Event Comment: TThe Beggar's Opera, was advertis'd for this Night, but Miss Williams being Hoarse it was oblig'd to be deferr'd (Hopkins). Receipts: #170 14s. 6d. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: Theatres closed for death of Prince William. Died Sunday 29 Dec

Event Comment: [The title alone had a certain startling appeal. The General Advertiser reminded its readers twenty years before (11 Nov. 1748) "Clandestine marriages are illegal and punishable by the Statute of the 7th and 8th of King William, Chap. 35 under which Law the Parson shall forfeit One Hundred Pounds; and every man married without Banns or Licence shall forfeit ten Pounds, to be recovered with costs, by any Person that shall inform."

Event Comment: Rec'd stopages #5 12s.; Paid salary list #440 9s.; Williams one night, Musical Lady, 10s. 6d.; Chorus singers 2 nights #4 11s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #180 18s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Rec'd stopages #3 9s. 6d.; Paid salary list-#441 4s.; Chorus 1 night, #2 5s. 6d.; Paid Mrs Brown, not on list #1 12s. 6d.; Paid Mr Williams (violin) in Musical Lady 10s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #221 5s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mr Williams 2 nights in Musical Lady #1 1s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #162 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [T+Theatrical Monitor, No VI appeared this day with a blast, in the form of an occasional Epilogue, at the morals, language and plan of the Oxonian in Town. This was the first performance of Macklin's afterpiece in London. It had been played in Dublin. "Its curious idiom, half-brogue, and half Cockney, puzzled the audience, as did its highly topical Irish allusions. With his usual candor, Macklin observed: 'I believe the audience are right. (The play was withdrawn after this single performance.) There's a geography in humor as well as in morals, which I had not previously considered--'" Cooke, Macklin, p. 270. According to Kirkman, in his curtain speech Macklin "courageously admitted: 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very sensible tha there are several passages in this play which deserve to be probated and I assure you that they shall never offend your ears again!' As soon as Mr Macklin had finished this address, the audience testified their approbation of his determination, by loud and reiterated plaudits" (Kirkman, Memoirs of the Life of Macklin, II, 3). See Also Charles Macklin: An Actor's Life by William W. Appleton (Cambridge, Mass., 1960), p. 141.

Event Comment: [This evening] a cause came on to be tried in the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, in which Mr William Bates, Music Master, was Plaintiff and Spranger Barry, Esq the celebrated tragedian, defendent, upon a demand made by the plaintiff for a large sum of money due to him from the Defendent, for the performance of Miss Slack, the Plaintiff's apprentice, at the Theatre in Cork...After a short hearing a verdict was given in favour of the Plaintiff (Lloyd's Evening Post, 25-28 Nov.)

Event Comment: Died at Bristol, William Powell aged 33. His share retained by Mrs Powell who later married Fishar (Winston MS 10)

Event Comment: Paid Mr Chapman for horsekeeping [for Jubilee] #12 6s. (Treasurer's Book). [Published this month A Letter to David Garrick, Esq. on his conduct as Principal Manager and Actor at Drury Lane. Printed for S. Bladon. Accuses Garrick of controlling the press, save for two papers, and thus getting more favourbale treatment than his position and actions deserve. "You are a mere actor. You affect to feel where you do not, and imitate tones, looks and gestures, while your heart is at ease. This should heighten our opinion of you as an artist, whatever we might think of you as a man. I believe you are not generally judged of in this manner. It is not difficult to impose on the world." The author (David Williams?) deprecates Garrick's supposed handling of the actors of his company, and desires to see more Shakespeare. Suggests Garricks' acting perfection lies in the extreme, in exaggerated gesture, and sudden bursts of passion." Suggests he is getting old and should try his hand at Shylock.] Receipts: #271 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [This New Comedy (by Mrs Elizabeth Griffith) seems not to have been performed this night, according to the author's Preface to her Edition of 1772. Shuter had been unattentive and absent from many rehearsals]: At length though late [in the season] a day was appointed for the representation, and on that morning Mr Shuter appeared at rehearsal, pretty much in the same state as before, and confessed himself incapable of performing his part, that night. Upon which the play was oblig'd to be further postponed, and handbills were sent about at noon, to advertise town of the disappointment....A further final day was afterwards determined on, but the audience being out of humour at their former disappointment, called Mr Shuter to account for it, on his first appearance; which threw him into such confusion, that he was not able to get the better of it, throughtout the whole performance...in the hurry of his spirits the actor not only forgot his part, the deficiency of which he endeavoured to supply with his own dialect, but also seemed to lose all idea of the character he was to perform; and made the Governor appear in a light which the author never intended: that of a mean, ridiculous buffoon. [Mrs Griffith concluded her preface by relating how her friends stood by the piece, but two or three in the gallery, when it was given out again objected and threw an apple at the chandeliers, which so perturbed the management that the play was withdrawn. She therefore published it by subscription, prefixing the names of about 440 subscribers, persons of the first quality, including James Boswell, Edmund Burke, Col. Burgoyne, the Duke of Devonshire, David Garrick, Mrs Montague, William Richardson, and a host of writers, players, and people of fashion. This list provides a pretty good roster of those who filled the boxes and part of the pit of both theatres at the time.] Paid Younger #2 2s. for the license for A Wife in the Right (Account Book). Receipts: #218 12s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Stede, Mrs Heard, Mrs Willems, Abbott and Furkins. Tickets deliver'd by Wilkinson, Wooley, Pilfold, T. Ansell, Mrs Hitchcock, Widow Trott, Sherrat, Bassin, Whatley, Doe and Mrs Paddick will be taken. Charges o. [House received in addition to the ready receipts half the value of each beneficiary's tickets.] @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value Half Value@Miss Stede 28 57 61 #21 13s. #10 16s. 6d.@Mrs Heard 19 34 .. #9 17s. #4 18s. 6d.@Mrs Williams .. 24 21 #5 14s. #2 17s.@Mr Abbott 18 95 75 #26 5s. #13 2s. 6d.@Furkins 22 37 26 #13 13s. #6 16s. 6d.@Wilkinson 28 27 20 #13 1s. #6 10s. 6d.@Wooley 9 42 79 #16 9s. #8 4s. 6d.@Pilfold 37 227 74 50 14s. #25 7s.@T. Ansell 9 66 64 #18 11s. #9 5s. 6d.@Mrs Hitchcock 27 15 45 #13 10s. #6 15s.@Widow Trott 24 4 8 #7 8s. #3 14s.@Sharratt 1 12 19 #3 19s. #1 19s. 6d.@Bassan .. .. .. .. ..@Whatley 5 18 57 #9 13s. #4 16s. 6d.@Doe 2 22 44 #8 4s. #4 2s.@Mrs Paddick 1 14 14 #3 15s. #1 17s. 6d.@Total 230 694 607 #222 6s. #111 3s.@ Receipts: #19 9s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [Letter in the paper from William Havard denying the report of his having #50 a year annually from the Fund, or that he ever intended it (Winston MS 10).

Event Comment: Proprietor of Marlebone Gardens, Mr Arnold, summoned to Bow St. to pay penalty of #5 for causing Fireworks to be made contrary to the Act of 9th and 10th of William III. Opinion of the Bench he was not fineable (Public Advertiser). Letter to Garrick in consequence of his moving the Court of the King's Bench for leave to file an information against author of Love in the Suds &c. will shortly be publish'd by D. Kendk. Was publish'd 7 July Folio 2s. 6d. an quarto 1s. 6d. 2nd edn. (Winston MS 10, from Burney News Clippings.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Dramatic Poem, Never Performed [written on the model of a Greek Tragedy by William Mason]. The Overture and all the Music entirely New Composed by Dr Arne. With New Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations (playbill). Altered by Colman to Mason's distress. (Biographia Dramatica). Books of the Chorus to be had at the Theatre. Rec'd from Bensley on account of Cash advanc'd last season #100 (Account Book). Receipts: #201 12s