Event Comment: Benefit for James, Winstone and Burton, Tickets of James, at Mr Dale's Watchmaker in Little Wild St.; or Winstone at the Queen's Head, in Duke's Court, near Bow St., Covent Garden; and of Burton at the Lock and Key, in Brownlow St. near Long-Acre, and at the Stage Door. As Mr Burton is confin'd with a violent cold, he hopes his friends will excuse his not having waited on them and be so kind as to send for tickets to his lodgings as above. Receipts: #190 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pritchard, Treasurer. Tickets his house next the Chapel in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields. This day publish'd at 1s.A Poetical Epistle from Shakespear in Elysium, to Mr Garrick at Drury Lane Theatre. Printed for J. Newberry (General Advertiser). Old Jack Ray, dy'd (Cross). Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Tickets of Mrs Pritchard in Great Queen St. Lincoln's Inn-Fields, and at Stage Door. Part of the Pit will be taken into the Boxes, and servants will be admitted to keep places on the stage. [A Complaint of the Tragic Poets, addressed to Dr Young appeared in the Public Advertiser, praising him on the Brothers: "And your last efforts prove your strength divine."] Receipts: #250 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pritchard (treasurer). Farce went well Jane Shore was to have been Play, but chang'd on Sunday--Bellamy ill (Cross). Tickets of Pritchard, in Great Queen St. Lincoln's Inn-Fields, and at the Stage Door. Tickets deliver'd for Jane Shore will be taken. Afterpiece: Alter'd from Otway, with several additions never perform'd before. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: No Performance Passion Week (Cross). We hear that a new Tragedy call'd Creusa Queen of Athens, written by the author of the Roman Father is now in rehearsal at Drury Lane, in which Miss Macklin will play the part of a boy

Event Comment: RRival Queens deferr'd on account of the Indisposition of a Principal performer

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Pritchard at her house in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; and at Pritchard's Warehouse in Tavistock St. Receipts: "230 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into boxes. Tickets of Miss Pritchard in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields and at Pritchard's Warehouse in Tavistock St. Receipts: #340 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece alter'd from Beaumont & Fletcher (Cross) being a sequel to Catherine and Petruchio; or, The Taming of the Shrew (Public Advertiser). Benefit for Pritchard. Tickets of Pritchard in Great Queen St.; Lincoln's Inn Fields; and at Pritchard's Warehouse in Tavistock St. [The Larpent MS 133 lists the characters: Sophocles, Tranio, Maria, Bianca, Jaques, Petruchio, Petronius, Pedro, Citizens, Countrymen, Doctor, Apothecary, 1st Watch, 2nd Watch.] Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: [The Rival Queens, as 20 Dec., and The Cheats of Scapin, as 1 Nov., had been scheduled.

Event Comment: This day is Publish'd: The Author, a Comedy of two Acts, by Foote. Price 1s. Printed for R. Francklin, Russell St., Drury Lane. Creusa Queen of Athens, a Tragedy, by Wm. Whitehead, Price 1s. 6d. Printed for R. and J. Dodsley in Pall Mall. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: With new Additions and Alterations. Pit and Boxes to be laid together, and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be delivered this day at the said Office in the Theatre at Half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. The Doors to be open at Half an Hour after Four o'clock, Pit and Boxes at Five, to begin at Half an Hour after Six. This day is published Price 1s. Solomon, An Oratorio, with New Additions and Alterations

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Farce for last time this season. Tickets of Miss Pritchard in Great Queen St., lif; and at stage door. Receipts: #260 (Cross); charges #63 (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: To begin each day at twelve noon and end at ten at night during the short time of St Bartholomew Fair at Yates' (from Drury Lane) Great Concert Hall in the Greyhound Inn, Smithfield. There is a commodious way to the Hall opposite the Sheep-Penn. The diverting entertainment contains the distresses of a young lady that was stolen by a French pirate; the gallantry of an English Captain who rescued her; their unfortunate shipwreck, and their being thrown upon a desolate island; their sufferings through famine; the unexpected relief they met with on a part of the island; governed only by women; their being afterwards seized as pirates; the punishment inflicted on them by the Female Goverment; and their amazing delivering by the Queen's finding her husband and her only son, whom she had lost and thought dead upwards of twenty years. Interspersed with the comical and diverting adventures of Lt Fireball, a true English Tar, Noddy a distressed Beau, Snivel Thimble, a tailor; Splitfarthing an Old Userer; and Glisterspite a Finical Surgeon. In which will be introduced a Dialogue between Mynheer Vanflawkin, a Dutchman, and Mynheer-the German

Event Comment: ctually no play. Death of George II closed theatres three weeks.] Mainpiece: Not acted in 2 years. [See 28 April 1759. There was no income this night, but the play list had to be met. The house carried a profitable balance of #318 16s. 5d. The payroll plus other expenses came to #284 12s. 9d., leaving a thin balance of #34 3s. 8d. (Account Book). Other bills included #14 17s. to Luppino for making dancing dresses; Robertson 10s. for attendance four nights in The Rape; Miss Ibbott #5 5s. for performing the part of Queen Elizabeth in the Earl of Essex; Marenesi and wife advanced weekly #2 2s. till the Theatre opened again (Account Book)

Event Comment: The new Comic Opera Bertoldo will be performed Tuesday next instead of Monday being the day appointed to celebrate the Queen's birthday

Event Comment: Benefit for Poitier. On Account of the Dancing No Building on the Stage. Tickets and places to be had of Mr Poitier, at Mr Piddington's, Coach-Maker, in Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, where Mr Poitier hopes his Friends will favour him with their Commands, as this is the last Benefit he proposes taking

Event Comment: I Went With Mallet to breakfast with Garrick; and from thence to Drury-Lane house, where I assisted at a very Private rehearsal, in the Green-room, of a new tragedy of Mallet's, called Elvira. As I have since seen it acted, I shall defer my opinion of it till then; but I can't help mentioning here the surprising versatility of Mrs Pritchard's talents, who rehearsed, almost at the same time, the part of a furious Queen in the Green-room, and that of a Coquette on the stage; and passed several times from one to the other with the utmost ease and happiness. I dined with Darrel, saw The Way of the World afterward (Edward Gibbon's Journal, ed. D. M. Lowe (New York, n.d.) pp. 185-86). [Apparently Mrs Pritchard rehearsed Millamant in the morning.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. To prevent any interruption in the performance, there will be No Building on Stage. N.B. Tickets to be had of Mrs Ward, at Mr Dean's in Queen St., Soho; and of Mr Sarjant, at the Stage Door, where Places may be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Simpson and for a Public Nusance &c. (Hopkins). Benefit of Mrs Simson, and removing a Public Nuisance, by opening the way at the end of Great Queen Street (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). By Particular Desire

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Rec'd stopages #1 8s.; from John Palmer in part of his bond #70; Paid 5 days salary list #367 13s. 4d. Receipts: #173 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to the 2 shilling Gallery to see the new tragedy, with its musical entertainment The Cunning Man, a sort of translation of Rousseau's Devin du Village. Holland, Powell and Bensley played Warwick, Edward and Pembroke very well. Mrs Yates did great justice to Queen Margaret. Mrs Palmer did Elizabeth. The Prologue was spoken by Bensley, the Epilogue by Mrs Yates. The characters were very richly dressed in the dresses of the time. The improper use of ridiculous modern dresses on the stage often offends me (Diary of Sylas Neville, unpublished MS portion)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bates, Dumay, Curtat, Redman, Mrs Naylor. Tickets deliver'd for The Albion Queens will be taken. Charges #64 5s. Deficit #31 11s., covered by income from tickets: Bates #21 14s. (Box 8; Pit 66; Gallery 98); Dumay #49 13s. (Box 90; Pit 125; Gallery 84); Curtat #42 13s. (Box 61; Pit 90; Gallery 139); Redman #57 17s. (Box 35; Pit 180; Gallery 221); Mrs Naylor #33 9s. (Box 36; Pit 103; Gallery 90) (Account Book). Receipts: #32 14s. (Account Book). Stoppelaer and Sarjant paid up their deficiencies for 11th and 15th Inst

Event Comment: [See note for 9 Jan. 1770 of a mild riot this night during best scene of The Orphan.] Afterpiece: A New Opera [by George Alexander Stevens] the Music composed by Mr Fisher. Books of the entertainment to be had at the theatre. Gave Duke of Glocester's Footmen #2 2s. (Account Book). [Afterpiece a roaring burlesque of Lee's Rival Queens. Larpent MS 302 includes Semi Chorus, Grand Chorus, and Perdiccas, not listed in the Playbill. The Court awakes with total hangover. Alexander orders a pot of coffee to clear his head. Thais begs him to leave the gout giving juice-Retire with me @ In my Chinese pavilion, drink some Tea." Afterpiece reviewed inthe Freeholder's Magazine for Jan.] Mr Shuter and Mrs Mattocks gave great satisfaction in their different characters; the words of the songs were written by Mr George Alexander Stephens, author of the celebrated Lecture upon Heads, and several other whimsical productions; and the airs which had Uncommon merit, were composed by Mr Fisher, a young genius, who has hitherto been but little known in the musical world. Receipts: #215 8s. 6d

Event Comment: Paid Black? Lyon bill #2 7s. 4d. (Treasurer's Book). [This is a recurring item weekly throughout the season varying in amounts from about #1 to #3. Tavern. Run by Yearley Waterer. Not noted further. Total payments this season about #75.] Public Advertiser, Theatrical Intelligence: Any Young Lady inclined to the Stage, is offered an advantageous Opportunity to experience her Theatrical Abilities in a very desirable Situation. As this Advertisement appears not from an itinerant Manager, nor results from a Dearth of People, but a Wish to promote Merit, which often (for want of the proper Mode of Application, or Fear in the Parties of their Intentions being made public, in case their Services should not be received) lies hid and unnoticed, it is hoped none but such as are possessed of a good Figure, as that will be greatly regarded, and whose Capabilities are blended with a real Inclination will apply. Enquire for W. at No. 114, in Long-Acre between the hours of Eleven and One on Wednesday or Thursday Morning in person, as no Attention will be paid to any Substitute. The Stage: A Gentlewoman, who has played capital Characters with unblemished Reputation in the three Kingdoms, takes this Method of acquainting such Ladies who have Talents and Inclination for the stage, that she undertakes to instruct them for the Profession many having been unsuccessful, more from Want of previous Instructions than Want of Genius. Her Attention to the great Articles of Reading and Speaking, with Elegance and Propriety, as well as Expression, Grace, and Ease, will be found of infinite Service to those who are assisted by the least Understanding. Those Ladies who do not intend to display their Talents in Public may be instructed for their Amusement. Enquire for E. H. No. 2 Queen Street, near Windmill Street, Haymarket. N.B. Any Lady will be waited on by a Line directed as above. [These advertisements ran for a number of days.] Receipts: #183 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Tallow Chandler's 4th Bill #41 6s. 5d.; Spermacetti Candles, #132 18s. Mr Tomlinson for Men's cloaths #11 11s.; Mr J. French on acct #20; Miss Hopkins, 15 nights (19th Dec. incl.) #3 15s. (Treasurer's Book). [The sixth edition of Wm. Law's Absolute Unlawfulness of Stage Representations was published this year (1st. edn. 1726) This day was published the Preliminary Number of the Westminster Magazine, which, monthly, included a section called The English Theatre, which observed generally on the state of the Stage, and commented specifically on new plays. Its view of the stage in general was not as sanguine as had been that of the writer for the Town and Country Magazine (1 April 1772). "We are of opinion, that the English Theatre is now in its decline. Whether it is that the stores of Dramatic Subjects or of Dramatic Genius are exhausted, is not immediately obvious; but there is a fault somewhere....We have seen the Morning star of Wit--the Noon too is past; we have now arriv'd at its evening...There is in Arts, as in Empires, a progress which leads to Refinement; and this refinement leads to Ruin." According to the writer the meridian glory of the English stage was during the reign of Queen Anne. Reviewer damns the Irish Widow, refuses to discuss the Gamesters (revived), damns the Rose and praises the Garrick alteration of Hamlet. This year also appeard Granny's Prediction, a 53-page pamphlet attack on Mrs Barry, condemning her on moral grounds (polygamy) and on aesthetic grounds, commenting on each of her characters. By a spiteful female relative Elizabeth Franchetti.] Receipts: #142 10s. (Treasurer's Book)