Event Comment: Benefit for Lamash, Griffiths, Kear, and Carpenter. Tickets deliver'd by Stevens and for The Gamesters will be taken. The Gamesters cannot be performed on account of Parsons's indisposition. Carpenter only acted (Winston MS 11). Receipts: #194 12s. Charges: #66 8s. 6d.Profits to beneficiaries: #128 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. 2nd piece: Taken from Mrs Centlivre's Gamesters [recte: Gamester]. 3rd piece [1st time; M.INT 1]: The Accompaniments by Shield. Gazetteer 14 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 10, Great Russell-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #296 11s. (153.2.6; 3.4.6; tickets:140.4.0)

Event Comment: Written by the Author of a Comedy call'd, The Gamester

Event Comment: Written by the Author of the Gamester

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Centlivre [the author]. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Written by the same Author of a Comedy call'd, The Gamester

Event Comment: Opening Piece: Written by the Author of the Gamester

Event Comment: Tickets for Othello and The Gamester taken

Event Comment: This day publish'd The Gamester, a Tragedy, as it was acted at Drury Lane. Printed for R. Franklin...and sold by R. Dodsley. Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: [The Public Advertiser published a long New Historical Epilogue, intended by the Author as a proper sequel to the Tragedy of the Brothers. It speaks of the authentic history in the play, and of the effective moral lesson, closing: @As public woes a Prince's crimes pursue,@So public blessings are his Virtues' due.@Shout Britons, shout!--auspicious Fortune Bless!@And cry, Long live--OUR title to success!@ This was followed by a Letter from Mr Booth in the Shades to Dr Young, on his Tragedy call'd the Brothers (an elaborate puff). In it Booth forgives Young for withdrawing the play from rehearsal thirty years earlier, and thus precluding his playing the part of Demetrius: "And I the more readily pardon you, as you have not disgraced me by giving the part to any of my successors, till this Garrick appeared, whose reputation, I can assure you, is by no means confined to your world, and who, I am told, hath more than supply'd my place, hath rendered the loss even of Betterton himself very supportable." He then lets Young in on a secret that there will be a performance of his play in the shades by all the old actors as soon as Curll can steal a copy of it for them.] We are assured that on Thursday the 22nd instant will be publish'd a Comedy in 2 acts, call'd The Rehearsal; or, Bayes in Petticoats, witten by Mrs Clive, and to be performed that evening, after the Mourning Bride, for her Benefit at Drury Lane. Mr Yates's Benefit will be on Thursday the 5th of April, when the tragedy of the Gamester will be played, being the twelfth day. A new farce will be added to it, the preparing of which has oblig'd Yates to defer his Benefit till the above day. Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Tomorrow a Comedy (not acted these 02 years) call'd The Gamester with Dancing by Mr Gardiner, being his first time of appearing on that stage, Mrs Vernon, &c. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: BBarry play'd at C. Garden some little Noise, on Account of his being ye occasion of ye late Riot, & demanding more Money than usual-but his speech declaring his Innocence; King Lear went on in quiet (Cross). It is hoped that the Ladies and Gentlemen who took places for the Fatal Marriage this evening will excuse its not being acted 'till tomorrow, as it is impossible for Mrs Cibber to perform the character of Isabella without proper respit. The Old Comedy alter'd from Shirley [The Gamesters] will be reviv'd next week (Public Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: This Night by the Crowd upon the upper Gallery Stairs two Women & a Man were Kill'd (Cross). 2 or 3 Persons squeezed to death getting into Drury Lane (Winston MS 8). The Tragedy of the Mourning Bride will be acted at the latter end of this week at Drury Lane, in which Mrs Glen will perform the character of Zara, it being the second time of her appearing on that stage. The reviv'd Comedy of the Gamesters and the tragedy of the Fatal Marriage will be played after the holidays. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Paid Tallow Chandler's 4th Bill #41 6s. 5d.; Spermacetti Candles, #132 18s. Mr Tomlinson for Men's cloaths #11 11s.; Mr J. French on acct #20; Miss Hopkins, 15 nights (19th Dec. incl.) #3 15s. (Treasurer's Book). [The sixth edition of Wm. Law's Absolute Unlawfulness of Stage Representations was published this year (1st. edn. 1726) This day was published the Preliminary Number of the Westminster Magazine, which, monthly, included a section called The English Theatre, which observed generally on the state of the Stage, and commented specifically on new plays. Its view of the stage in general was not as sanguine as had been that of the writer for the Town and Country Magazine (1 April 1772). "We are of opinion, that the English Theatre is now in its decline. Whether it is that the stores of Dramatic Subjects or of Dramatic Genius are exhausted, is not immediately obvious; but there is a fault somewhere....We have seen the Morning star of Wit--the Noon too is past; we have now arriv'd at its evening...There is in Arts, as in Empires, a progress which leads to Refinement; and this refinement leads to Ruin." According to the writer the meridian glory of the English stage was during the reign of Queen Anne. Reviewer damns the Irish Widow, refuses to discuss the Gamesters (revived), damns the Rose and praises the Garrick alteration of Hamlet. This year also appeard Granny's Prediction, a 53-page pamphlet attack on Mrs Barry, condemning her on moral grounds (polygamy) and on aesthetic grounds, commenting on each of her characters. By a spiteful female relative Elizabeth Franchetti.] Receipts: #142 10s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mr King's dress in the Gamesters #8 12s. 3d. Receipts: #194. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The Gamester [announced on playbill of 19 Apr.] is obliged to be deferred, on account of the Indisposition of a principal Performer. Receipts: #84 1s. 6d. (52.15.0; 29.10.0; 1.16.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Gamester, announced on playbill of 12 Nov.] Receipts: #122 18s. 6d. (80.4.0; 30.10.0; 2.4.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for L'Estrange, Thompson & Mrs Webb. Tickets delivered for The Gamester will be taken. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Receipts: #204 14s. (75.0; tickets: 129.14) (charge: #105)