Event Comment: Tickets to be had and Places for the Boxes to taken of Fosbrook, at the Stage Door of the Theatre. Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2nd Gallery 2s. Books of the Performance to be had at the Theatre only. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Opera, where there was a new play (Cutter of Coleman Street), made in the year 1658, with reflections much upon the late times; and it being the first time, the pay was doubled, and so to save money, my wife and I went up into the gallery, and there sat and saw very well; and a very good play it is. It seems of Cowly's making. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 25): This Comedy being Acted so perfectly Well and Exact, it was perform'd a whole Week with a full Audience. John Dennis, Dedication to The Comical Gallant, 1702: The only Play that ever Mr Cowley writ, was barbarously treated the first night, as the late Mr Dryden has more than once informed me, who has told me that he went to see it with the famous Mr Sprat, now Bishop of Rochester, and that after the Play was done, they both made a visit to Mr Cowley. Langbaine (English Dramatick Poets, p. 81): This Play met with some Opposition, at its Representation under this new Name, from some who envyed the Authors unshaken Loyalty to the Prince, and the Royal Cause, in the worst of Times. BM Add. Mss. 34217, fol. 31b, in Hotson (Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 247): @The Cutter of Coleman street had more fame@Before the Author chang'd its name@And shewd himselfe an Englishman right@By mending of things to spoyle them quite@And bee's more to blame because he can tell@(No better) to make new strings soe well.

Event Comment: The United Company. This play was in rehearsal before the death of Charles II-see 6 Feb. 1684@5-and was staged shortly after the playhouse reopened. Luttrell's date of acquisition of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue is 9 May 1685 (in possession of Pickering and Chatto, Ltd., 1938), and the play may have been first given on that date or during the week preceding Saturday 9 May 1685. For Cibber's account of Mountfort as Sir Courtly, see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, I, 129. The separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 228-30. A separately-printed Three New Songs in Sir Courtley Nice (1685) contains three songs, with the music by Samuel Ackroyde and an unknown composer. In addition, two songs, As I grazed unaware and O be kind my dear be kind, both composed by R. King, are in The Theater of Music, Second Book, 1685. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 40-41): The first new Comedy after King James came to the Crown, was Sir Courtly Nice, wrote by Mr Crown:...The Comedy being justly Acted, and the Characters in't new, Crown'd it with a general Applause: Sir Courtly was so nicely Perform'd, that not any succeeding, but Mr Cyber has Equall'd him. Note, Mr Griffin so Excell'd in Surly, Sir Edward Belfond, The Plain Dealer, none succeeding in the 2 former have Equall'd him, except his Predecessor Mr Hart in the latter. The Lover's Session; In Imitation of Sir John Suckling's Session of Poets (in Poems on Affairs of State, II [1703], 162): @Montrath was in Foppery conceiv'd another@Of Whitehall true Breed, Sir Nices Twin Brother:@None could tell, so alike all their Follies did seem,@Whether he acted Mumford, or Mumford him.

Event Comment: The United Company. Writing on 3 Jan. 1692@3, Anthony Wood states: A new comedie composed by Mr Tate, poet laureat, was acted before their majesties, M. 2 Jan. (Andrew Clark, The Life and Times of Anthony Wood [Oxford, 1894], III, 413). Since no new play by Tate is known to have been acted at this time, and since A Duke and No Duke was reprinted in 1693 (Term Catalogues, May 1693), and acted several times (Gentleman's Journal, January 1692@2, issued in March):A Duke and no Duke being often acted now, and scarce, is reprinted, with the addition of a curious Preface, by our Laureat, concerning Farce. [Possibly Wood was mistaken in thinking that A Duke and no Duke was a new play. It seems the one most likely to fit the circumstances of this period.

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of this production is determined by a letter (see below). For a discussion of the origin and development of this play, see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, pp. 274-76. A song, Why shou'd the world mistake, the music composed by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hudson, is in Thesaurus Musicus, 1695. An unidentified letter, 22 March 1693@4: We had another new play yesterday, called The Ambitious Slave, or a Generous Revenge. Elkanah Settle is the author of it, and the success is answerable to his reputation. I never saw a piece so wretched, nor worse contrived. He pretends 'tis a Persian story, but not one body in the whole audience could make any thing of it; 'tis a mere babel, and will sink for ever. The poor poet, seeing the house would not act it for him, and give him the benefit of the third day, made a present of it to the women in tie house, who act it, but without profit or incouragement (Edmond Malone, An Historical Account of the Stage in Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare [London, 1821], III, 163-64). Gentleman's Journal, March 1694: 'Tis not altogether strange for a Play to be less kindly receiv'd, immediately after one that has deservedly ingross'd all the Applause which the Town can well bestow in some time on new Dramatic Entertainments. Perhaps Mr Settle may partly impute to this, the want of success of a new Tragedy of his which was lately acted, 'tis called, The Ambitious Slave; or, The Generous Revenge. [This play followed Southerne's The Fatal Marriage.

Event Comment: Not Acted these Fifteen Years. [After this performance the dl at Oxford, where Betterton spoke a prologue written by Joseph Trapp. It appeared as a broadside and in The Players Turn'd Academicks and has been reprinted by Wiley. p. 124.

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Booth and Keene. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Cross. [In Daily Courant, 24 May, and later Penkethman announced his new theater in Greenwich, to which several Persons of Quality have subscribed. He intends to open on 12 June with a new Prologue by himself and a new Epilogue-by him and Bullock. He solicits additional subscription for a proposed program of 24 plays. See also Tatler, 25-27 May.

Event Comment: [Text by N. F. Haym. Music by G. F. Handel.] Colman's Opera Register: Mr O. Swiny ye Manager of ye Theatre was now setting out a New Opera, Heroick. all ye Habits new & richer than ye former with 4 New Scenes, & other Decorations & Machines. Ye Tragick Opera was called Theseus. Ye Musick composed by Mr Handel....ye Opera being thus prepared Mr Swiny would have got a Subscription for Six times, but could not.--he then did give out Tickets at half a Guinea each, for two Nights ye Boxes lay'd open to ye Pit, ye House was very full these two Nights

Event Comment: Benefit Robinson and Turner. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Dryden. Afterpiece: At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality, we are oblig'd (instead of The What D'Ye Call It) to Act...The Country Wake

Event Comment: Benefit Huddy. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Written by the late Mr Otway

Event Comment: Benefit Cibber Jr and Mrs Cibber. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit the English Harlequin. By a New Company of English Comedians, who never yet appear'd upon that Stage. [Second Piece: "a New Farce (of one Act)." Apparently not published. Third Piece: "a New Entertainment in Grotesque Characters."

Event Comment: Benefit Wells. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Not Acted these Ten Years

Event Comment: Benefit Essex. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Afterpiece: Being particularly desir'd

Event Comment: A New English Opera. [Text by Thomas Lediard.] Set to Musick after the Italian Manner by Mr John Frederick Lampe. The Scenes and Cloaths are entirely New. With the Representation of a Transparent Theatre. Curiously Illuminated, and adorn'd with a great Number of Emblems, Mottos, Devices, and Inscriptions; and embellish'd with Machines, in a Manner entirely new. N.B. The Illuminations and other Preparations for this Opera are such, that no Person whatever can be admitted to the Stage. Pit and Boxes put together at 6s. Gallery 3s. 6 p.m. [For a discussion of Lediard and this work, see a series of articles by Ifan Kyrle Fletcher, Sybil Rosenfeld, and Richard Southern in Theatre Notebook, II (1948), 42-54.

Event Comment: Mahnpiece: A New Opera. Set to Musick by Mr Lampe. [Author of text unknown.] Afterpiece: a new Pantomime Entertainment. [Author unknown.] All the Dresses are intirely new. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: By His Majesty's Command. A New Oratorio in English. Composed by Mr Handel. And to be perform'd by a great Number of the best Voices and Instruments. The House to be fitted up and illuminated in a new and particular manner. Tickets One Guinea. Gallery Half a Guinea. [Text by Samuel Humphreys. Their Majesties, Prince, and three eldest Princesses present.] Daily Advertiser, 20 March: An Entertainment, perhaps, the most magnificent that has ever been exhibited on an English Theatre....The Composition of the Musick is by no means inferior to the most finish'd of that Gentleman's Works; but the Disposition of the Performers was in a Taste beyond what has been attempted. There was a very great Number of Instruments by the best Hands, and such as would properly accompany three Organs. The Pit and Orchestre were cover'd as at an Assembly, and the whole House Illuminated in a new and most beautiful manner. [See also Lady A. Irwin to Lord Carlisle, in Deutsch, Handel, pp. 309-10.