Event Comment: Benefit Henry Chapman, Coachmaker

Event Comment: To the Publick: Ladies and Gentleman, The Play of Othello, with Dancing by Cooke, Picq, Delamain, and Les Damoiselles Anne and Janneton Auretti, &c., being to be acted for my benefit on Monday next, at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden; and having accidentally heard that a certain person being possess'd of a great quantity of my tickets, has some thoughts of getting them up to a considerable premium, I out of meer Friendship, not at all with regard to my own interest (if you'll believe me) do privately and secretly, in this public manner, advise you, to send away to my house, the corner of Bow St. near the said theatre, where I will oblige you with what number of tickets you please, at Par, to within an Hour of the Play's beginning. I am, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your most obedient and humble servant, Tho. Chapman

Event Comment: Tickets deliver'd out by Miss Copin for the Merchant of Venice will be taken to the Conscious Lovers (General Advertiser). This day is publish'd, Price 1s., A Letter of Complaint to the Ingenious author of a Treatise on the Passions, so far as they regard the stage; with a critical Enquiry into the theatrical merit of Mr G-k, Mr Q-n, and Mr B-y, &c. With some further remarks on Mr M-n. And a few hints on our modern Actresses, particularly Mrs C-r and Mrs P-d. Magna est Veritas, & pravalebit. Printed for C. Corbett, over against St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet St. (General Advertiser). [Illuminating discussion of actors' abilities]: The Stage is much indebted to Mr M- for his incessant successful endeavours; he not only grac'd it with his own personal merits, but rais'd up several Branches who tho' they have not yet quite eclips'd Mr Giffard's Nursery from Goodman's Fields, will certainly in time prove stars of the first magnitude.--(p. 28). Touch Messrs. Giffard and Ryan and give them better voices; there is nothing else wanting. Help Mr Delane to a new manner and judgment to display the best pipe that ever was heard. Polish a little the rough Beauties of Mr L. Sparkes, give the sensible Mr Havard a few more spirits; and mend the Humour of Hippisley, Chapman, Barrington, and Blakes if you can. Poor Yates wants nothing but a front of brass, a necessary self-sufficient Manner of pushing himself upon a Publick.--(p. 31). If Mrs Giffard's Manner was equal to her understanding, she wou'd compell everybody to acknowledge her a surprising Performer. In Lady Macbeth she is excellent; and Hermione was very near eclipsing a much more popular actress; in short in every Part she performs, the severest of her enemies cannot but own she is more than decent.--(pp. 32-33). [Gives two pages each to discussion of Mrs Clive, Mrs Woffington, Mrs Cibber, and Mrs Pritchard.

Event Comment: Benefit for the Widow of the Late Chapman. Tickets deliver'd out by the Widow Johnson and Mrs Wallis will be taken. Yesterday Morning died Mr John Laguerre, an eminent Painter belonging to the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden; a facetious companion, universally esteemed in every Scene of Life! (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Will Hill. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire of his friends. N.B. The Gentlemen are desired to meet Mr Hill after the Play at the Rose Tavern, Temple Bar. [He had advertised since 15 April that "Gentlemen and Ladies who intend to honour him with their presence," should take tickets at: the Thatched House, St. James's St; Jack Bridell's, the One Tun in the Strand; Half moon in Holborn; Rose, Temple Bar; King's Head, in the Poultry; Castle, Lombard St; Bell, East cheap; King's Head, Tower Hill, Rummer, Bishopsgate St; West India and Jerusalem Coffee Houses near the Royal Exchange; Chapman's, Swordcutler, in Exchange Alley; and at Will Hill's Lodgings, Mr Geves's in Abchurch Lane.

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: Benefit for Anderson, Wignel and Chapman

Event Comment: Benefit for Holtom, Mrs Stephens, Miss Helm, and Carmichael, Prompter. Tickets deliver'd by Holtom, Carmichael, Chapman, Rawlins, Miss Helm, Miss Stephens, Miss Dawson, Miss Leppie, Mrs Hitchcock, Mrs Gwin will be taken. [The first eight received one-half value. The last two received full value gratis for their tickets.] (Account Book). Receipts: #33 16s. 6d. The benefits: @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value 1!2 Value@Holtom 56 63 #14 14s. #7 7s.@Carmichael 12 12 12 #6 #3@Chapman 114 214 71 #67 14s. #33 17s.@Rawlins 10 74 47 #18 6s. #9 3s.@Miss Helm 3 14 31 #5 19s. #2 19s. 6d.@Miss Stephens 13 16 35 #9 13s. #4 11s. 6d.@Miss Dawson 126 44 35 #41 12s. #20 16s.@Miss Leppie 4 23 37 #8 3s. #4 1s. 6d.@Mrs Hitchcock 35 67 28 #21 12s. Gratis@Mrs Gwinn 4 39 58 #12 13s. Gratis@Total 321 559 417 #205 7s. #85 15s. 6d.

Event Comment: Benefit for Weller, Chapman, Mrs Burden, Miss Sledge. Tickets deliver'd by Redman, Dibdin, Miss Helm, Mrs Viviez, Miss Dawes, and Widow Dupre will be taken. [Ticket distribution from Account Book:] @Names Box Pit Gallery Value 1!2 Value@Weller 19 59 80 #21 12s. #10 16s.@Redman 2 41 44 #11 1s. #5 10s. 6d.@Chapman 51 177 87 #48 #24@Dibdin 5 24 40 #8 17s. #4 8s. 6d.@Mrs Burden 20 30 56 #15 2s. #7 11s.@Miss Sledge 6 56 72 #17 2s. #8 11s.@Miss Helm 4 27 25 #7 11s. #3 15s. 6d.@Mrs Viviez 8 53 144 #24 7s. #12 3s. 6d.@Miss Dawes 14 30 56 #13 12s. #6 16s.@Mrs Dupre 5 44 42 #12 1s. #6 6d.@Total 134 541 646 #179 5s. #89 12s. 6d.@ Receipts: #22 15s. 6d. plus half value of tickets #89 12s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Stoppelaer, Chapman, Jarvis, Miss Fielding

Event Comment: Paid Mr Chapman for horsekeeping [for Jubilee] #12 6s. (Treasurer's Book). [Published this month A Letter to David Garrick, Esq. on his conduct as Principal Manager and Actor at Drury Lane. Printed for S. Bladon. Accuses Garrick of controlling the press, save for two papers, and thus getting more favourbale treatment than his position and actions deserve. "You are a mere actor. You affect to feel where you do not, and imitate tones, looks and gestures, while your heart is at ease. This should heighten our opinion of you as an artist, whatever we might think of you as a man. I believe you are not generally judged of in this manner. It is not difficult to impose on the world." The author (David Williams?) deprecates Garrick's supposed handling of the actors of his company, and desires to see more Shakespeare. Suggests Garricks' acting perfection lies in the extreme, in exaggerated gesture, and sudden bursts of passion." Suggests he is getting old and should try his hand at Shylock.] Receipts: #271 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Townsend and Follett. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, author unknown]: The Music entirely new, composed by Reeve. Morning Chronicle, 11 June: Tickets to be had of Townsend, No. 153, Drury-lane; of Jack Follett, at Mrs Chapman's, No. 46, Drury-lane. Receipts: #436 19s. (93.17.6; 4.6.0 Tickets: 338.15.6)

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: And then out to the red bull (where I had not been since plays come up again)...where I was led by a seaman that knew me, but is here as a servant, up to the tireing-room, where strange the confusion and disorder that there is among them in fitting themselves, especially here, where the clothes are very poor, and the actors but common fellows. At last into the pitt, where I think there was not above ten more than myself, and not one hundred in the whole house. And the play, which is called All's lost by Lust, poorly done; and with so much disorder, among others, that in the musique-room the boy that was to sing a song, not singing it right, his master fell about his ears and beat him so, that it put the whole house in an uprore. Nicoll (Restoration Drama, p. 309) argues that George Jolly probably occupied the red bull in St John's Street, Clerkenwell. When Richard Walden saw the red bull players at Oxford in July 1661, Anne Gibbs acted Dionysia in All's Lost by Lust. It is possible that she played that role on this day. See Walden's Io Ruminans, 1662