Event Comment: Play by Command of their Royal highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Edward, Prince William, Lady Augusta and Lady Elizabeth

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Containing the Memorable battle of Agincourtv, with the total overthrow of the French Armyv, and many other historical passages. [Customary comment it will not be restated.] Receipts: #85 3s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Being the Death of the Duke of Buckinghamv; the Trial and Divorce of Queen Catherinev; the Death of Cardinal Wolseyv; The Christening of Princess Elizabethv; and many other Historical Passages. [This customary note accompanying each subsequent announcement this season will not be repeated further.] Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Account Book: Present Prince and Princess of Wales, Lady Augusta, Princess Elizabeth, Prince Edward, Prince Frederick. [See also 25 Nov.] Receipts: #171 13s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Full Prices. [Sparked by Victor's publication of his History of the Theatres of London and Dublin, 1730 to the Present, a series of articles on the Rise and Progress of the English Stage appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine for May (p. 214 ff); June (p. 264 ff); and July (p. 297).

Event Comment: Full Prices. There will not be room behind the Scenes for more than the persons acting in the coronation, [Others] cannot possibly be admitted. The coronation of their Majesties was followed by a stage representation of it at both houses...Garrick knew that Rich would spare no expense in the presentation of his show; he knew too that he had a taste in the ordering, dressing, and setting out these pompous processions, superior to his own; he therefore was contented with the old dresses which had been occasionally used from 1721-1761. This show he repeated for near forty nights successively, sometimes at the end of a play, and at other times after a farce. The exhibition was the meanest, and the most unworthy of a theatre, I ever saw. The stage was...opened into Drury Lane; and a new and unexpected sight surprised the audience, of a real bonfire, and the populace huzzaing and drinking porter to the health of Queen Anne Bullen. The Stage in the meantime, amidst the parading of Dukes, duchesses, archbishops, peeresses, heralds &c. was covered with a thick fog from the smoke of the fire, which served to hide the tawdry dresses of the processionalists. During this idle piece of mockery, the actors, being exposed to the suffocations of smoke, and the raw air from the open street, were seized with colds, rheumatisms, and swelled faces. At length the indignation of the audience delivered the comedians from this wretched badge of nightly slavery, which gained nothing to the managers but disgrace and empty benches. Tired with the repeated insult of a show which had nothing to support it but gilt copper and old rags, they fairly drove the exhibitors of it from the stage by hooting and hissing, to the great joy of the whole theatre....Rich...fully satisfied [the publick's] warmest imaginations (Davies, Life of Garrick, I, 365 ff.)

Event Comment: Containing an account of that notorious Pretender in the Reign of Henry VIII. Aith a short account of Lambert Simnel, a Pretender to the Crown, fostered in like manner by Richard Simon, a Priest of Oxfordshire, with many other Historical passages, similar to the present times [and a synoptic account of the play follows]. A reviv'd Historical Play (not acted in the Memory of Man, and written by an anonymous author, in Shakespeare's Style).--Daily Advertiser, 18 Dec. Prices, Boxes 2s. 6d. Pit 2s. First Gallery 1s. 6d. Upper Gallery 1s. [These prices continue.

Event Comment: [Henry is identified in playbill of 15 Nov. He had been acting in America since 1767 (Dictionary of American Biography); and see 18 Apr. 1780.] "We cannot but object to [his] calling handkerchief hand-kercher, according to the old Saxon termination. Perhaps he may be justifiable [sic] on the strict rules of etymology, but singularity always looks like affectation" (Morning Chronicle, 18 Oct.). Receipts: #109 2s. 6d. (91.15.0; 17.2.0; 0.5.6)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This play is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 216. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 348. The date on the list seems to be "3," but as this is a Sunday, it is more likely "9." This performance may well be the one to which Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 31) refers: Note, Mr Cademan in this Play [The Man's the Master], not long after our Company began in Dorset-Garden; his Part being to Fight with Mr Harris, was Unfortunately, with a sharp Foil pierc'd near the Eye, which so Maim'd both the Hand and his Speech, that he can make little use of either; for which Mischance, he has receiv'd a Pension ever since 1673, being 35 Years a goe. [For a discussion of this accident, see William VanLennep, Henry Harris, Actor, Friend of Pepys, Studies in English Theatre History (London, 1952), p. 16, and the entry under 20 Aug. 1673.

Event Comment: Paid Scott (copper lace man) #113 14s., and Whitefield for making cloaths #53 16s. 5d. (Account Book). Receipts: #136 5s. 6d

Event Comment: Paid Younger for 2 Licenses (King Henry II, and The Man of Business) #4 4s. Paid Farrington & Scarr (haberdashers) #26 16s. Receipts: #179 7s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit Pinkeman. Common Prices. All Persons that come behind the Scenes are desired to pay their Money to none but Mr Pinkeman. [This benefit had originally been advertised for 24 Oct. but deferred, the offerings for that day being a medley of The Death of King Henry VI, a Tragical Interlude of one Act only; Aesop, "several select Scenes" only; and The School-Boy; or, The Comical Rivals.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: [By Henry Carey.] A new Farce on one Act. Benefit Quin. Receipts: money #67 12s.; tickets #73 19s

Event Comment: [Edition of 1730 lists airs by Henry Carey, Charke, J. Sheelis.] At Oates-Fielding Booth. [Advertised also 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 Aug.; 1, 2, 13, 4, 5, 6, 7 Sept.

Event Comment: Benefit Henry Ford

Event Comment: Benefit the Widow and Four Small Children of the late Henry Carey. Tickets at the stage door, or at the Widow Carey's in Cross St., Hatton-Garden; at Langbourn-Ward Coffee House; and of Mrs Suertt, at the Apple Tree in Cold Bath Fields. N.B. The Unfortunate Widow humbly hopes that the Good Nature and Humanity of her Friends will admit her melancholy circumstances, and the shortness of time, as a sufficient excuse for not waiting on them, and continue the favours, formerly shown to her late Husband, to her and her Distress'd Family, being left entirely destitute of any provision

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [in 5 Acts by Sir William Davenant, slightly altered for the stage by Henry Woodward] never acted there. [The lady identified by Hopkins MS Notes and named in the Edition of 1775. The Westminster Magazine for Nov. suggests Shuter instead of Quick for Sancho. The review thought it an indifferent Comedy which "yet could be made a most excellent farce....The dialogue has all the rust of antiquity about it, and the modernizing scenes are left to the discretion of the performers. However, in representation, this piece cannot fail of entertaining....Miss Leeson, who appeared in the character of Isabella, has an agreeable plaasing figure, a good face and a marking eye; her voice is weak, but after she got rid of her fright was sufficiently articulate; there was an ease and nature in her deportment and dialogue that entitles her to encouragement."

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Bicknell. By His Majesty's Command. Written by Shakespear. Pit and Front Boxes together at 5s. Tickets for The Man of Mode taken. [The King present.