Event Comment: Rich's Company. Post Boy, No 496, 7-9 July 1698: This day is acted Oroonoko, at the King's Playhouse, for the particular Entertainment of some Persons of the highest Quality, with the Italian Shades, as they were perform'd with great Applause, before their Excellencies the Russian and Morocco Ambassadors, in the Reign of King Charles II. And an Entertainment after the manner of the Carnaval at Rome. With several Grotesque Dances

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the second edition (1700) states: The first appearance of this Play was on a Wednesday in Lent; for then (it seems) the Town look for a bad Entertainment. [As the play was advertised in the Flying Post, 2 April 1700, the first performance probably occurred in early March.] A Prologue by Sir Charles Sedley which may have been intended for this play is in Sedley's Works, ed. V. de Sola Pinto (London, 1928), I, 46-47, 288-89. A song in this play, separately printed ca. 1700, indicates that the music was composed by Daniel Purcell and that the song was sung by Mrs Erwin

Event Comment: Benefit Widow and 7 Children of Mr Charles Powel, late Servant to his Majesty and his late Highness the Duke of Gloucester. At the desire of several Persons of Quality. At 8 p.m

Event Comment: Not acted these 25 years. As it was several times presented at court by persons of Quality, for the Entertainment of his late Majesty King Charles the 2d. The Company will continue Acting three times a week, during the term of Bartholomew Fair. [No further performances at Drury Lane during the summer are known.

Event Comment: As it was perform'd several times at court, by Persons of Great Quality, before his late Majesty King Charles II. With all the Scenes Which were originally Presented in it when acted at the Theatre, particularly the Fleet of Shipsv and the Hell Scenev, in which the Masquerade was perform'd

Event Comment: Which was Acted several Times At Court in the Reign of King Charles the 2d by People of Quality

Event Comment: At Clayton's House in York Buildings. At 8 p.m. Tickets 5s. No Money receiv'd or Tickets given out at the House; [available at Charles Lillier's, Corner of Beauford Buildings, and at Eliot's St. James's Coffeehouse]

Event Comment: Admission as 24 Nov., but stage boxes omitted. At 6 p.m. The Spectator, 26 Dec., has a letter from Thomas Clayton, Nicolino Haym, and Charles Dieupart, who state that they have joined together to offer entertainments of music in the future at Clayton's house in York Buildings

Event Comment: [Opening night, under the management of John Rich.] By the Company of Comedians under Letters Patents granted by King Charles the Second. Beginning exactly at Six. No Persons are to be admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money to be return'd after the Curtain is drawn up. Receipts: #143. Weekly Packet, 18 Dec.: This Day the New Play-House...is to be open'd...by the Company that act under the Patent; tho' it is said, that some of the Gentlemen who have left the Theatre in Drury-Lane for that Service, are order'd to return to their Colours, upon Pain of not exercising their Lungs anywhere; which may in Time prove of ill Service to the Patentee; that has been at vast Expence to make his Theatre as convenient for the Reception of an Audience as any one can possibly be

Event Comment: [By Charles Molloy.] Never Acted before. [The Preface states that at the premiere it was roundly attacked and that its enemies gave out that it had failed, but it made a recovery.] Receipts: #76 12s. 6d

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. At 6 p.m. Post Boy, 28 Sept.: We hear that last Week Mr Rich made an Assignment of the New Theatre in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, and his Patent granted by King Charles II to Mr Keene and Mr Bullock jun. and that they open on Saturday next, with a celebrated Play of Shakespear's call'd, Cimbiline, which will be entirely new dress'd

Event Comment: Original Weekly Journal, 2 Aug.: On Wednesday last, the Deceas'd Mr Keene was carried from his House in Cook's Court, by Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, to the Parish Church of St. Clement Danes; the Pall was held up by 3 Gentlemen from each Theatre, viz. Mr Booth, Mr Mills, and Mr Johnson, from the Old House; and Mr Bullock, Sen. Mr Spiller, and Mr Corey: Mr Charles Bullock appear'd as chief Mourner, the rest of the Actors from both Houses follow'd the Corpse to the Church, where was sung a very fine Anthem. 'Tis said Mr Walker, a Gentleman of that Profession, has made a very Pretty Elegy in Blank Verse upon the Occasion

Event Comment: By His Royal Highness's Command. An ancient Story, written by Mr Phillip Massinger, and Acted but twice since the Reign of King Charles the First; now revis'd with Alterations. [The Prince present.

Event Comment: Written Originally by Shakespear. [By Lewis Theobald.] Theophilus Cibber: [Booth's] Illness...returned soon after his playing King Henry VIII. He was then studying the Part of Julio in the Double Falsehood; he rehearsed it several times,-when the Play begin ready for acting, he was prevented appearing in it, by a Relapse into his former Indisposition.-The Part was supplied a few Nights by Mr Charles Williams (a promising Player, who died young) to whom Mr Booth had given the Part to study, as doubting the Certainty of his being able to appear in it himself: But, at Mr Theobald's Entreaty (backed by many Gentlemen and Ladies) he good-naturedly (but fatally) disregarded his Indisposition, which was then an intermitting Fever, and acted that Part from the fifth to the twelfth Night; which was alas! the last time of his Appearance on tle Stage.-Lives and Characters, pp. 82-83

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not Acted these Nine Years. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. With the Original Songs set to Musick by Mr H. Purcell, and Scenes, Habits, and other Decorations proper to the Play. Afterpiece: [By Charles Coffey.] An Opera of one Act. N.B. By Reason of the Length of the Days, the Doors will be open'd till four o'Clock; the Play will begin exactly at Seven, and particular Care is taken to keep the House Cool. Printed Books of the Opera will be sold at the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Charles, the Merry Trumpeter of Oxford. At Mrs Lee's Great Booth on the Bowling-Green. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: UUniversal Spectator, 6 Feb.: Dy'd, after a lingering Illness in the 38th Year of his Age, Mr Charles? Williams, a celebrated Tragedian belonging to...Drury-Lane

Event Comment: Afterpiece: [By Charles Coffey. For an extended comment on this performance, see The Auditor, 6 Feb. 1733.

Event Comment: Benefit Charles, the Merry Trumpeter of Oxford. At Mrs Lee's Booth on the Bowling Green

Event Comment: Daily Courant, 2 Feb.: We are credibly informed, that Charles Fleetwood, Esq; of Bromley-Hall, in the county of Stefford . . . hath purchased all the shares of the Patentees of the Theatre in Drury-Lane

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 12 Dec: Whereas, on Saturday last, the Audience . . . was greatly incens'd at their Disappointment in Mr Poitier and Madem Roland's not Dancing, as their Names were in the Bills for the Day; and Mr Quin, seeing no way to appease the Resentment then shewn, but by relating the real Messages sent from the Theatre, to know the Reasons why they did not come to perform, and the Answers return'd: And whereas there were two Advertisements in the Daily Post of Tuesday last, insinuating that Mr Quin had with Malice falsely accus'd the said Mr Poitier and Madem Roland, I therefore think it (in Justice to Mr Quin) incumbent on me to assure the Publick, that Mr Quin has conducted himself in this Point towards the Abovemention'd with the strictest regard to Truth and Justice; and as Mr Quin has acted in this Affair in my Behalf, I think myself oblig'd to return him Thanks for so doing. Charles Fletewood