Event Comment: Mainpiece: [By Thomas Odell.] A New Farce. Afterpiece: [By Thomas Odell.] A new Opera

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by Thomas John Dibdin; pantomime by Charles Farley]: With new Scenery, Machinery, Tricks, Dresses, and Decorations. The Overture, Airs and Chorusses by Attwood. The Pantomime Music by Attwood, Mountain, and Ealy [recte Eley]. The Scenery by Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Blackmore, Thorne, Wilkins, &c. The Machinery and Tricks by Cresswell, Sloper and Goostree. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #364 (353.12; 10.8)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A new Ballad Opera of one Act. [By Thomas Gataker,]

Event Comment: A new Musical Entertainment of Two Acts never performed before by Thomas Brydges?. Music by Hook

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (Knapp, pp. 119, 309)]: With new Scenes and Dresses. Oracle, 30 Jan. 1796: On Tuesday next [2 Feb.] will be published The Man of Ten Thousand (2s.). Receipts: #540 7s. (538.19.6; 1.7.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Samuel Birch, adapted from Camille; ou, Le Souterrain, by Benoit Joseph Marsollier des Vivetieres, and from Les Victimes Cloitrees, by Jacques Marie Boutet de Monvel; the songs written by Thomas John Dibdin. Larpent MS 1236; not published. The playbill states that this was "Taken from the German," but London Chronicle, 12 Dec., says that its source is the same as that of The Captive of Spilburg (see dl, 14 Nov.). An examination of the MSS of these two pieces (Larpent 1230 and 1236) proves that such is unmistakably the case]: With entire new Scenes, Machinery, Dresses & Decorations. The Music composed and selected by Steibelt and Attwood. The Action of the Chorusaes, Finales, &c. under the Direction of Farley, and the Action of the Overture by Bologna Jun. A new Descriptive Overture, composed by Steibelt, on a Plan never before introduced on the English Stage, accompanied by Action. "The overture is...nothing more than music adapted to pantomime; and, in the present instance, the dumb shew is an unnecessary anticipation of the procession with which the piece opens" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1798, p. 369). The Scenery painted by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Blackmore, &c. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #338 17s. 6d. (325.14.6; 13.3.0)

Event Comment: Containing the Distresses and death of King Henry the Sixth; the Artful acquisition of the Crownv by King Richard; the Murder of Young King Edward V and his Brother in the Tower. The Landing of the Earl of Richmond, and the death of King Richard in the memorable battle of Bosworth Field, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. [This notice accompanies subsequent performances of Richard III, but will not be recorded here further.

Event Comment: Containing the Distresses and death of King Henry VI ; the Arthful acquisition of the Crown by King Richard ; the Cruel Murder of Young King Edward V , and his brother in the Tower; The Landing of the Earl of Richmond , and the death of King Richard at the Memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv ; being the last that was faught between the Houses of Yorkv and Lancasterv . With many other Historical Passages (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but it very probably occurred not later than May 1691, as the play was advertised in the London Gazette, 4-8 June 1691. For discussions of it, see E. W. White, Early Performances of Purcell's Operas, Theatre Notebook, XIII (1958-59), 44-45, and R. E. Moore, Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre, Chapter III. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 42: King Arthur an Opera, wrote by Mr Dryden: it was Excellently Adorn'd with Scenes and Machines: The Musical Part set by Famous Mr Henry Purcel; and Dances made by Mr Jo. Priest: The Play and Musick pleas'd the Court and City, and being well perform'd, twas very Gainful to the Company. Roger North: I remember in Purcell's excellent opera of King Arthur, when Mrs Butler, in the person of Cupid, was to call up Genius, she had the liberty to turne her face to the scean, and ner back to the theater. She was in no concerne for her face, but sang a recitativo of calling towards the place where Genius was to rise, and performed it admirably, even beyond any thing I ever heard upon the English stage....And I could ascribe it to nothing so much as the liberty she had of concealing her face, which she could not endure should be so contorted as is necessary to sound well, before her gallants, or at least her envious sex. There was so much of admirable musick in that opera, that it's no wonder it's lost; for the English have no care of what's good, and therefore deserve it not (Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson [London, 1959], p. 217-18)

Event Comment: Mainpiece Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry the Sixth; the Artful Acquisition of the Crown by King Richard; The Cruel Murder of Prince Edward and his Brother in the Tower; the Landing of the Earl of Richmond, and the death of King Richard in the Memorable battle of Bosworth Fieldv; being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. Receipts: #160 19s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry the Sixthv; the Artful Acquistion of the Crown by King Richardv; the Cruel Murder of Prince Edwardv and his Brother in the Tower; the Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and the death of King Richard in the Memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv; being the last that was faught between the Houses of York and Lancasterv. [A customary elaboration of the title, appearing at subsequent performances this season, but not repeated here.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 29 Feb. 1748.] Containing the distresses and death of King Henry VIv; the Artful acquisition of the Crown by King Richardv; The cruel Murder of Prince Edward and his brother in the Towerv; the landing of the Earl of Richmond, and the death of King Richardv in the Memorable battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. [Customary advertisement for this play this season. It will not be repeated further.] This month was published Characters in Dancing; with a Rhapsody (Gentleman's Magazine). Receipts: #164 13s

Event Comment: Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry VIv; the Artful acquisition of the Crown by King Richardv; the cruel murder of Prince Edwardv and his brother in the tower; the Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and the death of King Richardv in the memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Dress'd in the Habits of the Times. Mr Powell King Henry for 1st time (Hopkins). Mr Powell played King Henry with great feeling, and was very well received in it (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Receipts: #142 3s. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. King of Denmark. Richard-Mr Garrick (Cross Diary). For the King of Denmark.--Richard by Mr Garrick, for the first time these six years-Beyond discription fine, -his voice clear to the last (Hopkins Diary). No money taken at stage door. None returned after curtain is up. The doors (by particular desire) will be opened at half an Hour after Five. To Begin at Seven. Neville MS Diary: Hearing about 7 o'clock that Garrick did Richard III, one of his very capital characters which he has not done these 7 or 8 years, resolved (if I could get in to see him) to bear the abhorred sight of that woman-like painted puppy, the King of Denmark. After one unsuccessful attempt got into the Pit with the greatest difficulty after the third act. Garrick is inimitably great in Richard & very different from the other Richards I have seen; his expression of the dying agony of that wretch is beyond description. Some actors speak with as strong & loud voice in that scene as if they had received no wound & were not dying. One Lloyd, who waits on Garrick sometimes, observed that he himself says he never acted better in his life, modestly observing that something must be allowed to the improvement of his judgment. During the dance (for there was no farce) I was within a yard of the Danish tyrant

Event Comment: [K+King Richard III.] Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry VIv, the artful acqusition of the crown by Richardv; the cruel murder of the young King Edward Vv and his brother in the Tower; the Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and the Death of Richard in the Memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv; being the last that was fought between the Houses of Yorkv and Lancasterv; with many other historical passages

Event Comment: By Command of his Majesty. The first night the King went to the play, which was civilly on a Friday, not on the opera night, as he used to do, the whole audience sang God Save the King in chorus. For the first act, the press was so great at the door that no ladies could go to the Boxes, and only the servants appeared there, who kept places: at the end of the second act the whole mob broke in and seated themselves; yet all this zeal is not likely to last, though he so well deserves it (Walpole to Montagu, 24 Nov.)

Event Comment: MMr King--Richard 3d as you might expect (Hopkins Diary). Benefit for Mrs King

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Receipts: #37 2s. 6d. [In Daily Post, 20 Sept., King Lear had been advertised for this day.

Event Comment: [Kemble's 1st appearance as King Richard was at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 26 Apr. 1782.] Receipts: #130 10s. 6d. (99/15/0; 29/5/6; 0/10/0; tickets not come in: 1/0/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late J. Hughes, Esq. Afterpiece: a New Dramatick Tale. Written by the Author of the Toy Shop [R. Dodsley]