Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. [In mainpiece the playbill retains Mrs Bland as Ariel , but "Ariel was, on account of the sudden indisposition of Mrs Bland, read by Miss Heard" (Diary, 8 May). Miss Heard may also have substituted for Mrs Bland in the afterpiece.] Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by James Cobb, for whose authorship see Kemble Mem. Larpent MS 982; not published]. Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing Cross. Receipts: #227 8s. (95.17; 7.5; tickets: 124.6) (charge: #90 2s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Under the Patronage of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York. Benefit for Roselli. Tickets, 10s. 6d. each, to be had of Roselli, No. 6, King-street, St. James's-square

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A new Opera, with Chorusses. 1st time in this Country [1st performed privately at the Royal Palace, Caserta, 1789; publicly at Naples, 1790]. The Music entirely by Paisiello. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 10, St. Alban's-street

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: To the New Theatre [Vere St], which, since the King's players are gone to the Royal one [Bridges St], is this day begun to be employed by the fencers to play prizes at

Event Comment: The King's Company. For praise of Lacy, see Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 16, or 27 Nov. 1662. Pepys, Diary: To the Royal Theatre by water, and landing, met with Captain Ferrers his friend, the little man that used to be with him, and he with us, and sat by us while we saw Love in a Maze. The play is pretty good, but the life of the play is Lacy's part, the clown, which is most admirable; but for the rest, which are counted such old and excellent actors, in my life I never heard both men and women so ill pronounce their parts, even to my making myself sick therewith

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list at Harvard. See William VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 13. The edition of 1668 states: As it was Acted (with great Applause) by the Servants of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, at the Theatre in Lincolns-Inn Fields

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216: K: & Q:. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. Nell Gwyn also attended this performance. See VanLennep, Nell Gwyn's Playgoing, p. 406. BM Add. Mss. 27, 962v, f. 312 (a transcript of a newsletter by Salvetti), 14 Dec. 1674 (translation): On last Wednesday all the royal family were present at the theatre to hear the tragedy of Hamlet, which, for their greater entertainment, was adorned and embellished with very curious dances between the acts. [I am indebted to Professor George Hilton Jones, Kansas State University, for this item.

Event Comment: [Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 4 Feb. 1674@5: Tuesday night after Counsell their Maties & Court were present at the Rehearsal of the great Maske wch is to be publiquely acted on Shrove Tuesday; by wch tyme her Royall Highness will be able to be present at it, being already very well after her Lying in, as is also ye young princess (Wilson, Theatre Notes, p. 79). The Bulstrode Papers (1, 277): 8 Feb. 1674@5: On Wed night after Councell their Maties and Royal Highnesses were present at the rehearsall of the Great Maske wch will be publiquely acted on Tuesday 7 night next. [The two sources agree on the intended date of the performance but disagree upon the date of the rehearsal.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is known by the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue: Prologue. By Mr Otway to his Play call'd Venice preserv'd or the Plot discover'd. Acted at His Royal Highness the Duke of Yorks Theatre, the 9th of February, 1681. [These have been reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 61-66.] Luttrell dated his copy of the Prologue and Epilogue 11 Feb. 1681@2 (Huntington Library). It is not certain that 9 Feb. 1681@2 represents the first performance, but it may well be. For a comment by Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, on Mrs Barry, see The Orphan, February 1679@80

Event Comment: On this day Charles II died. Although the order to close the theatres was not issued until 20 Feb. 1684@5 (L. C. 5@145, p. 153), acting Probably ceased on Thursday 5 Feb. 1684@5. At this time John Crowne's Sir Courtly Nice was in rehearsal. John Dennis gives a dramatic account of the last day of rehearsing: The Play was now just ready to appear to the World; and as every one that had seen it rehears'd was highly pleas'd with it; every one who had heard of it was big with the Expectation of it; and Mr Crown was delighted with the flattering Hope of being made happy for the rest of his Life, by the Performance of the King's Promise; when, upon the very last Day of the Rehearsal, he met Cave Underhill coming from the Play-House as he himself was going towards it; Upon which the Poet reprimanding the Player for neglecting so considerable a Part as he had in the Comedy, and neglecting it on a Day of so much Consequence, as the very last Day of Rehearsal: Oh Lord, Sir, says Underhill, we are all undone. Wherefore, says Mr Crown, is the Play-House on Fire? The whole Nation, replys the Player, will quickly be so, for the King is dead. At the hearing which dismal Words, the Author was little better; for he who but the Moment before was ravish'd with the Thought of the Pleasure, which he was about to give to his King, and of the Favours which he was afterwards to receive from him, this Moment found, to his unspeakable Sorrow, that his Royal Patron was gone for ever, and with him all his Hopes. The King indeed reviv'd from his Apoplectick Fit, but three Days after dyed, and Mr Crown by his Death was replung'd in the deepest Melancholy (John Dennis, Original Letters, 1721, I, 53-54). [It is not clear whether the last sentence refers to the day on which Crowne had seen the King and had assurances from His Majesty, the King dying three days later, or whether there was a false rumor of the King's death on 3 Feb. 1684@5.

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 His Royal Highnesses' Command. By the Company of Comedians from both Theatres. The Pit and Boxes to be laid together

Event Comment: By His Royal Highness's Command at the Opening of Mr Penkethman's New Theatre at Richmond. At 6 p.m. [The Prologue was printed in the Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, 13 June.

Event Comment: At Mr Penkethman's Theatre, before their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess

Event Comment: Daily Journal, 15 April: Paris April 2. The Company belonging to the Italian Opera at London are to come and Act here during the Month of July, and to oblige the Publick with 12 several Representations at the Theatre of the Palace Royal: In Consideration of which 35000 Livres will be given to the five Principal Actors and their Charges defray's

Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser, 28 March: Their Majesties, together with his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and the Princesses were again...to see Deborah...at which was likewise present one of the most numerous Audiences of Nobility and Persons of Distinction that has been ever seen in any Theatre. Egmont, Diary, I, 345: It was very magnificent, near a hundred performers, among whom about twenty-five singers. [See also Lady A. Irwin to Lord Carlisle, in Deutsch, Handel, pp. 309-10.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Taken from Moliere by the late Mr Betterton. Afterpiece: As 8 Nov. [HAY also announces it intends to perform a new masque, Love and Glory, in honor of the approaching Royal Nuptials, but, the time being short, the theatre will first bring on an Impromptu Revel Masque]

Event Comment: A New Opera. [Text by Metastasio. Music by J. A. Hasse and R. Broschi.] Pit and Boxes by Tickets at a half guinea. Gallery 5s. 6 P.M. Daily Advertiser, 30 Oct.: All the Royal Family were at the Opera, when Signior Farinelli perform'd . . . with prodigious Applause. The Theatre was exceedingly crowded

Event Comment: Daily Advertiser, 18 Aug.: His Royal Highness the Prince, and several Persons of Quality, were present at the Play Love for Love, which was acted at the Theatre upon the Green

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Never acted there before. With all the decorations proper to the play. By Command of their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales. Tickets and places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Page, Housekeeper, at the stage door of the theatre. [This last announcement becomes a customary note on subsequent bills.

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke, and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Receipts: #90. Rylands MS.: Milward bury'd. Duke &c [attended theatre]

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke, and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Benefit Signora Fausan. Part of the Pit will be rail'd in, and added to the front boxes. Tickets and places in the Boxes to be had only of Mr West, at the Green Door in Duke St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; and for the Stage, of Mrs Moor, at the Sign of the Theatre in the Playhouse Passage. Receipts: #160. Rylands MS.: Duke &c attended

Event Comment: Benefit LaLauze. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Tickets to be had and places to be taken of Page at the Stage Door. None to be admitted without printed tickets, which will also be deliver'd at the Office, and at LaLauze's lodgings, at the Widow Gwinn's, a Silk Dyer in Drury Lane, near the Castle Tavern. Servants will be allowed to keep places on the stage, which (for the better accommodation of the ladies) will be enclos'd and formed into an amphitheatre. N.B. As I had the Misfortune to break the great tendon of my leg, when dancing on the stage at the above theatre in January last, I think it highly incumbent on me to acquaint the public in general and my good friends in particular, that I am in a fair (but not speedy) way of recovery; and as Mr Rich has kindly granted me a benefit sooner than usual, towards supporting me in my unlucky situation, I take this opportunity to interest the good-natured town to dispense with my personal application, and favour me with their company as usual, which will add to the many obligations I have already received, and shall be ever acknowledged with a sincere sense of gratitude, by their most humble and obedient servant, LaLauze

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Clive. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Servants will be admitted to keep places on the stage, which for the better accommodation of the Ladies, will then be form'd into an Amphitheatre. Ladies are desir'd to send their servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets and Places to be had of Mrs Clive, at her house in Great Queen St, Lincoln's Inn Fields; and of Hobson at the stage door of the theatre

Event Comment: We hear his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has fitted up a Theatre near Cliefden, for a Company of French Comedians, who play there three times a week (Daily Advertiser)