Event Comment: Benefit for King. 1st piece: Altered [by MacNamara Morgan] from The Winter's Tale. 2nd piece [1st time; C 3, by Thomas King. Not in Larpent MS; not published]: An Alteration, never yet performed, of Sir John Vanburgh's [sic] Mistake. Public Advertiser, 10 Feb.: Tickets to be had of King, at his house in Gerrard-street. Receipts: #321 2s. 6d. (249.14.0; 4.8:6; tickets: 67.0.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Havard. Fairy Tale deferr'd, Miss Wright ill. This morning Mr Obrien was married to Lady Susan Strangeways. Mr Powell made an Apology & Mr King play'd his part in the Farce. N.B. This Night Mrs Yates sent me word She could play no more this Season (Hopkins). Mr Obrien married, cou'd not come. Mr King play'd his Part Mr I. Palmer King's (Cross Diary). Mr O'Brien being married this morning to Lady Susan Strangeways [sic] after the Play Mr Powell made apology that Mr O'Brien had sent word he was not able to do his part [Lovel], and that Mr King had undertaken it at every short warning, and hoped for their indulgence.-Mr J. Palmer did Mr King's part [Sir Harry's Servant]. This Night Mrs Yates gave notice she could play no more this season (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Receipts: #214 2s. (MacMillan); charges: #64 4s. [Profit to Havard: #149 18s.

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Creed and I to my wife again, and...to the Cockpitt, where we saw Claracilla, a poor play, done by the King's house (but neither the King nor Queen were there, but only the Duke and Duchess, who did show some impertinent and, methought, unnaturall dalliances there, before the whole world, such as kissing, and leaning upon one another); but to my very little content, they not acting in any degree like the Duke's people

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Sir W. Pen to the King's playhouse, where the house extraordinary full; and there was the King and Duke of York to see the new play, Queen Elizabeth's Troubles, and the History of Eighty Eight. I confess I have sucked in so much of the sad story of Queen Elizabeth, for my cradle, that I was ready to weep for her sometimes; but the play is the most ridiculous that sure ever come upon the stage; and, indeed, is merely a shew, only shews the true garbe of the Queen in those days, just as we see Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth painted; but the play is merely a puppet play, acted by living puppets. Neither the design nor language better; and one stands by and tells us the meaning of things: only I was pleased to see Knipp dance among the milkmaids, and to hear her sing a song to Queen Elizabeth; and too see her come out in her night-gowne with no lockes on, but her bare face and hair only tied up in a knot behind; which is the comeliest dress that ever I saw her in to her advantage

Event Comment: The King's Company. This play is on the L. C. list 5@139, p. 125, for 20 March, possibly a mistake, as 20 March is a Friday in Lent In addition, the second list, 5@12, p. 17, reads: 2 March: king here. Pepys, Diary: So with my wife, her and the girl, to the King's house to see the Virgin Martyr again, which do mightily please me, but above all the musique at the coming down of the angel, which at this hearing the second time, do still commend me as nothing ever did, and the other musique is nothing to it

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Thence called Knepp from the King's house, where going in for her, the play being done, I did see Beck Marshall come dressed, off of the stage, and looks mighty fine, and pretty, and noble: and also Nell Gwyn?, in her boy's clothes, mighty pretty. But, Lord! their confidence! and how many men do hover about them as soon as they come off the stage, and how confident they are in their talk! Here I did kiss the pretty woman newly come, called Pegg Hughes?, that was Sir Charles Sidly's mistress, a mighty pretty woman, and seems, but is not, modest. Here took up Knepp into our coach, and all of us with her to her lodgings, and thither comes Bannister with a song of her's, that he hath set in Sir Charles Sidly's play [The Mulberry Garden] for her, which is, I think, but very meanly set; but this he did, before us, teach her, and it being but a slight, silly, short ayre, she learnt it presently. But I did get him to prick me down the notes of the Echo in The Tempest, which pleases me mightily. Here was also Haynes, the incomparable dancer of the King's house, and a seeming civil man, and sings pretty well

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first production is not known. Although the play was not entered in the Term Catalogues until February 1677@8, it was advertised in the London Gazette, 29 Oct.-1 Nov. 1677, and was probably acted in October 1677 or earlier. See also, in the introductory list of plays, Thomas Rymer's Edgar, which may have been acted in opposition to Ravenscroft's play

Event Comment: Benefit Hallam, Rob. William, and Miss Tynte. Written by Shakespear. Th. Cibber (Lives and Characters, pp. 49-49): I remember, some Years ago, on Mr Giffard's coming from Ireland (then a young Actor) Mr Booth performed the Character of Hotspur one Night, when Mr Giffard played the Part of the Prince of Wales ; Mr Booth knowing Mr Giffard must be naturally prejudiced in favour of Mr Thomas Elrington, to whose Performance in Hotspur he had many times attended with no small Admiration-Mr Booth, piqued on this Occasion, exerted himself in a particular Manner, and played the whole Part with such Fire, and Engergy of Spirit, as rouzed his Auditors to an Extravagance of Applause, and made Mr Giffard confess (as he has often done in my Hearing) that, notwithstanding his Prepossession in favour of Mr Elrington,-Mr Booth, in Power, Spirit, and Judgment, went far beyond him in this Part; as he afterwards, with Admiration confessed,-he did in every other

Event Comment: Afterpiece (1st time; BURL I, by Thomas Willet. For music see 31 July]: Books of the Burletta to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 1 July 1778: This Day is published Buxom Joan (6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for King. 2nd piece: Not acted for more than 20 years [acted 14 May 1782]. The Dialogue by Garrick and King. The Music by Michael Arne and Vernon. Tickets delivered for Friday May 5 [for which day the benefit was first announcedP will be admitted. True Briton, 6 May: Tickets to be had of King, No. 56, New Store-street, Bedford-Square. Receipts: #290 9s. 6d. (111.5.6; 58.4.6; 4.16.0; tickets: 116.3.6) (charge: #211 18s.)

Event Comment: The King's Company. This play appears on Herbert's List, following the entry for 26 Oct. 1661. (See William VanLennep, "Thomas Killigrew prepares his Plays for Production," J. Q. Adams Memorial Studies (Washington, D. C., 1948, p. 803.) Pepys, Diary: W. Pen and I to the Theatre, but it was so full that we could hardly get any room, so he went up to one of the boxes, and I into the 18d. places, and there saw Love at first sight, a play of Mr Killigrew's and the first time that it hath been acted since before the troubles, and great expectation there was, but I found the play to be a poor thing, and so I perceive every body else do. BM Add. Mss. 34217, fol. 31b, in Hotson Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 246: @First then to speake of his Majestys Theatre@Where one would imagine Playes should be better@Love att the first sight did lead the dance@But att second sight it had the mischance@To be so dash'd out of Countenance as@It never after durst shew itts face@All though its bashfullnesse as tis thought@Be far from being the Authors ffault.

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p.359: See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. There is no indication as to whether this is the premiere. The music for four songs was composed by Matthew Lock. See A New Collection of Songs and Poems...by Thomas D'Urfey, 1683

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but Luttrell dated his copy of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue 5 April 1684 (J. W. Dodds, Thomas Southerne, p. 48). Very probably the play first appeared during the week of 31 March-5 April, immediately following Easter. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 191-94. This may have been the last new role William Smith undertook for some years; see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, 1, 78-79, for the incident which prompted Smith's leaving the stage for awhile. One song, I never saw a face till now, with music by Captain Pack, is in The Theater of Music, the First Book, 1685; and another, O why did e'er my thoughts aspire, the music by R. King, is in the same collection. A third song, See how fair Corinna lies, the music by Captain Pack, is in A Collection of Twenty-Four Songs, 1685

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; ENT 2]: Consisting of Dialogue, Music [chiefly by Henry Purcell and Thomas Linley Sen. (Boaden, Kemble, I, 225)], and Machinery. Altered from [David Garrick's alteration of] King Arthur, by Dryden. With great Variety of very capital Scenery, new Dresses, and Decorations. [The alteration was probably made by John Philip Kemble.] Receipts: #148 11s. (107/13/0; 39/17/6; 1/0/6)

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: After dinner I went to the theatre, and there saw Love's Mistress done by them, which I do not like it some things so well as their acting in Salsbury Court. [Although Pepys saw this play on 2 March 1660@1 at Salisbury Court, done by the Duke's Company, here he appears to indicate a rival performance of it by the King's Company in Vere St.]

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, all alone, and saw Love's Maistresse. Some pretty things and good variety in it, but no or little fancy in it

Event Comment: The King's Company. For this cast, see John Harold Wilson, Notes and Queries, 21 Feb. 1948, pp. 71-72. Pepys, Diary: My wide and Deb. to the King's House, to see The Virgin Martyr, the first time it hath been acted a great while: and it is mighty pleasant; not that the play is worth much, but it is finely acted by Becke Marshal. But that which did please me beyond any thing 1n the whole world was the wind-musique when the angel comes down, which is so sweet that it ravished me, and indeed, in a word, did wrap up my soul so that it made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love with my wife

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw The Spanish Gypsys, the second time of acting, and the first that I saw it. A very silly play, only great variety of dances, and those most excellently done, especially one part by one Hanes [Jo. Haynes], only lately come thither from the Nursery, an understanding fellow, but yet, they say, hath spent #1,000 a-year before he come thither

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Although Downes refers to the play's being acted "12 Days together" [see below], these were not consecutive, as Pepys saw another play at lif on 7 May. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's playhouse, at a little past twelve, to get a good place in the pit, against the new play, and there setting a poor man to keep my Place, I out...and so back again, where I find the house quite full. But I had my place, and by and by the King comes and the Duke of York; and then the play begins, called The Sullen Lovers; or, The Impertinents, having many good humours in it, but the play tedious, and no design at all in it. But a little boy, for a farce, do dance Polichinelli, the best that ever anything was done in the world, by all men's report: most pleased with that, beyond anything in the world, and much beyond all the play. Thence to the King's house to see Knepp, but the play done. Downes (p. 29): This Comedy being Admirably Acted:...This Play had wonderful Success, being Acted 12 Days together