Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together; and no persons to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this day, at the office, at Half-a-Guinea each. Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries will be open'd at Four, Pit & Boxes at Five, and to begin at half an four after Six o'clock. Tickets delivered out for 25 Jan. will be take. Subscribers tickets may be had of Richard Dawson, at his house near Henry the Seventh's Chapel, Westminster, who is empower'd by the Society to deliver them, and receive the subscriptions. N.B. Tickets deliver'd to subscribers to this charity will admit one person into any part of the House. Benefit for Increase of a Fund establish'd for the support of Decay'd Musicians, or their Families. [The governors report that they have expended from June 1757 to June 1758 #541 8s. 6d. from this fund.

Event Comment: cted sometime during this week.] Evening Post, 22 Nov.: We hear that last Week the Gentleman of Mr Clare's Academy in Soho Square acted the celebrated Tartuffe of Moliere, done into English by themselves, before many Persons of Distinction, with great Applause

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.

Event Comment: The Farce altered form Ben Johnson, by the author of The Tobacconist. By Authority for one Night only. Benefit Vandermere. Tickets delivered by Fearon, Collett, Mrs Granger, Dancer, Mrs Didier will be admitted. [Hissed (Whitehall Evening Post).

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. There is no indication as to whether this is the premiere. This performance is on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, Plays on the English Stage, p. 19. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 32): The third new Play Acted there [dg] was the Gentleman Dancing-Master, Wrote by Mr Witcherly, it lasted but 6 Days, being like't but indifferently, it was laid by to make Room for other new ones. A song, with music by John Bannister, for this play is in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 2. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 347. There is no certainty that this is the premiere. A song, A heart in love's empire, with music by Robert Smith, and another, Let's drink dear friends, set by Thomas? Farmer, are in Choice Songs and Ayres, The First Book, 1673. The Dedication in the edition of 1672 is to Prince Rupert and states: tho' of thirty times it has been acted, you seldom fail'd to honour it with your presence. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 32): The next new Comedy [at dg] was the Mamamouchi, or the Citizen turn'd Gentleman, Wrote by Mr Ravenscroft [cast as in edition of 1672 except French Tutor and Singing Master, by Mr Haines: (He having Affronted Mr Hart, he gave him a Discharge and then came into our House)]; This Comedy was look[ed] upon by the Criticks for a Foolish Play; yet it continu'd Acting 9 Days with a full House; upon the Sixth the House being very full: The Poet added 2 more Lines to his Epilogue, viz. @The Criticks came to Hiss, and Dam this Play,@Yet spite of themselves they can't keep away.@ However, Mr Nokes in performing the Mamomouchi pleas'd the King and Court, next Sir Martin, above all Plays

Event Comment: Benefit of a Gentleman who has been reduced by the Fall of Stocks [apparently the actor who plays Castalio]. At the Great Green Gates in Cross-street, Hatton-Garden. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Gentlemen and Ladies

Event Comment: Benefit Sandham. At the particular Desire of several Gentlemen and Ladies

Event Comment: Benefit a Gentleman who has been under Misfortune, formerly Commander of a Ship, and now going to settle in Georgia. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Richardson. At the particular Desire of several Gentlemen and Ladies. 7 p.m

Event Comment: At the particular desire of several Gentleman and Ladies. A Concert, etc. Acted but once these twenty years. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: Benefit Johnson, a Distiller, and Adams. 6 p.m. Which will be perform'd by a set of Gentlemen and Ladies who never performed on any stage before. [Usual formula of the concert.] Prices 2s. 6d., 1s. 6d., 6d

Event Comment: The 9th Night

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. The doors to be opened at half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock. [For Gentleman who played Othello, See bill for 25 May.] Charges #73 8s. Profit to Lewis #57 15s., plus #24 10s. from tickets (Box 61; Pit 43; Gallery 28) Receipts: #131 3s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Lyric Ode (never performed) "On the Witches, Fairies, and Aerial Beings in Shakespeare. The Music entirely New." [The Westminster Magazine for March commented: "This poem is said to be written by a young gentleman of Oxford, and has many strokes of genius and inagination in it. The music, we hear, is composed by Mr Linley Jr, who has (since his return from Italy) been a student under that most excellent musician Dr Boyce. This composition must be allowed to be an extraordinary effort of genius in so young a man. The Fugue of the overture is masterly. The song of 'There in old Arden's inmost shade,' is well suited to the scene described by the poet....But what we think most deserving of praise is the power our young composer has shown in the chorusses....From the general and sincere applause with which the Ode was received, we may venture to pronounce, that if Mr Linley Jr pursues his studies, he will one day stand foremost in the list of modern composers."

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Jerrold. Afterpiece: Containing the Life and Death of King Chrononhotonthologos, the valiant Exploits of Bombardimian, his general, the unsuccessful Love of Fadladinada, Queen of Queerumania, to the Antipodean King, concluding with the marriage of the aforesaid Queen to her two fortunate Lovers, Aldiborrontiphoscophornio and Rigdum Funnidos. Mr and Mrs Jerrold present their humble respects to the Ladies and Gentlemen, and as through the badness of the weather, and being Assembly-Night on their former Benefit, there was not the Expenses in the House; therefore solicit the Favour of their Company, and Interest in this their second Attempt. To begin precisely at 6:30. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had at the Crown, and at the Cock, Well's row

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Mainpiece [1st time; c 5 (?), author unknown; perhaps an alteration of Love at a Venture, by Susannah Centlivre. MS not in Larpent; not published. Authors and speakers of Prologue and Epilogue unknown]. Afterpiece: As it was originally performed at this theatre [on 15 Oct. 1770]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. The above entertainments have been a long time in rehearsal, and care has been taken in getting them well up, and to have the principal parts supported by veterans

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Raeburn, Stewart and Rae. Mainpiece: In its original state. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of the Prologue. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:00. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre; and tickets to be had at Rae's, No. 4, Wardour-street, Soho

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