Grave (Hailey, Brietzcke Diary, Vol. 197, p. 142)

Event Comment: Receipts: #224 18s. 6d. Advanc'd to Mrs Ward #20. Paid Sarjant on acct of salary #5; Paid Ridout one third of the surplus of this night's receipt being #144 18s. 6d. than the #80 allow'd for the charge: #48 2s. 6d. This morning I was at Mr Shadwell's for his Orders [for free theatre tickets] & took all my sisters to Covent Garden Gallery to see the Jovial Crew & Rape of Proserpine, which was full of noisy holiday people (Hailey, Brietzcke Diary, Vol. 197, p. 544)

Event Comment: Benefit of Miss Mozart of eleven, and Master Mozart of seven Years of Age, Prodigies of Nature. At the Great Room, Spring Garden, St James's Park. Tickets at half a guinea each. By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. [For Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his sister. Their father had brought them to visit London in May. See hay 21 Feb. 1765. They remained through July 1765. See also Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, III, p. 539 (3rd edn. New York, 1947).

Event Comment: Cancelled. Theatre and all the Gardens [closed] on account of the Death of Louisa Anne [sister of His Majesty]--until 23 May. [This was to have been the Benefit night for Mortimer, Tomlinson, and Lings.] Tickets deliver'd by Miss Berkley, Mas. Cape, and for The Committee were to have been taken

Event Comment: Afterpiece [Harlequin Skeleton] now advertised under its original title, but the New Scene with additions continued (playbill). Paid Younger for a license for ye 2 Sisters #2 2s. (Account Book). [See 18 Feb.] Receipts: #244 11s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Receipts: #200 7s. 6d. (Account Book). Mainpiece: With New Dresses and Decorations. [The first of a series of five performances (the last, Merchant of Venice, 18 Nov.) which got Macklin dismissed from the theatre until 1775, when his lawsuit against six persons whom he claimed formed a conspiracy to hiss him from the stage and ruin his livlihood was concluded favorably for him. His performance of Macbeth was favorably treated but with certain misgivings in the Morning Chronicle (25 Oct.), but he was mercilessly criticized in the London Evening Post and St James Chronicle: "In Act II, Sc. i, Shakespeare has made Macbeth murder Duncan; Now Mr Macklin, being determined to copy from no man, reversed this incident, and in the very first act, scene the second, murdered Macbeth." The favorable review (Morning Chronicle) thought he did well in first and last acts, but gave way to stage rant and "vehemence of energetic expression" wanting any variation in tone in between. It also pointed out a certain faulty memory of his lines. His novel stage effects came in for a paragraph of comment: The alterations in the jeux de theatre respecting the representation of this tragedy do Mr Macklin great credit. His change of the scenery is peculiarly characteristical. The Quadrangle of Macbeth's castle, and the door which is supposed to lead to Duncan's apartment (both of which are entirely new) are additions of consequence to the exhibition of the play. The door also through which Macbeth comes to the Weird Sisters, in the 4th act, is a better and more probable entrance than through the common stage portal. The dresses are new, elegant, and of a sort hitherto unknown to a London audience, but exceedingly proper. The Banquet was superbly set out, and it must be confessed that the managers seem to have spared neither cost nor assiduity to ornament and add to the effect of the representation." A favorable letter from a correspondent to the London Evening Post adds: "I must observe, Mr Printer, that from the graceful and characteristic manner in which Macbeth was introduced by the martial music and military procession, from the manner of M. Macklin's acting, from his judicious alteration of the dresses, the disposition of the scene where the King is killed, the cave of the witches in the 4th act, from the improvement of Mrs Hartley's thinking in Lady Macbeth and from her manner of speaking, which seemed plainly to be the effects of some intelligence she had received from Mr Macklin...I thought Mr Macklin deserv'd great praise." See the newspaper comments all gathered and reprinted in an Apology for the Conduct of Charles Macklin, (London, 1773). See also note to 30 Oct. See also London Chronicle, Oct. 23-26 (cf. Odell, I, 453). The Westminster Magazine suggests the performance was pitiable. "Macklin knew what he ought to do, but could not do it." The Scenemen's pay this week was about double the normal cost. (Account Book).] Verse Squibs from St James Chronicle (Oct. 1773) against Macklin: @Macbeth@"Eight Kings appear and pass over in order, and Banquo the last"@Old Quin, ere Fate suppressed his lab'ring breath@In studied accents grumbled out Macbeth:--@Next Garrick came, whose utt'rance truth impressed,@While ev'ry look the tyrant's guilt confess'd:--@Then the cold Sheridan half froze the part,@Yet what he lost by nature sav'd by art.@Tall Barry now advanc'd toward Birnam Woodv@Nor ill performed the scenes--he understood--@Grave Mossop next to Foris shaped his march@His words were minute guns, his action starch.@Rough Holland too--but pass his errors o'er@Nor blame the actor when the man's no more.@Then heavy Ross, assay'd the tragic frown,@But beef and pudding kept all meaning down:--@Next careless Smith, try'd on the Murd'rer's mask,@While o'er his tongue light tripp'd the hurried task:--@Hard Macklin, late, guilt's feelings strove to speak,@While sweats infernal drench'd his iron cheek;@Like Fielding's Kings [in Tom Thumb] his fancy'd triumphs past,@And all be boasts is, that he falls the last.@ Also from St James Chronicle:@The Witches, while living deluded Macbeth@And the Devil laid hold of his soul after death;@But to punish the Tyrant this would not content him,@So Macklin he sent on the stage to present him.

Event Comment: [Advertised as performed but once, but see 18 Jan. Sheridan in Preface to Edition of 1775 (2nd) refers to withdrawing the piece to remove those imperfections in the first representation which were too obvious to escape reprehension, and too numerous to admit of hasty correction." He blames his inexperience and want of judgment in theatrical effects, the extreme length of the play act by act, and haste in writing. From the Westminster Magazine Feb., which outlined the plot in five columns: The present state of the Rivals is widely different from that in which we found it on the first night's representation. Sir Lucius O'Trigger being re-touched, has now the appearance of a character; and his assigning Beverley's reflection on his country as the grounds for his desire to quarrel with him, is a reasonable pretence, and wipes off the former stigma undeservedly thrown on the sister Kingdom. An alteration of a principal incident gave a very favorable turn to the fable and the whole piece: that where young Acres now delivers his challenge to his friend Absolute, begging him to carry it to his Rival Beverly, not knowing the two characters composed but one man; its being at first given to Sir Lucius, the person who indited it, was highly inconsistent...we should be induced from many evident traits of literary genius to pronounce the Rivals a good comedy."

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee. Last Performance but two before the Holidays. Afterpiece: Never acted there. In the comic scenes will be introduced (as they were sung in Masqued and other Characters) the favorite songs, Ye Warwickshire Lads and Lasses, Sweet Willy O, The Mulberry Tree, and the Roundelay of Sisters of the Tuneful Strain. In the second act, a Statue of Shakespeare will be erected, and the ode on Dedicating a Temple to that great poet recited, with proper Airs and Chorusses-Particularly Sweetest Bard that Ever Sung, Tho' Crimes from Death and Torture Fly, the Characteristic Song on Falstaff, More Gentle than the Southern Gale, and Thou Soft-Flowing Avon. Part of Pit laid into boxes

Event Comment: The Provoked Husband and Rival Candidates was given out for Tuesday. On Sunday Morning Mrs Yates sent word she was ill and could not play--sent to Miss Younge, and she sent word that she was ill in bed--King sent word he had a sore Throat, and could not play--so that we could do no Play but the Committee and Rival Candidates. On Monday the Managers met, but nothing was settled. At twelve o'clock Mrs Baddeley sent word she had a sore Throat, and could not play in the Riv[al] Can[didates] (Hopkins Diary). The Hypocrite and The Christmas Tale are obliged to be deferred. "[Smith] has a good figure, is gentlemanlike, and decent in everything he undertakes. When we allow that, we have said all; he wants both feeling to be affected, and powers to convey his feelings, if he had them. In fine, in spite of all the partiality of his friends, or the ignorant prejudices of those who never judge but at second hand, his performance of Richard was little more than a strong union of judgement and industry, unaided by nature. He should woo genteel Comedy oftener; and not that coy sister of hers, who certainly holds Smith at the point of her lance" (London Magazine, Oct. 1776, p. 511). Receipts: #186 18s. 6d

Event Comment: "What a 'monstrous marring' ... is made amongst the wierd sisters! Mrs Wrighten laughing and talking the whole time, [and Miss] George who cannot help joining in a laugh . . . Mrs Siddons's sleeping scene [is] we think the greatest act that has in our memory adorned the stage" (Public Advertiser, 24 Feb.). Receipts: #279 6s. 6d. (250/0/0; 28/9/0; 0/10/0; tickets not come in: 0/7/6)