Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on L. C. lists 5@139, p. 129, and 5@12, p. 17, adds: King here. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346. Pepys, Diary: But, Lord! how it went against my heart to go away from the very door of the Duke's play-house, and my Lady Castlemayne's coach, and many great coaches there, to see The Siege of Rhodes. I was very near making a forfait, but I did command myself

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's house, where I did give 18d., and saw the two last acts of The Goblins, a play I could not make any thing of by these two acts, but here Knipp spied me out of the tiring-room, and come to the pit door, and I out to her, and kissed her, she only coming to see me, being in a country-dress, she and others having, it seemed, had a country-dance in the play, but she no other part; so we parted, and I into the pit again till it was done. The house full

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Sir W. Pen to the King's playhouse, and there saw The Mayden Queene, which, though I have often seen, yet pleases me infinitely, it being impossible, I think, ever to have the Queen's part, which is very good and passionate, and Florimel's part, which is the most comicall that ever was made for woman, ever done better than they two are by young Marshall and Nelly

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I was got to go to the play with them [several of his friends]-the first I have seen since before the Dutch coming upon our coast, and so to the King's house, to see The Custome of the Country. The house mighty empty--more than ever I saw it--and an ill play

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I to the Duke of York's house, and there saw Love Trickes, or the School of Compliments; a silly play, only Miss Davis?'s dancing in a shepherd's clothes did please us mightily

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Sir W. Pen and I to the King's house, and there saw The Committee, which I went to with some prejudice, not liking it before, but I do now find it a very good play, and a great deal of good invention in it; but Lacy's part is so well performed that it would set off anything

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw The Country Captain, which is a very ordinary play. Methinks I had no pleasure therein at all

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary [After going to lif] went to the King's, and there saw The Merry Wives of Windsor: which did not please me at all, in no part of it

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: After dinner my wife and I to the Duke's playhouse, where we saw the new play acted yesterday, The Feign Innocence, or Sir Martin Marr-all; a play made by my Lord Duke of Newcastle, but, as every body says, corrected by Dryden. It is the most entire piece of mirth, a complete farce from one end to the other, that certainly was ever writ. I never laughed so in all my life. I laughed till my head [ached] all the evening and night with the laughing; and at very good wit therein, not fooling. The house full, and in all things of mighty content to me

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Sir W. Pen to the King's playhouse, where the house extraordinary full; and there was the King and Duke of York to see the new play, Queen Elizabeth's Troubles, and the History of Eighty Eight. I confess I have sucked in so much of the sad story of Queen Elizabeth, for my cradle, that I was ready to weep for her sometimes; but the play is the most ridiculous that sure ever come upon the stage; and, indeed, is merely a shew, only shews the true garbe of the Queen in those days, just as we see Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth painted; but the play is merely a puppet play, acted by living puppets. Neither the design nor language better; and one stands by and tells us the meaning of things: only I was pleased to see Knipp dance among the milkmaids, and to hear her sing a song to Queen Elizabeth; and too see her come out in her night-gowne with no lockes on, but her bare face and hair only tied up in a knot behind; which is the comeliest dress that ever I saw her in to her advantage

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, all alone, and there saw Sir Martin Marr-all again, though I saw him but two days since, and do find it the most comical play that ever I saw in my life

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my Lord Bruncker to the Duke's playhouse (telling my wife so at the 'Change, where I left her), and there saw Sir Martin Marr-all again, which I have now seen three times, and it hath been acted but four times, and still find it a very ingenious play, and full of variety

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It is quite likely that the run of this play extended for some time later in August. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my Lord Bruncker and his mistress to the King's playhouse, and there saw The Indian Emperour; where I find Nell come again, which I am glad of; but was most infinitely displeased with her being put to act the Emperour's daughter, which is a great and serious part, which she do most basely. The rest of the play, though pretty good, was not well acted by most of them, methought; so that I took no great content in it. But that, that troubled me most was, that Knipp sent by Moll [Mary Meggs] to desire to speak to me after the play; and she beckoned to me at the end of the play, and I promised to come; but it was so late

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's house, and saw The Mayden Queene, which pleases us mightily

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Saw The Cardinall at the King's house, wherewith I am mightily pleased; but, above all, with Becke Marshall. But it is pretty to observe how I look up and down for, and did spy Knipp; but durst not own it to my wife that I see her...and my belly now full with plays, that I do intend to bind myself to see no more till Michaelmas

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list 5@139, p. 129, but not on the second list, 5@12, p. 17. See Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's play house, and there saw Mustapha, which, the more I see, the more I like; and is a most admirable poem, and bravely acted; only both Betterton and Harris could not contain from laughing in the midst of a most serious part, from the ridiculous mistake of one of the men upon the stage; which I did not like

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: I by coach to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw part of The Ungratefull Lovers; and sat by Beck Marshall, who is very handsome near hand

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Davenant's alterations were apparently not published. Pepys, Diary: To a play...at the Duke's house, where Tu Quoque was the first time acted, with some alterations of Sir W. Davenant's; but the play is a very silly play, methinks; for I, and others that sat by me, Mr Povy and Mr Progers, were weary of it; but it will please the citizens

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife to the King's playhouse to see The Northerne Castle, which I think I never did see before. Knipp acted in it, and did her part very extraordinary well; but the play is but a mean, sorry Play; but the house very full of gallants. It seems, it hath not been acted a good while

Event Comment: The King's Company. The date of the first performance is not known; Pepys does not suggest that this day was the premiere. Pepys, Diary: Sir W. Pen...and I by coach to the King's playhouse, and there saw The Mad Couple, which I do not remember that I have seen; it is a pretty pleasant play. Thence home, and my wife and I to walk in the garden, she having been at the same play with Jane, in the 18d. seat, to shew Jane the play

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, my eyes being so bad since last night's straining of them, that I am hardly able to see, besides the pain which I have in them. The play was a new play; and infinitely full: the King and all the Court almost there. It is The Storme, a play of Fletcher's; which is but so-so, methinks; only there is a most admirable dance at the end, of the ladies, in a military manner, which indeed did please me mightily....And there comes my wife home from the Duke of York's playhouse. Two songs, printed somewhat later in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673, may have been prepared for this revival: Hark the storm grows, set by Robert Smith; and Cheer up my mates, set by Pelham Humphrey

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife abroad to the King's playhouse, to shew her yesterday's new play, which I like as I did yesterday, the principal thing extraordinary being the dance, which is very good