Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for a Performer, thirty years a Servant of the Publick at Covent-garden and Haymarket Theatres [unidentified]. Mainpiece: Written by the ingenious Mrs Behn, with Alterations by a Gentleman well known in the Dramatick World and Republick of Letters. The Characters new dressed in the Habits of the Times. [Writers and speakers of Prologue and Epilogue unknown.] Afterpiece: Altered from Sir John Vanbrugh. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:00

Event Comment: "There is no peace between the opera theatres; the Haymarket rather triumphs. They have opened twice, taking money in an evasive manner, pretending themselves concerts; the singers are in their own clothes, the dancers dressed, and no recitative--a sort of opera in deshabille (Walpole [31 Mar. 1791], XIV, 399-400)

Event Comment: Paid Rent of king's? Haymarket Theatre #2,890. Receipts: #257 12s. 6d. (199.8.6; 53.13.0; 4.8.0; ticket not come in: 0.3.0)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Sims. Mainpiece: As altered from Wycherley by David Garrick, Esq. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Sims, the Theatrical Register, Wrekin Tavern, Broad-court, Long-acre; at the Blue Post Coffee-house, Charlotte-street, Rathbone-place; the Tun, Goodge-street, Middlesex Hospital; the Green Man, Union-street, Middlesex Hospital; the Wheat Sheaf, Rathbone-place; of Price, at the Coach and Horses, Holborn; at the Duke of Clarence Coffee-house, Haymarket; Spencer's, Two Blue Posts, Southampton-buildings; and of Rice at the Theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Permssion of the Manager of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. The Overture and Music by Dr Arnold. Powell: Children in the Wood rehearsed at 10 (Bannister, Dignum, Mrs Powell, Mrs Bland absent); No Song No Supper at 11 (for Starace, Kelly, Leak, Dignum, Sedgwick); Distressed Mother at 12. Receipts: #385 7s. (310/1/6; 64/10/6; 10/15/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kemble. 3rd piece [1st time; MF 1, by Robert Benson; music by Dr Arnold]: The Piece to conclude with a representation of the late Grand Naval Review [held at Portsmouth, in honor of George III's visit to that place, 28 June]. The Machinery, &c., entirely new for the occasion. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 21 Aug. 1794: This Day is published BRITAIN's GLORY (price not listed). Morning Chronicle, 18 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Kemble, No. 24, Haymarket

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. Receipts: #179 13s. 6d. (169.5.0; 10.8.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. [As afterpiece the playbill announces Oscar and Malvina, but "The Poor Sailor played" (MS annotation on BM playbill, cg, Vol. ix). "The audience were in a violent uproar, at the change from Oscar and Malvina to The Poor Sailor" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1795, pp. 122-23).] Receipts: #190 7s. (182.17; 7.10)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. Receipts: #246 2s. (245.13; 0.9)

Event Comment: 2nd ballet: Revived, and brought forward under the direction of Barre. The Music, with additional Airs, by Mazzinghi. The Scenery entirely new, painted by Greenwood and assistants under his Direction. The Dresses new by Sestini. "This dance is the composition of the celebrated Noverre, and it is totally different from the ballet under the same title, brought out at Paris under Gardel...The torches and swords of fire in hands of Furies produced so tremendous an effect that a part of audience seemed petrified at agonies of Psyche. Much of this effect was produced by the strong reflection from glass pannels of boxes" (Morning Chronicle, 19 Dec.). The frequenters of Opera are respectfully acquainted that Posts with Chains are placed all along front of Theatre to prevent Carriages from driving upon the foot way, so that Chairs can in future come by great door in the Haymarket with perfect safety

Event Comment: By Permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal Haymarket. [Epilogue by George Colman, ynger.] Receipts: #138 0s. 6d. (134.10.6; 3.10.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Four Youngest Orphans of the late Mr Palmer [see dl, 18 June]. As it is presumed that the well-known liberality of the Publick will be strongly excited on the present occasion, the Proprietor of the [Haymarket] Theatre has requested the use of the Opera-House for this Evening, that the largest number of persons who wish to patronize the undertaking may be accomodated with places. The Proprietor of the Opera-House has, with the utmost readiness, granted the request. Tickets to be had of the Miss Palmers, at Dixon's, Upholsterer, the corner of Bedford-Court, Bedford-Street, Covent-Garden; of Messrs Ransom, Morland and Co., Bankers, Pall-Mall; of Jewell, No. 26, Suffolk-Street, Charing-Cross, of whom, and of Rice, at the Box-Office, Places for the Boxes may be taken. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. "[His brother] R. Palmer attempted to deliver an address at the end of the play, but he was so much overpowered that he...left the address unrecited, and [his] part in the farce was given up to another performer" (Monthly Mirror, Aug. 1798, p. 117, which also records that the receipts were approximately #700)

Event Comment: [Extra night] Benefit for the General Lying-In Hospital, Bayswater, Under the Patronage of Her Majesty. Tickets to be had at the Hospital; of Longman and Wilkinson, Cheapside; Broderip andCo., Haymarket; and of Brandon at the Theatre, where Places for the Boxes may be taken. Many of the Re-Renters have generously relinquished their Privilege upon this Night. [Faulkner had acted at dl on 21 Dec. 1796, and Mrs Johnstone at cg on 4 Jan. 1798.] Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: A Comic Opera; the Music by Paisiello. The Dialogue, for the first time in this Country, will be delivered without the Music of the Recitative. "Nina [Bolla] performed for her benefit in a novel and singular manner, the dialogue being spoken in prose without recitative, which had not a bad effect; but this way of acting it was deemed an infringement of the rights of the English theatres, and after a few nights it was stopped by authority, as unlawful at the Opera" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 111-12). Tickets to be had of Mme Bolla, No. 6, Haymarket

Event Comment: The King's Company. See 5 Feb. Pepys, Diary: [The Slighted Maid] being done, we took coach and to court, and there got good places, and saw The Wilde Gallant, performed by the King's house, but it was ill acted, and the play so poor a thing as I never saw in my life almost, and so little answering the name, that from beginning to end, I could not, nor can at this time, tell certainly which was the Wild Gallant. The King did not seem pleased at all, all the whole play, nor any body else, though Mr Clerke whome we met here did commend it to us....Now as my mind was but very ill satisfied with these two plays themselves, so was I in the midst of them sad to think of the spending so much money and venturing upon the breach of my vow, which I found myself sorry for, I bless God, though my nature would well be contented to follow the pleasure still. But I did make payment of my forfeiture presently, though I hope to save it back again by forbearing two plays at court for this one at the Theatre, or else to forbear that to the Theatre which I am to have at Easter. But it being my birthday and my day of liberty regained to me, and lastly, the last play that is likely to be acted at Court before Easter, because of the Lent coming in, I was the easier content to fling away so much money

Event Comment: The King's Company. This day marks the resumption of acting by the King's Company after the disastrous fire at Bridges Street, Drury Lane; the players turned to the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields which the Duke's Company had recently left. The Prologue was printed in Covent Garden Drollery, 1672. Sloane MS. 4455 folio 26 verso: The Prologue of a Play entitled Witt without Money-Spoken at the Dukes old Theatre (after the Kings was burnt) by the King's players, Feb. 26 1671. The Curtaine being drawne up all the Actors were discover'd on the stage in Melancholick postures, & Moone [Mohun] advancing before the rest speaks as follows, addressing chiefly to ye King then [present]. Langbaine (English Dramatick Poets, p. 216): Wit Without Money: a Comedy which I have seen acted at the Old House in little Lincolns-Inn-Fields with very great Applause: the part of Valentine being Play'd by that compleat Actor Major Mohun deceas'd. This was the first Play that was acted after the Burning the King's House in Drury-lane: a New Prologue being writ for them by Mr Dryden

Event Comment: This work is advertised in The Loyal Protestant 22, 27, and 29 Aug. 1682: at Mrs Saffry's, a Dutch Woman's booth, over against the Greyhound Inne in West Smithfield. [Her first announcement calls the company "By an Approved Company"; the other two notices refer to it as "the first New-market Company." See Rosenfeld, The Theatre of the London Fairs, p. 6.] John Coysh paid #6 for a booth at the Fair (Rosenfeld, The Theatre of the London Fairs, p. 6). See also Morley, Memoirs of Bartholomew Fair, p. 222, for notice of the Indian Water Worksv. In Wit and Drollery (1682), p. 304, are verses on the Fair: @Here's the Whore of Babylon the Devil and the Pope,@The Girl is just agoing on the Rope@Here's Dives and Lazarus and the World's Creation,@Here's the Tall Dutch Woman the like's not in the Nation,@Here is the Booth where the High-Dutch Made is@Hear are the Bears that dance like any Ladies,@Tat, tat, tat, tat, tat says the little penny Trumpet@Here's Jacob Hall, that does so jump it, jump it.@Sound Trumpet Sound, for Silver Spoon and Fork,@Come here's your dainty Pit and Pork.@ [See also August 1680.

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is stated in Luttrell, A Brief Relation, II, 435, 28 April 1692: On Monday will be acted a new opera, call the Fairy Queen: exceeds former playes: the clothes, scenes, and musick cost 3000#. [According to Some Select Songs As they are Sung in the Fairy Queen (1692) tne singers were Mrs Ayliff, Mrs Dyer, Freeman, Mrs Butler, and Pate. See Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XII (1903), ii; E. W. White, Early Performances of Purcell's Operas, Theatre Notebook, XIII (1958-59 ), 45; and R. E. Moore, Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre, Chapter IV.] Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 42-43: The Fairy Queen, made into an Opera, from a Comedy of Mr Shakespeare s: This in Ornaments was Superior to the other Two [King Arthur and The Prophetess]; especially in Cloaths, for all the Singers and Dancers, Scenes, Machines and Decorations, all most profusely set off; and excellently perform'd, chiedly the Instrumental and Vocal part Compos'd by the said Mr Purcel, and Dances by Mr Priest. The Court and Town were wonderfully satisfy'd with it; but the Expences in setting it out being so great, the Company got very little by it. Gentleman's Journal, May 1692: The Opera of which I have spoke to you in my former hath at last appear'd, and continues to be represented daily: it is call'd, The Fairy Queen. The Drama is originally Shakespears, the Music and Decorations are extraordinary. I have heard the Dances commended, and without doubt the whole is very entertaining. [As the May issue of the Gentleman's Journal was licensed on 14 May, the statement that The Fairy Queen continued to be acted daily may indicate consecutive performances from 2 May to at le ast 14 May 1692.

Event Comment: Thomas Brown to George Moult, 12 Sept. 1699: But tho' Bartholomew-Fair is dead and buried for a twelvemonth, yet it is some consolation to us, that it revives in both the play-houses. Poetry is so little regarded there, and the audience is so taken up with show and sight, that an author will not much trouble himself about his thoughts and language, so he is but in fee with the dancing-masters, and has a few luscious songs to lard his dry composition. One would almost swear, that Smithfield had removed into Drury-lane and Lincolns-Inn-Fields, since they set so small a value on good sense, and so great a one on trifles that have no relation to the play. By the by, I am to tell you, that some of their late bills are so very monstrous, that neither we, nor our forefathers, ever knew anything like them: They are as long as the title-pages to some of Mr Prynn's works; nay, you may much sooner dispatch the Gazette, even when it is most crowded with advertisements. And as their bills are so prodigious, so are the entertainments they present us with: For, not to mention the Bohemian women, that first taught us how to dance and swim together; not the famous Mr Clinch of Barnet, with his kit and organ; nor the worthy gentlemen that condescended to dance a Cheshirerounds, at the instance of several persons of quality; nor t'other gentleman that sung like a turky-cock; nor, lastly, that prodigy of a man that mimick'd the harmony of the Essex lions; not to mention these and a hundred other notable curiosities, we have been so unmercifully over-run with an inundation of Monsieurs from Paris, that one would be almost tempted to wish that the war had still continued, if it were for no other reason but because it would have prevented the coming over of these light-heel'd gentlemen, who have been a greater plague to our theatres, than their privateers were to our merchantmen. Shortly, I suppose, we shall be entertain'd here with all sorts of sights and shows, as, jumping thro' a hoop; (for why should not that be as proper as Mr Sympson's vaulting upon the wooden-horses?) dancing upon the high ropes, leaping over eight men's heads, wrestling, boxing, cudgelling, fighting at back-sword, quarter-staff, bear-baiting, and all the other noble exercises that divert the good folk at Hockley; for when once such an infection as this has gain'd ground upon us, who can tell where it will stop? What a wretched pass is this wicked age come to, when Ben. Johnson and Shakespear won't relish without these bagatelles to recommend them, and nothing but farce and grimace will go down? For my part, I wonder they have not incorporated parson Burgess into their society; for after the auditors are stupify'd with a dull scene or so, he would make a shift to relieve them. In short, Mr Collier may save himself the trouble of writing against the theatre; for, if these lewd practices are not laid aside, and sense and wit don't come into play again, a man may easily foretell, without pretending to the gift of prophecy, that the stage will be shortliv'd, and the strong Kentish man will take possession of the two play-houses, as he has already done of that in Dorset-Garden (The Works of Thomas Brown, 4th ed. [London, 1715], I, 216-18)

Event Comment: In a letter to the Daily Post. 4 June, the Patentees of Drury Lane-Mary Wilks, John Ellys, Hester Booth, and John Highmore-stated the cast of the Patentees. The gist of their statement is: (1) They operate under a Patent commencing 1 Sept. 1732 which, by Deaths and Legal Assignments, is the property of the four, with Highmore possessing one half, at an expence of #6,000 and upwards. (2) Several of the Players have threatened to desert the service of the Patentees and have contracted with some of the Trustees (the Sharers) to secure possession of the Theatre. (3) Drury Lane is let upon lease from the Duke of Bedford, granted to Thomas Kynaston and Francis Stanhope, Trustees for the Sharers (commonly called Renters) of Drury Lane at the rent of #50 annually upon a Fine of 1,000 guineas paid for the renewal of the lease. (4) The Players, under the Patentees, have acted at Drury Lane for twenty-one years without any interruption form the Trustees upon the sole contract that the Patentees pay the Trustees #3 12s. each acting night, besides the Liberty of seeing Plays. (5) At the beginning of this Season the manager's office received a letter from a few of the Renters demanding an Advance of Rent. Highmore, being new, was concerned, and asked the managers to take care of the matter; and thereafter the signers (the Patentees) had heard of no further discontent among the Renters. (6) To defend themselves against stories of hardship or complaint by the actors, the Patentees point out that the following weekly salaries had been paid: Colley Cibber #12 12s.; Theophilus Cibber #5; Mills Sr, #1 daily for 200 days certain, and a benefit, clear of all charges; Mills Jr #3; Johnson #5; Miller #5; Harper #4; Griffin #4; Shepard #3; Hallam, for himself and his father, the latter of little or no service, #3; Mrs Heron #5; Mrs Butler #3. For these charges and others, the Patentees stand a daily expence of #49 when the theatre is open. (7) Further, the Patentees paid Cibber Jr his wife's whole salary without her being able to act the greater part of the winter, #9 weekly for the two; Mills Jr, in the same circumstances with his wife, #5 10s. weekly for the two; Miller a salary (amounting to #40) for eight weeks before he acted, and a gratuity of ten guineas; Griffin a present of ten guineas; Harper a present, amount not specified; Mrs Heron an increase form 40s. to #5 weekly, although she refused afterward to play several parts assigned her and acted but seldom

Event Comment: The Play of Othello, which was performed last night at Drury Lane theatre, by some gentlemen and ladies to the most numerous and polite Audience that could be assembled, went off throughout with great approbation and applause (General Advertiser). [See A Satirical Dialogue between a Sea Captain and his friend in Town: Humble submitted to the Gentlemen who deformed the Play of Othello on Th-rs-y M- the 7th....To which is added a Prologue and Epilogue much more suitable to the occasion than their own. (London [n.d.], BM 11,795, K 31, 8pp): @'Good manners oblig'd them sometimes to applaud@Tho' they little deserv'd it...'@ The author laments the fact that the expenditure (#1,500) was not put out to charitable purposes, rather than for such entertainment.] This day is publish'd at 1s. 6d., beautifully printed, Alfred, a Masque, acting at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, by Mr Mallet. Printed for A. Miller, opposite Catherine St in the Strand, where may be had Alfred, a Masque, represented before their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at Cliefden, on the first of August 1740. Written by Mr Thomson and Mr Mallet

Event Comment: Benefit for Cross, Prompter, Mrs Cross, and Son. N.B. Mr Cross takes the liberty to inform the Ladies and Get&ntlemen who intend to honour him with their company, that his constant Attendance upon the Business of the theatre, will hinder him from applying to them in person, and therefore hopes to receive their commands at his house in Crown Court, Little Russel-Street, Covent Garden, or at the Stage Door of the theatre, where Tickets and Places are to be had for his benefit. Receipts: #156 (Cross)

Event Comment: To begin exactly at 6:00 o'clock. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Mr Varney at the Stage door. [Repeated throughout the season.] Ye Naturalizing Bill having made some Noise against the Jews, some people call'd out for ye Merchant of Venice, & a Letter was thrown upon ye Stage desiring that play instead of the Opera, but we took no Notice of it, some little hissing but it dy'd away (Cross). [Sometime in the calendar year 1753, Lacy and Garrick drew up a mortgage on the Drury Lane property for #10,000, to be amortized to James Clutterbuck over a period of twenty-one years at the rate of #4 per acting night, and permission to grant free seats in any part of the theatre (except the stage, scenes and orchestra) to forty persons. These latter to be named and seats assigned ten days prior to the opening of any season. This thirteen-page document, which describes accurately the bounds of the 13,134 square feet of land on which the ten buildings comprising Drury Lane Theatre stood, contains protective clauses for Clutterbuck, to the effect that Garrick and Lacy will exhibit nowhere else in London without the #4 nightly payment and for Garrick and Lacy, to the effect that arrears in payment could be collected solely from Drury Lane property, and not from the individual incomes of the mortgagees. It was not signed, so apprently was not executed. (See Havard, Collection of Documents dealing with affairs of Drury Lane, No 2, fMS, Thr 12.)] Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: N.B. We have engag'd Mr King; & Miss Baker from Ireland, one Mr Moody, a Stroler,-Mr Beard is gone to Covent Garden, 'tis said to be manager Mr Mossop to Ireland. Receipts: #120 (Cross). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places from Mr Varney at the Stage Door. No admittance behind scenes. [The customary note about prices and admittance will not be noted further here.] [At the opening of the theatres this season appeared an essay in Goldsmith's Bee, giving close observations upon actors, and deploring the relative stiffness and formality of English actors in comparison with the French. Advised English actors to travel abroad. Yet (Vol. 1759, p. 12) commented on the magnificnece of "our theatres as far superior to any others in Europe where plays only are acted. The great care our performers take in painting for a part, their exactness in all minutiae of dress, and other little scenical proprieties has been taken notice of by Riccoboni." Complains of the convention of laying a rug before a dying scene and of the vacant expressions of mutes on stage.

Event Comment: [Puff for the afterpiece]: As this Pastoral was not originally designed for the theatre, it is thought proper to give the public some account of it, and by what means it has now found its way to the stage. The Chorusses and Airs were selected from Mr Handel, and several other eminent masters, by a gentleman whose taste and knowledge in music is perhaps his least merit. Having conceived the design of a musical entertainment of this miscellaneous nature he found himself oblig'd...to connect them [the airs] by a Recitative of his own composition: This naturally produced a kind of a little drama, and the ease and elegance of the whole is the more to be admired when it is considered that the words were of necessity composed in perfect subservience to the music. The piece has been several times performed at Salisbury and greatly admired by many of the first Rank. The author, upon Mr Norris being engaged at the theatre, was applied to for leave to bring it on the stage, to which he has most obligingly given his consent. [Cast given] After an agreeable Overture, the curtain rises and discovers a rural scene, and a troop of nymphs and shepherds assembled to celebrate the Spring. Their rejoicings open with a grand cheerful chorus. We cannot say enough of the taste and execution of Mr Vernon and Miss Young in this scene. The united sprightliness and simplicity of the duet was truly admirable. [Song given, followed by a brief description of the parting of the shepherds, the announcement of Peace so they won't have to part, and special commendation for the various songs of Mr Vincent, and Mr Norris.] We will venture to prophesy that it will be more and more admired at every representation; though perhaps it may not fall in with the Taste of the Groundlings, who, like Polonius, are for a Jig or a Tale of Bawdry, or they sleep (Public Advertiser)