Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the premiere is not knwon, but the Dedication is dated February 1699@1700, the play was entered in the Term Catalogues in February 1699@1700, and advertised in the Flying Post, 16 March 1699@1700. The latest likely date for the first production is January 1700, but the play may have appeared in late December as a rival to lif's production of I Henry IV early in January 1700. Cibber, Apology, I, 275: But the Master of the Revels, who then licens'd all Plays for the Stage, assisted this Reformation [of the morality of the stage] with a more zealous Severity than ever. He would strike out whole Scenes of a vicious or immoral Character, tho' it were visibly shewn to be reform'd or punish'd; a severe Instance of this kind falling upon my self may be an Excuse for my relating it: When Richard the Third (as I alter'd it from Shakespear) came from his Hands to the Stage, he expung'd the whole first Act without sparing a Line of it. This extraordinary Stroke of a Sic volo occasion'd my applying to him for the small Indulgence of a Speech or two, that the other four Acts might limp on with a little less Absurdity! no! he had no leisure to consider what might be separately inoffensive. [Cibber continues with an explanation of the censor's argument for cutting the act.] Preface to Cibber's Ximena, 1719: Richard the Third, which I alter'd from Shakespear, did not raise me Five Pounds on Third Day

Event Comment: Benefit for Clarke. Mainpiece: Not acted these 8 years. [See 22 March 1750.] No building on the Stage. Receipts: #49 4s. 6d. Charges: #63. Deficiency covered by #114 14s. from tickets (boxes 160; pit 394; gallery 156). Rec'd from John Rich, #300, being part of the sum paid Mrs Finny on account of the New Building. Paid out for sundries from the theatres and sum, to Barry and Lee, #284 14s. (Account Book)

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: As 10 Oct. To act Monday through Saturday: King John, Richard II, Henry IV, Parts I and II, Henry V, and Richard III

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these Six years [8 April 1735]. Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry VIv. The artful acquisition of the Crown by King Richardv. The Murder of Young King Edward Vv and his Brother, in the Tower. The Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and the Death of King Richard in the memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. [This customary description appears in all subsequent notices.

Event Comment: Benefit the Author of afterpiece [Daily Courant]. Benefit J. and Ch. Rich [Rich's Register]. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Receipts: money #71 3s.; tickets #26

Event Comment: Benefit John Rich. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Receipts: #70. Rich's Register: Recd of Lady Rochester 4-0-0

Event Comment: Receipts: #63 12s. [For Rich's operation of both cg and lif simultaneously, see Hughes and Scouten, John Rich and the Holiday Seasons of 1732-33, pp. 46 -52.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted there before. New Decorations incident to the play (General Advertiser). Advanc'd towards purchasing Mr Smollet's copy of Alceste #100 (Account Book). Handel remov'd to Covent Garden, and entered into some engagements with Rich, the particulars of which are not known, save that in discharge of a debt that he had contracted with him in consequence thereof, he some years after set to music an English opera entitled Alceste, written by Dr Smollet, and for which Rich was at great expense in a set of scenes painted by Servandoni; but it was never performed (Hawkins, General History of Music, V, 324). [For additional information on Alceste, see Deutsch, Handel, pp. 679-81. See also cg 14 Feb. 1749.] Receipts: #155 18s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit John and Ch. Rich. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Estcourt. Receipts: #36 8s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit J. and Ch. Rich. Receipts: #98 14s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit J. and Ch. Rich. Receipts: #44 5s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit J. and Ch. Rich. Receipts: #48 12s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit J. and Ch. Rich. Receipts: #66 19s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit J. and Ch. Rich. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Receipts: #61 7s. 6d

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Afterpiece: By His Royal Highness's Command [Rich's Register]

Event Comment: Benefit Husband and Ch. Rich. Receipts: money #27 6s. 6d.; tickets #72

Event Comment: Benefit J. and Ch. Rich. Receipts: money #27 11s.; tickets #66 1s

Event Comment: Benefit John Rich. Receipts: money #33 12s.; tickets #18 18s

Event Comment: Benefit J. and Ch. Rich, Corey, Cross (Numberer). Receipts: money #16 6s.; tickets #111 16s

Event Comment: Benefit John Rich. Afterpiece: With all the Scenes, Machines, Flyings, and other Decorations proper to the Play. Receipts: money #66 3s. 6d.; tickets #20 8s