Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser, 14 June: The Managers of...Drury-Lane, have Orders to get Things in Readiness for the Royal Theatre at Hampton-Court, where Plays are to be acted for the Diversion of the Royal Family

Event Comment: By Desire. At the Lilliputians Theatre, the Old Tennis-Court. 6:30 P.M. Boxes 3s. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s

Event Comment: At Lee's Old Theatre on the Bowling Green, behind Marshalsea Prison, down Mermaid Court, next Queen's Arms Tavern. 10 or 11 a.m. to 9 P.M. [Advertised through 16 Sept.]

Event Comment: See Daily Advertiser, 4 Feb., for a letter from Colley Cibber to the Gentlemen of the Inns of Court. Daily Advertiser, 4 Feb.: Whereas it is agreed on between several Gentlemen, to erect a New Theatre for the exhibiting of Plays, Farces, Pantomime, &c. all such Persons as are willing to undertake the said Building, are desir'd to bring their Plans for the same by the 2d of May next ensuing, in order to be laid before the said Gentlemen, the Time and Place of which Meeting will be advertis'd in this Paper on the last of April. Proportions of the Ground: The North Side 120 Feet; the West, square with the North, 130 Feet; the South 110 Feet; and the East on a Bevil, joining the Parallel. Note, There must be a Passage left to go round the Building, and the Stages to be 30 Feet wide at the First Scene; the Distance between Wall and Wall 80 Feet; and the Scene-Rooms, Green and Dressing Rooms, to be on the outside of the last mention'd Measure. The Stage to be either North or South

Event Comment: Benefit a Family in Distress. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 5 May: To be Sold: The Interest of the Theatre and Materials in Goodman's Fields. Inquire of Mr Giffard at his House in Grange-Court, in Cary-Street

Event Comment: Benefit a Widow Gentlewoman under Misfortunes. The Theatre near the Tennis Court in the Haymarket. Tickets at Three Shillings, Two Shillings, and One Shilling. The whole will be conducted with all possible Decency and Regularity. To begin exactly at half an Hour after Six

Event Comment: Benefit Delane. Tickets to be had at Delane's Lodgings, in Queen's Court, King St., Covent Garden; Places to be taken for Boxes of Hobson at the stage door of the theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Saunders, many years a Comedian, by Command of his Royal Highness the Duke. Tickets to be had of Mrs Saunders at her house, No 7, in Duke's Court, in the Great Almonry, Westminster, of Mr Morrison, at the Two Golden Balls in Long Acre; and of Mr Page at the stage door of the theatre. N.B.: Mrs Saunders humbly hopes those Gentlemen and Ladies who intend to favour her of their company, will excuse her not waiting on them, she not having been able to go out of her House these eighteen months

Event Comment: Benefit Delane. Tickets at his lodgings in Queen's Court, in King St., Covent Garden; and at the Bedford Coffee House in the Great Piazza. Places for the Boxes to be Taken at the stage door of the theatre

Event Comment: Author's Night. The Author labouring under a severe and dangerous illness, hopes his friends will excuse his personal Application, and send for tickets to Mr Watts, at the Printing Office in Wild Court; or to Hobson at the Stage door of the theatre at Drury Lane Mahomet translated from the French of Voltaire; but I have no great opinion of the subject, or the original author as a poet; and my diffidence is rather improved by the testimony of those who have seen it.-Letters of William Shenstone, p. 89

Event Comment: Tickets deliver'd out by Mr Davis will be taken. [Bransby doubled in Oxford and Tyrrel. The General Advertiser quoted a long Epilogue on the Birthday of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland Written by the Farmer (who had taken over the role of Swift's Drapier) and spoken by Garrick in Dublin. It also quoted the following long puff for Ray's Benefit to come]: Sir, As long acquaintance best entitles us to friendly good natured offices, and as no more proper time can be found to confer them than when the person is in the Decline of life, give me leave to recommend (thro' your means) Mr Ray of Drury Lane Theatre, the oldest actor now belonging to that House, to the Favour of the Town, at his ensuing Benefit next Saturday. A person who once agreeably entertained the Public, should always feel the warmth of their Indulgence, tho' the Infirmities of Old age may have render'd him less pleasing than formerly. This Application is therefore meant to those friends of his, whom Distance of time, and change of Situation may have made it impossible any other way to acquaint them, that The Merchant of Venice is to be acted for his Benefit on Saturday next; therefore 'tis hoped they will be so kind as to send for his Tickets to Mr Hobson, in the Playhouse Passage, or to Mr Ray's lodgings, the second Door in Queen's Court, Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields, and the Favour will ever be greatly acknowledged by him

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Cross, Mrs Bridges, Miss Young. The General Advertiser included the following Puff: Sir, As I am continually searching for latent Curiosities, out of a sincere regard for the Public Satisfaction, I think it my Duty (lest among the Multitude of Diversions now flourishing, some other might engross the attention of the Curious) to inform the world, that the Farce which will be perform'd this Evening at Drury Lane theatre, call'd May Day, or the Merry Milkmaids of Islington, was written by the particular desire of King Charles II who had it first performed at Newmarket; how agreeably that jovial Monarch was entertained, every person, who thinks it worth his while to see it, according to his abilities, will be a competent judge, Yours, &c A. Virtuoso. [Part of the Multitude of Diversions referred to included announcement in the same paper for a Rehearsal of the whole Band of Music at Ruckholt House, the following Monday; a paragraph Puff on the diversions at Sadler's Wells in consequence of the late happy Victory of the Duke of Cumberland over the Rebels, with special notice of a New Interlude of Music call'd Strephon's Return, or the British Hero, perform'd this night with many advantages of Dress and Decoration, and a new Ballet by Matthews; and further notice of the Representation of the Battle near Culloden House which had met with universal applause, and which would continue to be repeated at the New Wells in Goodman's Fields. The Farce at Drury Lane this evening was advertised as not having been played for 20 years. It was taken from Thomas Nabbes' Totenham Court Road, by the Compiler of the Muse of Newmarket, 1680. The MS Occasional Prologue praising Cumberland is in the Larpent Collection.

Event Comment: At the New Theatre. Benefit Phillips. A Concert, etc. 2s. 6d., 1s. 6d., 1s. 6 p.m. To act every Wednesday...The Cloaths and Scenes are entirely New. Tickets at Phillips' Lodgings, 5 Faulcon Court

Event Comment: Yesterday the celebrated Mr Punch [Edward Pinchbeck] and all his Family quitted his Theatre at the Tennis Court, in James St, near the Haymarket. The same to be sold with or without the Scenes and Properties belonging to it; it is sixty feet long and near forty feet wide (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Costollo and Miss Minors. Tickets of Costollo at his lodgings at Mr Waiter's, Chymist, the Golden Cross, in Russel St., Covent Garden; of Miss Minors, at Mr Nichols's a Baker, in Catherine St., near Russel Court, and at the Stage Door. We are assured that Sg Giardini's Performance on the Violin, at Sga Cuzzoni's Benefit, at the New Theatre in Haymarket, on Saturday Night last, gave the highest pleasure to several of the best judges of that instrument. Receipts: #90 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for one Barry a Jeweller (Cross). A Charity Play, recommended by the City of London for Barry, Jeweller in Salisbury Court (being in great distress). Tickets at Grigsby's, Shadwell's, Janeway's and Sam's Coffee Houses by the Royal Exchange; Peele's, Nando's Anderton's and Temple Exchange in Fleet St., Marsh's Coffee House in Silver St., and at the stage door. Stage will be form'd into an Amphitheatre (General Advertiser). Mr Reinhold dy'd (Cross). A man no less admired for his private character than his publick performance. He has left behind him a Wife and Four small children in great distress; for the relief of whom the Managers of Drury Lane, and the actors have agreed to perform a play Gratis, some time next week; when it is hop'd the good nature of the publick will favour the intention of the performers. Tickets to be had of Mr Beard, at his house in North St., Red Lion Square, and at the theatre (General Advertiser, 16 May). Receipts: #60 (Cross)

Event Comment: mong the Addresses of the Lords and Commons to the Sovereign which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine (Nov. 1751, pp. 513-14) one recommended that provision be made for suppressing audacious crimes of robbery and violence. A contributor called Mr Urban's attention to a "method of reformation earnestly recommended more than 40 years ago by an eminent Divine" (Dean Swift). In this treatise occured the following paragraph: "The Reformation of the Stage is entirely in the power of the Court; and in the consequence it hath upon the minds of younger people, doth very well deserve the strictest care. Surely a pension would not be ill employed on some men of wit, learning and virtue, who might have power to strike out every offensive and unbecoming passage from plays already written, as well as those that may be offered to the stage for the future, by which, and other wise regulations, the theatre might become a very innocent and useful diversion instead of being a scandal and reproach to our religion and country."] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Dexter. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. Tickets to be had of Dexter at his lodgings at Mr Gibson's in James Street, Covent Garden; at the Grecian Coffee House, in Deveraux Court; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre where Places may be taken. Receipts. #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: In a fews days will be reviv'd at Covent Garden, the Tragedy of Phaedra and Hippolytus, in which Mr Sheridan will perform the part of Theseus, and Mrs Woffington that of Phaedra. Sg Francel and Sga Rossina Balbi, two Italian Dancers, arrived on Friday last from the Court of Bareith in Germany, and are engaged to perform at the same theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Ryan. Tickets to be had of Ryan in Crown Court, Charles St. and of Crudge at the Theatre. No building on stage

Event Comment: Benefit for Havard. Tickets to be had of Havard in Broad Court, Bow Street; at Tom's Coffee House in Russel St.; at the Bedford, Covent Garden, and at the Stage door of the Theatre. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Twist. Tickets to be had of her at 10 Wild-Court, Wild-St., and at the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Sparks. Tickets to be had of Mrs Sparks, at her house in Crown Court. Tickets deliver'd out for the Distress'd Mother will be taken. N.B. Mr Sparks having been very long indisposed and rendered incapable of attending the theatre, with the greatest deference persuades himself that Circumstance will readily plead his Apology, and induce his friends to dispense with his personal appearance, and favor him with their commands; and that they will excuse the changing of his play, to which he is oblig'd by the illness of a principal performer; of which and his former obligations, he shall always retain the most gratful sense. [Sparks had been ill since 14 Jan. when Hull took over his part of Buckingham in King Richard III.

Event Comment: [This evening] a cause came on to be tried in the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, in which Mr William Bates, Music Master, was Plaintiff and Spranger Barry, Esq the celebrated tragedian, defendent, upon a demand made by the plaintiff for a large sum of money due to him from the Defendent, for the performance of Miss Slack, the Plaintiff's apprentice, at the Theatre in Cork...After a short hearing a verdict was given in favour of the Plaintiff (Lloyd's Evening Post, 25-28 Nov.)

Event Comment: This Comedy was written by Mr Kelly as soon as the Curtain was drawn up they began to hiss--a party was made against it--because he was suspected of Writing for the Court party. Much hissing. Mr Garrick call'd for. No play &c. Cry'd out, at last the play was got thro' with much hissing and Groaning When the play was given out again One Party was for it no more and Kelly's party was for it again so that no play at all was given out (Hopkins Diary). [See Criticism in "British Theatre" article, London Magazine, March, also an extended account of the attack upon the piece. This occurs also in the Town and Country Magazine, which mentions that since the curtain was not drawn up for the farce the audience received a refund.