Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Farce of 2 Acts [Francis Gentleman]. Benefit for Mrs Jewell

Event Comment: Benefit for Barry. Mainpiece: A Tragedy never acted there, Taken from Southern's Oroonoko [by Francis Gentleman]. Tickets deliver'd for Alexander will be admitted. Ladies send servants by 4 o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit for Weston. [See Comment 24 April.] Afterpiece: A Comedy of Two Acts altered from Ben Jonson's Alchemist, by Francis Gentleman. Receipts: #242 12s. 6d. Charges: #64 13s. Profits to Weston: #177 19s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: A new dramatic Pastoral Farce. The Music composed by Hook. Play by Francis Gentleman

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A new Comedy [by Francis Gentleman, first perform'd at Chester, 1760 (Biographia Dramatica)]. By Permission. Benefit for Mrs Williams. Note: For performances at dl and cg 18 and 20 September, see Season of 1773-1774, p. 1745

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 18 Jan.: Whereas a Bottle was flung out of one of the Galleries into the Pit...on Saturday Night last, during the Time of Performance, which struck a Gentleman on the Head, and very much hurt him, I hereby promise to pay to any one that shall discover the Person who threw the same, so that he may be brought to Justice, the Sum of Twenty Guineas, to be paid on Conviction....John Rich

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Beaumont and Fletcher, reviv'd. Afterpiece: Not acted these three years. [See 8 Aug. 1761.] Mr Powell made his first appearance this Night in Philaster. His Reception was very great, he play'd the part amazingly well, & Seems to have Requisites to make a very Capital Performer. N.B. Covent Garden Theater begun to play every Night (Hopkins). Philaster by Mr Powell. Prodigious applause (Cross Diary). This play [Philaster] was wrote by Beaumont and Fletcher, and is now altered by Mr Colman. Mr Powell, a young gentleman clerk to Sir Robert Ladbrook, made his first appearance in the character of Philaster.--A greater reception was never shown to anybody,--he was so very much frightened, he could not speak for some time, and, when he did, the tears ran fast down his cheeks,--but he soon recovered himself, and went through the part with a great deal of nature and feeling,--Continued claps and huzza of bravo! &c. &c. Upon the whole I think him possessed of every requisite necessary to make him an ornament to the stage.--N.B. Mr D. Garrick instructed him in this part--when I see him in another shall be able to judge better of his capabilities.--Miss Pope appeared this Night in the character of Maria in the Citizen,--by endeavoring to be very fine she overdid it,--and it was plain to see she wanted her master. N.B.--Covent Garden began to play of our nights--the first time they ever begin first since Mr Garrick was manager (Hopkins Diary--MacMillan). Receipts: #258 11s. 6d. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: [The Gentleman in the mainpiece under the pseudonym of Melmoth was the voluminous writer Samuel Jackson Pratt. Identification by Hopkins MS Notes. He had acted first in Dublin, 1772-73.

Event Comment: Three Brothers of ye Delavals play'd ye Eldest Othello, ye next Iago, ye next Cassio--+Brabantio & Lodovico Mr Pine Roderigo-Cap. Stevens and Wife Emelia $Mrs Quan did Desdemona, the performance was very decent & met with great applause the Audience from ye Boxes to the upper Gallery were fill'd with people of ye first rank & make a most brilliant appearance. & ye greatest Crowd at ye Doors I ever saw. their Agreement for ye House was a receipt of one of the Alfred Houses upon an Averidge. they had all new cloaths, & very nicely ornamented with Diamonds (Cross). [See eulogy and criticism in some detail concerning the acting, by John Hill, Inspector No 3.] All Gentlemen and Ladies who intend going in coaches this evening to Drury Lane Theatre, are desired to order their coachmen to drive thro' Covent Garden, and stop at Bridges St. Door, and as soon as they have set down the company to drive off directly towards the Strand.--Those who go in chairs, are requested to order the men to the New Door in Russel St., and to prevent the avenues being stopt up no person will be admitted to either passage without first showing their tickets at the outward door (General Advertiser). Tickets Lost. If any person has found three tickets (numbers forgot) for the private play this night at Drury Lane, and will be so kind as to bring them to the Bar of the Rainbow Coffee House, Ironmonger Lane, shall receive 15s. for the whole, or in proportion for one or two of them (General Advertiser). Tomorrow Morning at 8 o'clock will be published' (price 6d.) by Thomas Carnan, at Mr Newberry's, at the Bible and Sun in St Paul's Churchyard; An Occasional Prologue and Epilogue to Othello, as it will this night be acted at the theatre-Royal in Drury Lane, by Persons of distinction, for their diversion. Written by Christopher Smart, A.M., Fellow of Pembroke Hall in the University of Cambridge. To be had at the place above mentioned, and at the pamphlet shops at the Royal Exchange and Charing Cross. This Prologue and Epilogue will be entered in the Hall Book of the Company of Stationers, and whoever presumes to pyrate them, or any part of them, will be persecuted as the Law directs (General Advertiser). [Both pieces by Christopher Smart, according to the Daily Advertiser. See two exceedingly favorable critical comments and one derogatory reprinted in the Gentleman's Magazine, March 1751 (pp. 119-22): "The greatest part of the play was much better performed than it ever was on any stage before. In the whole, there was a face of nature that no theatrical piece, acted by common players ever came up to." Macklin was Delaval's dramatic coach, according to one of these articles.