Event Comment: In a letter to
the Daily Post. 4 June,
the Patentees of
Drury Lane-
Mary Wilks,
John Ellys,
Hester Booth, and
John Highmore-stated
the cast of
the Patentees.
The gist of
their statement is: (1)
They operate under a Patent commencing 1 Sept. 1732 which, by Deaths and Legal Assignments, is
the property of
the four, with Highmore possessing one half, at an expence of #6,000 and upwards. (2) Several of
the Players have threatened to desert
the service of
the Patentees and have contracted with some of
the Trustees (
the Sharers) to secure possession of
the Theatre. (3) Drury Lane is let upon lease from
the Duke of Bedford, granted to
Thomas Kynaston and
Francis Stanhope, Trustees for
the Sharers (commonly called Renters) of Drury Lane at
the rent of #50 annually upon a Fine of 1,000 guineas paid for
the renewal of
the lease. (4)
The Players, under
the Patentees, have acted at Drury Lane for twenty-one years without any interruption form
the Trustees upon
the sole contract that
the Patentees pay
the Trustees #3 12s. each acting night, besides
the Liberty of seeing Plays. (5) At
the beginning of this Season
the manager's office received a letter from a few of
the Renters demanding an Advance of Rent. Highmore, being new, was concerned, and asked
the managers to take care of
the matter; and
thereafter
the signers (
the Patentees) had heard of no fur
ther discontent among
the Renters. (6) To defend
themselves against stories of hardship or complaint by
the actors,
the Patentees point out that
the following weekly salaries had been paid:
Colley Cibber #12 12s.;
Theophilus Cibber #5;
Mills Sr, #1 daily for 200 days certain, and a benefit, clear of all charges;
Mills Jr #3;
Johnson #5;
Miller #5;
Harper #4;
Griffin #4;
Shepard #3;
Hallam, for himself and his fa
ther,
the latter of
little or no service, #3;
Mrs Heron #5;
Mrs Butler #3. For
these charges and o
thers,
the Patentees stand a daily expence of #49 when
the theatre is open. (7) Fur
ther,
the Patentees paid Cibber Jr his wife's whole salary without her being able to act
the greater part of
the winter, #9 weekly for
the two; Mills Jr, in
the same circumstances with his wife, #5 10s. weekly for
the two; Miller a salary (amounting to #40) for eight weeks before he acted, and a gratuity of ten guineas; Griffin a present of ten guineas; Harper a present, amount not specified; Mrs Heron an increase form 40s. to #5 weekly, although she refused afterward to play several parts assigned her and acted but seldom