Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 18-21 Dec. 1697, suggests that the premiere occurred not later than late November. This play was originally given to the company in Drury Lane, but withdrawn. See G. Thorn-Drury, An Unrecorded Play Title, Review of English Studies, VI (1930), 316-18. Edition of 1698: A Dialogue in the fourth Act, between Mr Bowman and Mrs Bracegirdle; The words by Mr Durfey and set by Mr Eccles: When will Stella kind and tendre. A Dialogue in the fifth Act, between a Boy and a Girl, and an Old Man, Written by Mr Motteux, set to the Musick by Mr J. Eccles. Preface: I look upon those that endeavour'd to discountenance this Play as Enemys to me

Event Comment: According to the Flying Post, 18-20 Oct. 1698: On Tuesday October 18, 1698, the Penny Lottery began at the Theatre Royal in Dorset Garden with the first draw. [On 28 Sept. 1698 James Brydges, Diary reported that he had gone into dg to see the "engine" for the lottery.] The Post Boy, 18-20 Oct. 1698: There is now Acting at the Theatre Royal in Dorset Garden a Tragy-Comedy called The Wheel of Fortune, or The Fools Expectation. And 'tis thought the Author will have a good Sixth Day. According to the Post Boy, 20-22 Oct. 1698: On Monday next will be publish'd, a Comical and Satirical Prologue and Epilogue, intended to be spoken at the Acting of the new Invented Farce, call'd, the Wheel of Fortune, or the Fools Expectation. [The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 305-10.] It seems probable that the lottery was dignified, for satiric purposes, by being given the title of a play, with a satirical Prologue and Epilogue. Post Man, 20-22 Oct. 1698: The Entertainment performed at the Theatre Royal in Dorset Garden, at drawing the Lottery, called the Wheel of Fortune; being the Speeches addrest to the Spectators, as Prologues and Epilogues. During a Symphony of Musick the Curtain rises slowly, and discovers two wheels upon the Stage; then two Figures, representing Fortunev and Astraea the Goddess of Justicev, descend over each Wheel, in two rich Chariots gilt with Gold

Event Comment: Post Boy, 22-25 March: There is great Expectation from the Boy that this Day Dances at the King's Play-House, he being reputed to perform equal to Monsieur Ballon

Event Comment: Benefit for raising money towards cloathing Friendless and Deserted Boys for the Sea. [The Prologue and Epilogue were printed in the Public Advertiser the following day. The Prologue, written by Derrick, very Patriotic and anti-Gallic. In the Epilogue, written by Mr Lockman, Secretary of the Free British Fishery, Shuter as Boatswain followed by a "considerable number of the Boys" for Britain to maintain rule of the Waves. Finances for this evening appeared in the Public Advertiser on 24 Dec.] @Cash at the House #185 4s.@Tickets 137 16s.@#323@Deductions: @Expense of Play #84@Building on stage 3 13s. 6d.@Present to Treasurer 1 1s.@Prologue 2 2s.@Total #90 16s. 6d.

Event Comment: Paid Dr Nares 4 boys, 10 Oct. #1 10s.; Mr Cooke 6 boys 5 nights (5th inst incl.) #10 10s.; Mr J. French on acct #12 (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #199 19s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: Captain Fererrs, my Lord's Cornet, comes to us, who after dinner took me and Creed to the Cockpitt play, the first that I have had time to see since my coming from sea, The Loyall Subject, where one Kinaston, a boy, acted the Duke's sister but made the loveliest lady that ever I saw in my life, only her voice not very good

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Tom and I and my wife to the Theatre, and there saw The Silent Woman. The first time that ever I did see it, and it is an excellent play. Among other things here, Kinaston, the boy, had the good turn to appear in three shapes: first, as a poor woman in ordinary clothes, to please Morose; then in fine clothes, as a gallant, and in them was clearly the prettiest woman in the whole house, and lastly, as a man; and then likewise did appear the handsomest man in the house

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: And so to Salisbury Court, where the house as full as could be; and it seems it was a new play, The Queen's Maske, wherein there are some good humours: among others, a good jeer to the old story of the Siege of Troy, making it to be a common country tale. But above all it was strange to see so little a boy as that was to act Cupid, which is one of the greatest parts in it

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: And then out to the red bull (where I had not been since plays come up again)...where I was led by a seaman that knew me, but is here as a servant, up to the tireing-room, where strange the confusion and disorder that there is among them in fitting themselves, especially here, where the clothes are very poor, and the actors but common fellows. At last into the pitt, where I think there was not above ten more than myself, and not one hundred in the whole house. And the play, which is called All's lost by Lust, poorly done; and with so much disorder, among others, that in the musique-room the boy that was to sing a song, not singing it right, his master fell about his ears and beat him so, that it put the whole house in an uprore. Nicoll (Restoration Drama, p. 309) argues that George Jolly probably occupied the red bull in St John's Street, Clerkenwell. When Richard Walden saw the red bull players at Oxford in July 1661, Anne Gibbs acted Dionysia in All's Lost by Lust. It is possible that she played that role on this day. See Walden's Io Ruminans, 1662

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. An edition dated 1661 lists no cast, no prologue, and epilogue. Pepys, Diary: And so to White-fryars and saw The Little Thiefe, which is a very merry and pretty play, and the little boy do very well

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: So resolved to take my wife to a play at court to-night, and the rather because it is my birthday....While my wife dressed herself, Creed and I walked out to see what play was acted to-day, and we find it The Slighted Mayde. But, Lord! to see that though I did know myself to be out of danger, yet I durst not go through the street, but round by the garden into Tower Street. By and by took coach, and to the Duke's house, where we saw it well acted, thought the play hath little good in it, being most pleased to see the little girl [Moll Davis] dance in boy's apparel, she having very fine legs, only bends in the hams, as I perceive all women do

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: I got her [Mrs Pepys] to rise and abroad with me by coach to Bartholomew Fayre, and our boy with us, and there shewed them and myself the dancing on the ropes, and several other the best shows

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

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. Pepys, Diary: It being almost twelve o'clock, or a little more, and carried [Mercer, Mrs Horsfield, and Mrs Gayet] to the King's playhouse, where the doors were not then open; but presently they did open; and we in, and find many people already come in, by private ways, into the pit, it being the first day of Sir Charles Sidly's new play, so long expected, The Mulberry Garden, of whom, being so reputed a wit, all the world do expect great matters. I having sat here awhile, and eat nothing to-day, did slip out, getting a boy to keep my place...And so to the play again, where the King and Queen, by and by, come, and all the Court; and the house infinitely full. But the play, when it come, though there was, here and there, a pretty saying, and that not very many neither, yet the whole of the play had nothing extraordinary in it, at all, neither of language nor design; insomuch that the King I did not see laugh, nor pleased the whole play from the beginning to the end, nor the company; insomuch that I have not been less pleased at a new play in my life, I think. And which made it the worse was, that there never was worse musick played--that is, worse things composed, which made me and Captain Rolt, who happened to sit near me, mad. So away thence, very little satisfied with the play, but pleased with my company. [For Bannister's setting a song for Mrs Knepp for this play, see 7 May 1668.

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw Philaster; where it is pretty to see how I could remember almost all along, ever since I was a boy, Arethusa, the part which I was to have acted at Sir Robert Cooke's; and it was very pleasant to me, but more to think what a ridiculous thing it would have been for me to have acted a beautiful woman

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I to the Duke of York's house, to a play, and there saw The Mad Lover, which do not please me so well as it used to do, only Betterton's part still pleases me. But here who should we have come to us but Bab. and Betty and Talbot, the first play they were yet at; and going to see us, and hearing by my boy, whom I sent to them, that we were here, they come to us hither, and happened all of us to sit by my cozen Turner and The.

Event Comment: The King's Company. See G. J. Gray, "The Diary of Jeffrey Boys of Gray's Inn, 1671," Notes and Queries, 27 Dec. 1930, p. 455

Event Comment: The King's Company. See G. J. Gray, "The Diary of Jeffrey Boys of Gray's Inn, 1671," Notes and Queries, 27 Dec. 1930, p. 455