Event Comment: Mainpiece: By particualr Desire. Written by Ben Johnson. The Alchymist being desired for this day, the Way of the World is oblig'd to be deferr'd till tomorrow, and Macbeth till Friday. Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. On Thursday 6 Dec. 1750 a Benefit for a Citizen's Widow with 8 Children, As You Like It, and Miss in her Teens. Tickets to be had at Moorgate Coffee House; Rainbow, Sam's and Janeway's Coffee Houses in Cornhill; Paul's Head, Carter Lane; Peele's and Nandoe's in Fleet Street; Mr Law's, Confectioner, at the Eagle and Child, Fleet St.; Charing Cross; Bethell's Hatter and Hosier, the corner of Pall Mall; Thatched House Tavern, St James St.; Mr Jones, Bookseller, the corner of Staples Inn, and Seagoe's Coffee House, Holborn; the Aldersgate Coffee House, Aldersgate Street; and Ship Tavern, Ratcliff cross. This day is publish'd The Rosciad: a Poem (at 1s.) in which the excellencies and imperfections of the three present principal ornaments of the British Stage are illustrated, and conspicuously represented; with observations on theatrical performances. Printed for J. Robinson. Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: [[No General Advertiser for this day. Information from the Winston MS 7.

Event Comment: This day is publish'd a Guide to the Stage; or Select Instructions and Precedents from the best Authorities towards forming a polite Audience; with some account of the Players, &c. Printed and sold by D. Job, at the Spread Eagle in King St. [An ironical post-Addisonian quip at theatrical behavior]: I boldly enter the lists as the first champion for theatric decorum. The next thing to be consider'd is disapprobation, which I think may be sufficiently shewn, by an attention to something else, by loud discourse, profuse laughter, and the like. I cannot help thinking it a little out of character, for a polite audience to distort their features by a hiss: however for the sake of some ambitious youths, who thus love to signalize themselves, I shall leave a new play to their mercy. They then are at liberty to exercise their several talents whether they hiss or groan most successfully, or have a greater genius for the cat-call. If you desire to know when you are to shew your dislike, my answer is, when anything displeases you, or in fine when you will provided you have a strong party to second you; for the best hiss or groan in the universe may be drown'd in a general applause. [Never laugh at what passes on stage save it be an error, blunder, or accident. In tragic scenes avoid being visibly moved by humming a tune, regarding the audience, engaging in conservation, or turning your back to the stage. When a female social rival calls attention to herself and away from the stage, let fall your handkerchief into the pit, or call out to an acquaintance in the opposite box, or burst into loud and unexpected laughter. You'll know when to applaud, for the actors will tell you.] On these occasions Cato looks more than unusually big, Hamlet stares with great emphasis, Othello has a most languishing aspect, Monimia is all sighs and softness, Beatrice will bridle, and pretty Peggy Wildair leers you into a clap. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: N.B. The entertainment of Robin Hood is oblig'd to be deferr'd for a few days on account of the indisposition of a principal performer. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Publish'd this day A Guide to the Stage, (2nd Edition, with additions) at 6d. [See 10 Dec.] Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: A New Pastoral Opera. Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no Persons to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this Day at the said Office, at Half a Guinea each. Gallery Five Shillings. No person whatsoever to be admitted behind the Scenes. To begin at 6 p.m. [Repeated in all bills.

Event Comment: MMrs Pritchard, belonging to Drury Lane is recovering from her late indisposition, and it is hoped will be able to act in a few days. Mrs Ward, last Sunday Morning, belonging to Drury Lane, was aafely deliver'd of a son, at her lodgings in little Wild St., and is in a fair way of recovery (General Advertiser). Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: Great applause--I believe the Author had many friends (Cross). This day at 2 o'clock will be publish'd at 6d. The Original Story from which the New Comedy of Gil Blas is taken. Printed for W. Owen, at Temple Bar. Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the office in Covent Garden theatre at Half a Guinea each; 1st Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. The Galleries will be open'd at half an hour after Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: A new tragedy, call'd the Earl of Essex, which has sometime been in rehearsal at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, will be performed in a Few Days

Event Comment: The Play of Othello, which was performed last night at Drury Lane theatre, by some gentlemen and ladies to the most numerous and polite Audience that could be assembled, went off throughout with great approbation and applause (General Advertiser). [See A Satirical Dialogue between a Sea Captain and his friend in Town: Humble submitted to the Gentlemen who deformed the Play of Othello on Th-rs-y M- the 7th....To which is added a Prologue and Epilogue much more suitable to the occasion than their own. (London [n.d.], BM 11,795, K 31, 8pp): @'Good manners oblig'd them sometimes to applaud@Tho' they little deserv'd it...'@ The author laments the fact that the expenditure (#1,500) was not put out to charitable purposes, rather than for such entertainment.] This day is publish'd at 1s. 6d., beautifully printed, Alfred, a Masque, acting at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, by Mr Mallet. Printed for A. Miller, opposite Catherine St in the Strand, where may be had Alfred, a Masque, represented before their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at Cliefden, on the first of August 1740. Written by Mr Thomson and Mr Mallet

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Part of Pit will be rail'd into the Boxes. Servants allow'd to keep places. Send servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Clive at the Naked Boy in Henrietta St., Covent Garden. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [see 18 Nov. 1754]. Afterpiece: With alterations and an additional scene. Mr Havard's benefit play, which should have been acted some day this month, is deferr'd on account of his Indisposition, to the 12th of April, when the new Masque of Alfred will be perform'd, with its proper Scenes, Dances, Music, and Machinery. Receipts: #230 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer and Shuter. Last time of acting mainpiece this season. Tickets of Hobson at the stage Door. At Sadler's Wells near Islington will this day be opened a Concert of Vocal and Instrumental Music, divided into two parts; the vocal parts to be perform'd by Hemskirk, Bell, Mrs Yates, and Mrs Hooper. Between the two parts of the concert will be introduced several curious Performances, among which will be a fine representation of the Italian Shadows, which have not been performed in England these 30 years. The whole to conclude with a Grand piece of Fireworks, decorated with machinery and paintings entirely new, Each person to be admitted for a pint of Wine. To begin at 5 o'clock (General Advertiser). Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By particular desire. Last time of performing this season (General Advertiser). Mr Garrick set out for Paris next Day (Cross). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Widow Reinhold and her four small children in great distress. Tickets at Mrs Reinhold's at his house, the Green Door in Little Chapel St., and of Hobson at the stage ooor. Being posivitively the last time of performing this season. A Gift Day for ye Wid: Reinhold & 4 Small Children (Cross). Receipts: #101 (Cross)

Event Comment: At Mr Phillips's Booth, Bowling Green, Southwark. A concert, etc. An Extraordinary Band of Musick. Pit 1s, 6d., Gallery 1s., Upper Gallery 6d. To begin each day at 12 o'clock noon. Mainpiece: An excellent Droll. [Possibly made from Dryden's Spanish Fryar.

Event Comment: A New Musical Entertainment, call'd the Shepherd's Lottery is now in rehearsal, at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will be perform'd there in a few days. The music is composed by Dr Boyce. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Tradesman under Confinement. [This benefit had first been advertised on Monday 11 Nov. Tickets were to be had at seven Coffee Houses, at Mr Watkins' Optician, at Charing Cross, Mrs Crokett's, Harberdasher at the Seven Stars, Ludgate St., and at the stage door. On the day of the benefit one Philantropos contributed a letter in support of it which was printed in the first column of the General Advertiser. The Tradesman was a bookseller who was "the immediate instrument of ushering into the world some of the most valuable books that have been publish'd for these 30 years." But he had paid more attention to the advancement of letters than "to the lucrative views that attend the trade in general," so, in the eyes of Philantropos deserved the support of the town at this benefit.] The death of Mr Cooke mentioned in the Papers is a mistake, he being in a fair way of recovery (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: This day is publish'd Every Man in His Humour, a Comedy written by Ben Johnson, with Alterations and Additions (as it was performed at Drury Lane). Printed for J. and R. Tonson in the Strand. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Norton Amber, formerly a Patentee, & Banker, now Pit Doorkeeper (Cross), late of the Strand (Winston MS 7). Tickets to be had at Mr Pierce's at the Castle Tavern, Corner of Henrietta Street, in Bedford Street, Covent Garden; Mr Frye's a Hosier, the Corner of James Street, Long Acre; King Street Coffee House, near Guild Hall; Batson's Coffee House, Cornhill; and at the Theatre. Places will be taken at the Stage Door of the theatre. This Day publish'd, Young Scarron, at 2s. 6d. sew'd, 3s. bound. Dedicated to the managers of both theatres. "The Stage reproves the follies of the age. For once we'll laugh at Follies of the Stage." Anon. Printed for T. Tyre, near Gray's Inn Holborn and W. Reeve in Fleet St. (General Advertiser). A comical and satirical account of summer strolling players: "When the time draws near that the Theatres Royal disband their troops, or rather grant their furloses till the next Campaign, each private Man becomes an Officer; and they who for nine months before submitted to Monarchical Government, now form themselves into several republicks for the remaining three. Then each Hero takes the path of his own ambition...The various whimsical disputes that arise from this kind of Emulation, are, in part the subject of the following sheets" (173 pp. Written by Thomas Mozeen, Biographia Dramatica). Receipts: #220 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Fourth Day. By Gentlemen masked after the manner of German [sic] and Roman Comedy. [Note repeated in subsequent bills, with German corrected to Grecian]. Mrs Midnight's magazine will not be publised till Tuesday

Event Comment: The Fifth Day. At the Castle Tavern, Paternoster Row. [See 30 Dec., hay; 3 Dec., ct.