Event Comment: Benefit for Ridout and Barrington. On Wednesday 24 April for the Benefit of Leveridge, The City Wives Confederacy: @To all generous Britons I sound this endeavour,@To beg that this season my play you ll promote,@By granting as usual your bountiful favour,@Which by Old Silenus shall ne'er be forgot.@Whilst Life I'm enjoying, and health do inherit,@With grateful Remembrance all thanks I'll renew@Still raising my voice to the Heighth of my Spirit,@Then swan-like will sing out my final adieu. tickets fbr the play, with the Musical note printed on them may had of Leveridge at his Lodging over against the Red Lion in Brownlow St., by Drury Lane, and of Mr Page at the Stage Door. Tickets for the 17th will be taken

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: MMr Mossop from the theatre in Dublin is engag'd at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will perform there the latter end of this week. Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Ye Audience allarm'd in the Middle of ye farce by Cap Robinson & Cap Loyde fighting behind ye Boxes; people suspected at first it was fire, but being convinc'd to ye Contrary set down again. Cap Rob was wounded (Cross). Was a terrible alarm at Drury Lane theatre by a noise from behind the boxes, occasion'd by two gentlemen quarrelling and drawing their swords, which produc'd a rumor of fire through the house, and so great a confusion that many were hurt in attempting to force their way out. A woman was with difficulty saved from throwing herself over the gallery into the pit (Gentleman's Magazine, p. 425). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Musical Entertainment in two Interludes. Someday this week, Mr Ross, will perform the part of Young Bevil in the Conscious Lovers, at Drury Lane, being the first time of his appearance on the English Stage. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts. #100 (Cross). General Advertiser: The tragedy of the Revenge is reviving at Drury Lane, and will be played there sometime next week, in which Mossop will play the part of Zanga. A Poem To Mr Ross, on his first appearance in the Character of Bevil : @Who can resist to pour the raptur'd praise@When such deserts as thine attention raise...@Bevil whose words still fire the Noble mind@Shines with new lustre to thy Merits joined...

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted in 5 years. [See 11 Dec. 1744. For further comment on Dexter, see Genest, IV, p. 341.] One Mr Dexter did Oroonoko , a Gent of Ireland--who never appear'd upon a Stage before--he had ye Greatest applause ever heard & indeed deservedly a Sweet Voice, great feeling--his name was not in ye Bills--only by a Gent (Cross). We hear that a Comedy call'd Eastward Hoe; or, The Prentices, written by Ben Johnson, Chapman, and Marston, is now reviving at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will be acted the 29th. [A four page double column account of the text of Oroonoko appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1752, pp. 163-67.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Ross, belonging to Drury Lane, is recover'd from his late illness, and will appear this week in the character of Lord Townly in the Provok'd Husband. Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: A New Musical Entertainment, call'd the Shepherd's Lottery is now in rehearsal, at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will be perform'd there in a few days. The music is composed by Dr Boyce. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Last night the Shepherd's Lottery was performed for the first time at Drury Lane, and met with universal applause. Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Tragedy of Phaedra and Hippolitus, written by Smith; and the Comedy call'd Every Man in his Humour written by Ben Johnson, are now reviving at the theatre Royal in Drury Lane. and will be acted there alternately next week. Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: Some Hissing, tho' play'd Well-Garrick Kiteley &c. (Cross). Mainpiece: Written by Ben Johnson, never acted there. Characters Dress'd in the Old English@Manner. Receipts: #200 (Cross). We hear that His Majesty intended to go to the theatre Royal in Drury Lane this evening, to see the Comedy of Every Man in his Humour, wrote by Ben Johnson in 1598, acted the same year by the Lord Chamberlain's Servants, and dedicated to the great Mr Camden; and was reviv'd since the Revolution with Great Applause, having a new Epilogue spoken by Ben Johnson's Ghost , written by the late Earl of Dorset (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: KKing there--but not in ye Bills sent Word at 3 o'clock--Play went off well (Cross). We hear there are two more plays reviving at Drury Lane, which are intended to be played alternately, and that a new Pantomime Entertainment call'd Harlequin Ranger is preparing for the holydays. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: This day is publish'd Every Man in His Humour, a Comedy written by Ben Johnson, with Alterations and Additions (as it was performed at Drury Lane). Printed for J. and R. Tonson in the Strand. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye widow of Capt. James Spencer, an Officer &c., and her small Children (Cross). An Old Officer who had been in His Majesty's Service 46 years, but dying when upon half-pay has left the Widow without pension and with several small children in greatest distress. N.B. Part of the Pit will be rail'd into the boxes and servants will be allowed to keep places on the Stage. Tickets to be had of Mrs Spencer, the uppermost house in Prince's Court, by Storey's Gate; the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden; the Tiltyard Coffee House; St James Coffee House; Sweet's Coffee House, Bukingham Court; Bridge Street Coffee House; The Rainbow Coffee House, Ludgate Hill; the Temple Exchange, Fleet St.; the Rainbow, Cornhill; and at the Stage Door of the theatre where places may be taken. Mr Norton Amber, humbly hopes this general acknowledgment of the favour which his friends were pleas'd to confer on him by their generous appearance last Night at Drury Lane, will be accepted, instead of a more particular application, which his constant employment prevents; and begs leave to assure them, that he shall ever retain a most grateful sense of their indulgent assistance. Receipts: #252 (Cross)

Event Comment: By Desire of the...Masons...Benefit of a Brother under Misfortunes. The new Scenes, which were painted for the Gentlemen who presented this Tragedy last Winter at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane will be made use of. A Concert. Boxes 4s. Pit 2s. 6d. Gallery 1s. 6d. The Doors to be shut at six, no person to be admitted after, on Account of the Play being Gratis

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland was at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, to see the tragedy of The Orphan; being the first time of his Royal Highness's being at either of the Theatres since his indisposition (General Advertiser, 4 Jan.). Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: No alterations were made in the farce, but cutting out a little, & it was play'd with great Applause, & given out again with great Clapping. Benefit for Mr Worsdale (Cross). Tickets to be had at the Bedford Coffee House. Part of Pit laid into boxes. We hear that Miss Bellamy, belonging to Drury Lane Theatre, was taken ill on Sunday last, and continues very much indispos'd. Receipts: #230 (Cross)

Event Comment: Publish'd, A Treatise of the Passions so far as they regard the stage &c., by Mr Foote. 1s. [First pub. 1747, it contains an interesting comment on Garrick's Lear.] Romeo and Juliet which was bespoke, and was to have been acted last Monday at Drury Lane, will be acted there next Monday, Miss Bellamy being recovered from her late indisposition. Receipts: #190 (Cross)

Event Comment: Suppos'd Garrick's Benefit (Cross). This day publish'd at 1s. Every Man in his Humour, a Comedy written by Ben Johnson [sic] with alterations and additions, as it was perform'd at Drury Lane (General Advertiser). [Inspector No 298 comments on a blemish in the performance of Richard III, where the character of the Lord Mayor has Buffoonry in the handling." Taswell frequently acts it thus, but perhaps is not to blame, the decision as to the manner of the part probably having been made by the Manager (Daily Advertiser and Literary Gazette, 13 Feb.)] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. We hear that the play of the Mourning Bride will be performed at Drury Lane on 7 March, for the benefit of Mrs Pritchard. Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Pantomime entertainment not performed these 20 years. The Scenes painted by Mr Lambert. Nothing under Full Prices will be taken during the performance. Ladies send servants by three o'clock. [The note about full prices is repeated throughout the run of this pantomime this season. A rather detailed description of the action in this pantomime appeared in the Drury Lane Journal, reprinted in the Gentleman's Magazine for Feb. 1752, pp. 52-53.

Event Comment: MMr Francis has successfully avoided the common fault of a buskin'd expression, and left the plain language of nature to be supported by the dignity of the sentiment: He has I think, not above one or two similies, and scarce one unnecessary or purely ornamental epithet. In this he has judiciously imitated the simplicity of the antients, and of our Milton's Samson Agonistes, as he has also done in the contrivance of the fable, by preserving the unities...'Twould be idle in me to observe that this play is a true tragedy, tho' nobody dies in it, as it has so large a share in exciting the only objects, terror and pity. There is one excellency, which I cannot help pointing out, as it is almost universally overlook'd by all dramatic writers: I mean the MORAL without which there is no perfect drama. (Have at you All; Or The Drury Lane Journal, 20 Feb. 1752). Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Afterpiece: A Dramatic piece of one act taken from the French. Never perform'd before. The characters in it to be newdress'd. Pit and boxes laid together and amphitheatre on stage. Tickets deliver'd for 3 March will be taken. [See, 20 March. The note in Have at you all; or, The Drury Lane Journal (19 March) seems to comment on this performance: Those heroic full-bottomed perukes, whose bushy expanse is spread over the whole back of the wearer, have lately been exploded on the stage, and a more natural, I mean a less enormous covering for the head substituted in its stead. Unfortunately Mr Barry this night chose to appear in one of the most curiously frizzled out and of the fullest tragical flow I ever saw: When in the last act it was our heroes turn to be kill'd, honest Ryan being eager to dispatch him, just as he was to plump down upon the carpet, entangled his hand in the vast profusion of Macbeth's hair; and by jerking back his sword after the concluding stab, away came poor periwig along with it, while our hero was left expos'd, in the last agonies of death-bare headed. Ryan in the meanwhile with some confuconfusion contemplated Full-Bottom, which he held dangling in his hand, but sadly tumbled out of curl; at length he good naturedly adjusted it on the bald pate of the tyrant, who was then enabled to make his dying speech with proper regularity and decorum."