Event Comment: Benefit Betterton. Admission: 5s., 3s., 2s., 1s

Event Comment: [This performance had originally been announced as Betterton's benefit, but the benefit is postponed to 7 April.

Event Comment: Sir John Perceval to Elizabeth Stockwell, 20 Sept.: We should have languished for want of diversion but for Othello, which drew all the stragglers in town together, and our number was greater than I imagined....Meanwhile I declare that they who cannot be moved at Othello's story so artfully worked up by Shakespeare, and justly played by Betterton, are capable of marrying again before their husbands are cold, of trampling on a lover when dying at their feet, and are fit converse with tigers only (Egmont MS, II, 240)

Event Comment: Benefit Betterton. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. To which will be added Three Designsv, Representing the Three Principal Actions of the Play, in Imitation of so many great Pieces of History Painting, where all the real Persons concern'd in those Actions will be plac'd at proper distances, in different Postures peculiar to the Passion of each Character. In his Apology (I, 117-18) Cibber said that Betterton...when being suddenly seiz'd by the Gout,...submitted, by extraordinary Applications, to have his Foot so far reliev'd that he might be able to walk on the Stage in a Slipper, rather than wholly disappoint his Audience. He was observ'd that Day to have exerted a more than ordinary Spirit, and met with suitable Applause

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first production is not known, but the Gentleman's Journal, February 1692@3 (issued in March) makes clear that it followed Congreve's play: We have had since a Comedy, call'd, The Wary Widow, or Sir Noisy Parrot, by Henry Higden Esq; I send by here the Prologue to it by Sir Charles Sedley, and you are too great an Admirer of Shakespeare, not to assent to the Praises given to the Fruits of his rare Genius (p. 61). The play was announced in the London Gazette, No. 2875, 29 May-June 1693. The music for one song, All hands up aloft, was by Berenclow, and the song appears in D'Urfey, Wit and Mirth, 1699. Dedication, edition of 1693: But now it is forced to beg for your Protection from the malice and severe usage it received from some of my Ill natured Friends, who with a Justice peculiar to themselves, passed sentence upon it unseen or heard and at the representation made it their business to persecute it with a barbarous variety of Noise and Tumult. Gildon, The Life of Mr Thomas Betterton (p. 20): The actors were completely drunk before the end of the third act, and being therefore unable to proceed with this "Pleasant Comedy," they very properly dismissed the audience

Event Comment: On this date Thomas Betterton and his associates received a license to form a company and to act. L. C. 7@1, in Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 361

Event Comment: Christopher Rich's Company. The date of the resumption of playing is not certain, for Cibber (see below) beclouds the issue by referring to Easter-Monday in April, whereas the first Monday following Easter fell on 25 March 1694@5. Nevertheless, Monday 1 April 1695 seems the likely date of the resumption of playing, with Rich's Company ready to perform before the seceding company under Thomas Betterton was fully organized. A new song for Abdelazar, Lucinda is bewitching fair, the music by Henry Purcell and sung by "the Boy" (Jemmy? Bowen), is in Thesaurus Musicus, The Fourth Book, 1695. Cibber, Apology, I, 195: [The Patentees] were not able to take the Field till the Easter-Monday in April following. Their first Attempt was a reviv'd Play call'd Abdelazar, or the Moor's Revenge, poorly written, by Mrs Behn. The House was very full, but whether it was the Play or the Actors that were not approved, the next Day's Audience sunk to nothing. However, we assured that let the Audiences be never so low, our Masters would make good all Deficiencies, and so indeed they did, till towards the End of the Season, when Dues to Ballance came too think upon 'em. [See I, 195-96, for Cibber's account of his Prologue.] A Comparison Between the Two Stages, 1702, p. 7: But in my Opinion, 'twas strange that the general defection of the old Actors which left Drury-lane, and the fondness which the better sort shew'd for 'em at the opening of their Newhouse, and indeed the Novelty it self, had not quite destroy'd those few young ones that remain'd behind. The disproportion was so great at parting, that 'twas almost impossible, in Drury-lane, to muster up a sufficient number to take in all the Parts of any Play; and of them so few were tolerable, that a Play must of necessity be damn'd that had not extraordinary favour from the Audience: No fewer than Sixteen (most of the old standing) went away; and with them the very beauty and vigour of the Stage; they who were left behind being for the most part Learners, Boys and Girls, a very unequal match for them who revolted. According to a statement made in litigation, the company in Drury Lane acted 84 times between 25 March 1694@5 and 7 July 1695; and the Young Actors played 68 times from 6 July 1695 to 10 Oct. 1695 to 10 Oct. 1695. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 308

Event Comment: Benefit for Berry. Tickets to be had of Berry at Mr Pope's, Peruke Maker in Russel St., Covent Garden and of Hobson at the Stage Door. [From the Gentleman's Magazine Register of Books for this month: An Account of the Life of that Celebrated Tragedian, Mr Thomas Betterton, containing a distinct relation of his excellencies in his profession and character in private life, and interspersed with an account of the English theatre during his time. Printed for J. Robinson.] Receipts: #160 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Quick. 1st piece: Never acted here; with Alterations. 3rd piece [1st time; F 2, author unknown, based on George Dandin, by Moliere, and on The Amorous Widow, by Thomas Betterton, and on the anonymous No Wit Like a Woman's. Text 1st published by S. Bladon, 1788.]. Receipts: #283 8s. 6d. (186.11.6; tickets: 96.17.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit R. Williams. Mainpiece: Not Acted these Twenty Years. On this day the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen of the City presented a petition to the King seeking the suppression of the theatre in Goodman's Fields. Thomas Odell, Master of the Theatre, also appeared before His Majesty and sought royal leave to continue acting.--See Grub St. Journal, 7 May, for a summary of the events, but see also Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer and London Journal, 2 May

Event Comment: MMiss Thomas sung for ye first time in ye Chaplet-very well (Cross). Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for my Self & Wife, Miss Thomas had Tickets (Cross). Last time for mainpiece this season. Tickets of Cross at his house in Crown Court, Little Russel St., Covent Garden. Receipts: #195(Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Benefit for Johnston (housekeeper). No Building on Stage. Tickets deliver'd for This Night will be taken. [The playbill lists this night as the first appearance of Vernon and Champness in the characters of Squire and Thomas, but see 9 April, where they had appeared in them.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb. Text: T. N. Longman and O. Rees, 1800. Miss Waters is identified in the Songs]: The Scenes, Music, Machinery, Dresses, and Decorations are all entirely new. The Music composed by Mazzinghi and Reeve. The Scenery painted by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Backmore, &c. [based on drawings of Indian scenery by Thomas Daniell]. The Machinery and Decorations by Cresswell, Sloper, Goostree, &c. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs, also describing the Scenes and Spectacle of the Return from the Tiger Hunt, to be had at the Theatre, price six pence. "The whole [forms] an exhibition of the utmost grandeur...The expense attending the decoration must have been immense...The dailogue is certainly not of the first description of writing, but it forms, on the whole, a very safe vehicle for some of the best music the English stage has for some time been able to boast"(Morning Herald, 13 Nov.). Account-Book, 27 Dec.: Paid Cuthbert for Wheels, &c. for the Elephants #13 18s. Receipts: #364 7s. 6d. (363.19.6; 0.8.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece:In I A Grand Masqueradev. Afterpiece [1st time; M. INT 1, by Thomas John Dibdin]: To conclude with a new Scenic Representation of Britannia Triumphantv. Interspersed With a Variety of favorite old Airs, popular Songs, Parodies, &c. The Overture and new Songs composed and the Music in general arranged by Moorehead. The Machinery invented and executed by Cresswell. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre, price Six-pence. Morning Chronicle, 16 Oct. 1799: This day is published The Naval Pillar (price not listed). The afterpiece had reference to the contemplated erection of a "Naval Pillar" on Portsdown Hill, near Portsmouth, in commemoration of the recent victbries of the English navy. A plain pillar is at the last introduced, with the names of the most celebrated admirals on a scroll, round which the sailors and their sweethearts dance with peculiar festivity. The pillar now flies open, and displays a most magnificent and appropriate spectacle--consisting of Britannia, personated by Mrs Chapman, under a rich canopy, with the figures of a sailor and a soldier for supporters, pointing to the letters G. R. over a brilliant sun, which turns on the center; shrouded in clouds above, and surrounded by angels, is a medallion of Lord Howe, and on columns on each side of the canopy are medallions of your great living naval commanders" (Monthly Visitor, Oct. 1799, p. 180). Receipts: #284 10s. 6d. (277.18.6; 6.12.0)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. [Authors and speakers of Prologues and Epilogue unknown; they are printed in Public Advertiser, 30 Nov. Ryder was not Thomas Ryder, who at this time was acting at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.] The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:00

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. John Coke (see below), writing on 16 March 1696@7, referred to a "new farce" appearing at this theatre on this day, but no "new farce" is known at this period; on the other hand, an edition of Mountfort's farce published in 1697 indicates a revival in this season and is a likely possibility for this date. John Coke to Thomas Coke, 16 March 1696@7: Saturday a new farce was acted at the new house, which did not take. The Mourning Bride was acted till Saturday, and was full to the last (HMC, 12th Report, Part II, Cowper MSS., II, 368). Robert Shirley to Thomas Coke, 13 March 1696@7: I am, dear Sir, indebted to you in sending me so ingenious an account of Mr Congreve's tragedy, which I hear on all sides far exceeded what the world expected from him in that part of dramatic poetry (ibid)

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The fee of #20 was paid to John Miles, an officer of Betterton's Company. See Calendar of the Inner Temple Records, III, 342

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the Epilogue refers to it as a summer production and the play was advertised in the London Gazette, No 3108, 22-26 Aug. 1695; hence, it appeared first not later than August. A song, Stretch'd in a dark and dismall grove, composed by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hudson, is in Deliciae Musicae, The Third Book, 1696. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (p. 16): Sullen: Imprimis, Here's Pyrrhus King of Epire. Ramble: Whose is that? Sullen: Charles Hopkin's, an Irish Gentleman of good Sense, and an excellent Ovidian. Ramble: What was it's Fate? Sullen: Damn'd

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first production is not known, but the play was probably not acted later than September 1695, as it was advertised in the London Gazette, No. 3122, 10-14 Oct. 1695. Preface, Edition of 1696: It was the first I ever made Publick by appearing on the Stage, which (with the Advantage it met with, of admirable Acting) is all the Recommendations I have for exposing it...Ariadne. A song, Restless, in thought disturbed, set by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hodgson, is in A Collection of Songs, 1696

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 25-28 April 1696, suggests that it was acted not later than the period preceding Passion Week (6-11 April 1696). In addition, the large number of minor performers in the cast suggests a Lenten performance by the young actors. In Act I, Scene i, there is an Entertainment of Instrumental Musick, Compos'd by Signior Finger: Then a Song, set by Mr John Eccles, and Sung by Young La Roche. In III, iii: A Dialogue set by Seignior Baptist. The play is an adaptation of John Webster's Cure for a Cuckold. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702): The City Bride, by another Player, Damn'd

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of this revival is not certain, but Luttrell's copy (Huntington Library) bears his date of 27 Oct. 1696 for his acquisition of a copy; hence, the revival must have occurred not later than October 1696. When this play was revived at the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket, 8 June 1705, the bill bore the heading: Not Acted by that Company these Nine Years

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. In view of the success of this double bill, it seems likely that the two works reached at least a sixth performance, probably on this day, thus providing a second benefit to the authors

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 21-23 Jan. 1696@7, suggests that it was first acted not later than early January 1697. The Preface to the edition of 1697 implies that it met with a cold reception and had no more than three performances