Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never before acted. A tragedy written by Mr Henry? Jones, a Bricklayer of Ireland. This play has been delay'd for 3 Or 4 years. Went of with great Applause (Cross). All the Characters New Dress'd. None to be admitted behind the scenes

Event Comment: All went well (Cross). Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. Afterpiece: A Comedy in 2 acts written by Foote, with Prologue and Epilogue by him. Miss Macklin did Calista and a part in the farce,-all went well (Cross). A Comedy in answer to the French Farce A Frenchman in London, with a Dialogue Prologue, spoken by Macklin & his wife. Epilogue spoken by Miss Macklin. All by Foote. Part of Pit laid into the boxes, with an amphitheatre on stage, all at 5s. Full Prices (Winston MS 8). The Englishman at Paris has been better recev'd that I expected. Garrick, &c., &c....say kinder things of it than modesty will permit me to repeat. Upon the whole it was damnably acted, Macklin miserably imperfect in the words and in the character (a stain to Comedy). You might have seen what I meant,--an English Buck, by the power of dulness instantaneously transformed into an Irish chairman. Miss Roach, accompany'd by some frippery French woman occupy'd, to the no small scandal of the whole house, the Prince's box, whilst the duchess of Bedford &c., &c. were oblig'd to take up with seats upon the stage. The piece will be printed the 25th instant, which I will enclose to you (Samuel Foote to Mr Delaval, MS in Folger Shakespeare Library, written either 24 March, or, perhaps more likely, 24 April, since Foote states later in the letter he is leaving for foreign parts the first of May)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pritchard (treasurer). Farce went well Jane Shore was to have been Play, but chang'd on Sunday--Bellamy ill (Cross). Tickets of Pritchard, in Great Queen St. Lincoln's Inn-Fields, and at the Stage Door. Tickets deliver'd for Jane Shore will be taken. Afterpiece: Alter'd from Otway, with several additions never perform'd before. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: [L+Letter to Miss Nossiter on Her First Appearance, pub. at 1s. praises her "natural acting" and analyses the character of Juliet as a most appropriate one for beginners: "In the First act she hath scarce anything to say; which affords her some breathing time to recover the confusion, into which her first appearance, before so awful an assembly must naturally throw her." Criticizes a supposed rival for planting herself full against her, as if with an intent by the superior force of her effrontery to stare away the little degree of Courage" Miss Nossiter had left. Her youth and freshness required no paint, so her color came and went as the passion required it, no small addition to the impression of natural acting. She is never inattentive on stage. She feels what others say as much as what she speaks herself. The Author gives practically a speech by speech account of her part, describing her gesture, action, and modulation of voice minutely. Concludes by pointing the reader's attention to Otway's contribution to the Garrick version which was played then at both houses. Praises Barry for instructing Miss Nossiter and bringing her to the stage. Hopes Garrick will refrain from attacking her in his papers, The Craftsman and Gray's Inn Journal, because she will one day become such an ornament to the stage, that I shall be proud to own myself the first who publicly displayed her merit.' Hers is the greatest real first attempt made by man or Woman on the stage, within these 40 years." See also 1 Nov.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 8 years [See 23 March 1747.] Went off Indiff (Cross). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: An Italian Comic Opera by some performers just arriv'd from Paris. Went off pretty well, -a Girl greatly admir'd (Cross). [The girl seems to have been Sga Spiletta.] She plays off with inexhaustible spirits all muscular evolutions of the face and brows; while in her eye wantons a studied archness, and pleasing malignity. Her voice has strength and scope sufficient; has neither too much of the feminine, nor an inclining to the male. Her gestures are ever varying; her transitions quick and easy. Some over-nice critics, forgetting, or not knowing the meaning of the word Burletta, cry that her manner is outre. Wou'd she not be faulty were it otherwise? The thing chargeable to her is (perhaps) too great a luxurience of comic tricks; which (an austere censor would say) border on unlaced lasciviousness, and extravagant petulance of action (Paul Hiffernan, The Tuner, No 1). [Spiletta was the name of the character to whom Sga Nicolina Giordani gave such life that the name stuck to her. See Saxe Wyndham, Annals of Covent Garden Theatre.] [A Comic Opera by G. Giordani, Music by G. Cocchi-Nicoll, English Drama, III, p. 349.] Nothing less than the full price will be taken during the Performance. Printed books of the opera sold at the theatre. Tomorrow, Venice Preserved. [Murphy commented in Gray's Inn Journal (22 Dec.): "A great deal of whatever humour this production may contain, is certainly lost to an English audience; and the manner of acting, being a burlesque upon what people here are not very well acquainted with, is not universally felt. But notwithstanding these disadvantages, there is one among them, Sga Nicolina Giordani, who displayed such lively traces of Humour in her countenance, and such pleasing variety of action, and such variety of graceful deportment, that she is generally acknowledged to be, in that Cast of playing, an excellent comic actress."

Event Comment: New Scenes, Music, Habits, Decorations, Machines &c. Nothing under Full Prices. A new Pantomime-went off with great Applause (Cross). [The afterpiece dealt with in high irony by Murphy in Gray's Inn Journal (29 Dec.): It is writ entirely upon the Grecian plan, so much admired by the French critics, and of course does not bid very fair to please the multitude in this country, whose taste is too much vitiated by Shakespeare's monstruous irregularity, to relish the simplicity of this piece. Mr Ranger will only observe that he is highly pleased with the Fable, the Morality, the University, and Integrity of it, and as the writing is equal all through, he looks upon it to be one of the best Pantomimes in the English language.] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Garrick being hoarse went not so well as expected (Cross). Mainpiece: Not acted these ten years. An Historical Play written by Shakespeare. The Characters New Dress'd. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: A New Tragedy by Dr Philip? Francis, author of Eugenia, --went off very indifferently (Cross). [This tragedy is mercilessly attacked in The Tuner No 2 by Paul Hiffernan, who compares its phrasing in a dozen instances with similar, but more perfect phrasing in Shakespeare.

Event Comment: [N+New Wells, Lemon St. Goodman's Fields.] As Church wardens and Overseers of the Parish of Whitechapel did lately receive Information, that several young Persons have exhibited Plays at Goodman's Fields Wells...that the said young Persons have actually met and rehearsed Plays on the Lord's Day, in Defiance of all Laws, Divine and Human; the said Churchwardens and Overseers, assisted by proper Authorities, went last Night to Goodman's Fields Wells, which they found vastly crowded, and having severly reprimanded the Performers, dismissed the Audience (Daily Advertiser, 2 March)

Event Comment: Afterpiece went off better (Cross). Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: A new Farce [Murphy] went off with applause (Cross). Mainpiece: By particular Desire. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMiss Young so hoarse she cou'd not sing one Song--Yet all went Calm (Cross). Books of the Masque will be sold at the Theatre. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Reviv'd (playbill). Play went off Dull (Cross). Not acted these 18 years. [See 23 March 1742.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Written by Mr Murphy, for His Benefit-went off well (Cross). Part of Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets and places to be had of Mr Varney at the Stage Door. Receipts: #240 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Tickets for Merope will be taken. Benefit for Mr Holland. Tickets at Holland's lodgings, a Peruke-Maker's, opposite Cecil St., Strand. While he was speaking his first Speech to the Ghost, an Ignorant man took up his hat & clapt it upon his head, Holland unconcern'd play'd with it so, & went off wth it, (great Prudence) (Cross). Receipts: #270 (Cross)

Event Comment: Last time of performing Mainpiece this season. Benefit for Pritchard, treasurer. Tickets at his house in York St., and at Pritchard's Warehouse, Tavistock St. Mrs Cibber went sick to Bath in Passion Week, & plays no more this season (Cross). Receipts: #190 (Cross)

Event Comment: By Command. Afterpiece: Written by Mr Garrick. Acted by children. Prince of Wales & 4 more went off very well (Cross). New Scenes, Habits and Decorations. Full prices. Prologue-writ by Garrick, spoken by Woodward; Epilogue-Lady Flimnap. [The run of seventeen performances of the afterpieces seems to contradict the judgement of the author of the Theatrical Examiner (1757, p. 89): Lilliput is, I think, the most petit, trifling, indecent, immoral, stupid parcel of rubbish, I ever met with; and I can't help judging it a scandal to the public, to suffer such a thing to pass a second night, which at best was alone calculated to please boys and girls, and fools of fashion; it may gratify them; the manager to debauch the minds of infants, by putting sentiments and glances in their breasts and eyes, that should never be taught at any years, which are sufficiently bad when naturally imbibed. The question of Gulliver, in answer to the infant lady's gross adresses, is horrid, if we allow an audience a common share of delicacy, what should we do with her? and what the devil does it mean. Finally where is the instruction, or even tolerable language, to gild the dirt over. O tempora! O mores!"] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: [Music] compos'd by Mr Arne went of with Great Applause (Cross). With Proper Dances and Decorations. Books of the Opera will be sold at the Theatre price 1s. [The cast is first listed 17 Jan. 1757.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: None admitted behind the Scenes. No after money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. [Repeated during the run of this piece.] A new Farce of 2 acts wrote by Dr Smolet-went off wth Great App: (Cross). [See Theatrical Review for the Year 1757 and the beginning of 1758, for contemporary comment.] Receipts: #200 (Cross)