Event Comment: Benefit Corbett. [Luttrell, 21 March, states: "This being Passion week, there was a new opera acted last Monday at the old playhouse, which her majestie being informed of resented the same, and ordered the lord chamberlain to suffer no more till after Easter Sunday" (VI, 29). There is no known advertisement of the performance to which Luttrell refers.

Event Comment: Announced but not given. On 6 June the Lord Chamberlain silenced Drury Lane because of its failure to obey an order issued earlier which forbade the deduction of more than #40 from the receipts at a benefit

Event Comment: At Mr Goff's new Playhouse in Hampstead. This Consort will be perform'd with much better Decorum than before. [In Post Boy, 13-15 Sept., it was announced that the Justices for Middlesex had served an order at Hampstead forbidding the players "to act any more there."

Event Comment: To which Note: Mr Penkethman acts six Days more for the Subscribers to bring their Tickets. Boxes 2s. 6d. Pit 1s. 6d. Gallery 1s

Event Comment: For the Benefit and Encouragement of some English Performers. In this Consort there will be a more exact Decorum than has been observ'd hitherto. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: [By Ambrose Phillips.] At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. William Egerton: And in the Spring came on Mr Phillips's Tragedy, The Distrest Mother. Mrs Rogers, an Actress, who in her Turn, had made a considerable Figure on the Stage, was designed the Part of (Andromache, Hector's Widow, &. i.e.) the Distrest Mother. But the Author, as well as his Friends, were soon convinced that Mrs Oldfield was infinitely the more accomplished Person for so Capital a Part. Upon its being given to Her, Mrs Rogers raised a Posse of Profligates, fond of Tumult and Riot, who made such a Commotion in the House, that the Court hearing of it send four of the Royal Messengers, and a strong Guard, to suppress all Disorders. This being effected, the Play was brought upon the Stage and crowned with deserved Success (Egerton, pp. 31-32)

Event Comment: [By Joseph Addison.] Never Acted before. G. Berkeley to Sir John Percival, 16 April: On Tuesday last...Cato was acted the first time. I am informed the front boxes were all bespoke for nine days, a fortnight before the play was acted. I was present with Mr Addison, and two or three more friends in a side box, where we had a table and two or three flasks of burgundy and champagne, with which the author (who is a very sober man) thought it necessary to support his spirits in the concern he was then under, and indeed it was a pleasant refreshment to us all between the acts....The actors were at the expence of new habits, which were very magnificent. (Rand, p. 113. See also Victor, II, 29-31, and Cibber, I, 122-23, II, 127-33)

Event Comment: [By Nicholas Rowe.] Never Acted before. The Medley, 22 April: Whereas Nicodemus Somebody, Esq; alias The Merry Mr Pack, belonging to the Play-house in Lincolns-Inn-Fields, was on Wednesday Night last very noisy and troublesome in the first Gallery of Theatre-Royal in Drury-lane, he's desir'd hereby, when out of his own House, to behave himself with a little more Manners and Discretion, and not distinguish himself again by his ill-natur'd Gestures and frequent Hissings

Event Comment: By His Royal Highness's Command. The Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, 8 Dec.: Last Thursday Night his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was at the Theatre in Drury-Lane, when one Mr Freeman, a mad Gentleman of 2000l. per Ann. offering to go into the Boxes, and being stopt by one of the Centries in the Passage, he shot him above the Shoulder; however the Centry knockt him down, and securing him, 2 or 3 more loaded Pistols were found in his Pockets....The sudden Discharge of Mr Freeman's Pistol put the Ladies and others withinside the Playhouse into some Consternation at first....The Gentlemen about the Prince, and almost throughout the House, drew their Swords upon the Occasion of this Disorder, which was soon over

Event Comment: A riot caused the acting of Cato to cease in Act IV. See The Weekly Packet 1 March, The Evening Post 22-25 Feb., The Post Boy 22-25 Feb. The most complete account appeared in Read's Original Weekly Journal, 1 March: The Night before had been the Third Night of a New Comedy, written by a young Gentleman of good Interest, and well respected, and the Boxes were bespoke for Monday Night, but a certain Ruler of that House, remarkable for Ill-Nature and Immorality, stop'd the Run of the Play, and caus'd the Tragedy of Cato to be given out...and tho' he was earnestly expostulated with on the Injustice of such a Proceeding, yet he obstinately persisted in his Resolution, which the Friends of the Author of the New Play very much resented: But this was not all, for when Cato came to be play'd, Mr Wilks, Mrs Oldfield, and Mrs Porter, who have principal Parts had given them to some of the inferior Players, which was look'd on as Riding the Audience, who would no longer Brook what they look'd on as an Insult, but with their hisses, Catcalls, &c. deafen'd the House, and drown'd the Shrill Pipes of the Actors; insomuch that the loudest Rant in Lee or Shakespear had been no more to be prefer'd to it, than the Noise of a Flagelot to the whistling of a Tempest; till the End the Players were obliged to retreat to their Fastnesses, unable any longer to Stand their Assaults; for they were storm'd with Orange-Peals, &c. as well as bombarded with Hisses Huzzas and Catcalls. Nor wou'd the Audience suffer them to Capitulate or receive any Offers of Submission, but calling for a Dance, put an End to the Play, in the middle of the 4th Act

Event Comment: Original Weekly Journal, 21 Feb.: The Prince made a Present of Princess hath made him a present of fifty more

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Weekly Journal or Saturday's Post, 30 Jan.: On Saturday Night, after the Actors...had perform'd the Maid's Tragedy, a Proclamation was made upon the Stage from the Duke of Newcastle, Lord Chamberlain, signifying that it was his Majesty's Pleasure to suspend for the present any more Acting at that House