Event Comment: [T+Theatrical Monitor, No VI appeared this day with a blast, in the form of an occasional Epilogue, at the morals, language and plan of the Oxonian in Town. This was the first performance of Macklin's afterpiece in London. It had been played in Dublin. "Its curious idiom, half-brogue, and half Cockney, puzzled the audience, as did its highly topical Irish allusions. With his usual candor, Macklin observed: 'I believe the audience are right. (The play was withdrawn after this single performance.) There's a geography in humor as well as in morals, which I had not previously considered--'" Cooke, Macklin, p. 270. According to Kirkman, in his curtain speech Macklin "courageously admitted: 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very sensible tha there are several passages in this play which deserve to be probated and I assure you that they shall never offend your ears again!' As soon as Mr Macklin had finished this address, the audience testified their approbation of his determination, by loud and reiterated plaudits" (Kirkman, Memoirs of the Life of Macklin, II, 3). See Also Charles Macklin: An Actor's Life by William W. Appleton (Cambridge, Mass., 1960), p. 141.

Event Comment: Comedy Never Acted before. All the Characters New Dress'd. No money return'd after the Curtain is up. [By Macklin. Not printed. Plot account in Kirkman, Life of Macklin. It persisted for nine nights against continual opposition (Genest, IV, 625).] Boxes #95 17s. Macklin's fifth above house charges: #31 15s. 9d. (Account Book). [See note, 2 Feb.] Receipts: #221 19s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: This is a farce of Macklin's Writing, it went off very greatly-he play'd Shylock too (Cross). Receipts: #190 (Cross). [Garrick and Lacy had contracted with Macklin for this Farce two weeks before this performance, according to the following document (BM Add. MS 27925): Memorandum of an Agreement relating to Mr Macklin's Farce and his Playing & performing in the said Farce, with such plays as shall be performed on which the said Farce shall be acted as aforesaid as follows: Imprimis: The said Farce to be publicly performed before Christmas, otherwise not this season on account of the Managers other engagements. Item: Mr Macklin to have for his performing in the said plays and Farce a Fifth part of the profits of the first five nights after deducting sixty-three pounds for the charges of each night during the said five nights-and the sixth night to be for the Benefit of Mr Macklin, he paying the usual charges of sixty-three pounds. Item: The Managers to have it in their power to stop the performances of the said Farce at the end of Six nights on account of their other engagements,-and in case the Receipt of any one night of the said nights on which the said Farce shall be performed as aforesaid shall fall short of One Hundred pounds. Then the Managers to have it in their power to stop the performance of said Farce as the Receipt does not amount to One Hundred pounds. Item: The said Six nights for the said Farce & plays in which Mr Macklin shall perform as aforesaid not to be played immediately succeeding one another, but alternately with such plays as the Managers shall think Convenient. Lastly: That if the said Farce shall meet with the disapprobation of the Publick, that then it shall be in the Power of Discretion of the Managers to stop the performance thereof. Dated this 28th day of November, 1759. S@ James Lacy, D. Garrick. Witness: R. Cross, Geo. Garrick.

Event Comment: Benefit Macklin. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. The Farce never before acted. Tickets to be had of Macklin at his House in Bow St; and of Hobson at the stage door where places may be taken for the Boxes.--General Advertiser. [Afterpiece by Charles Macklin.

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Afterpiece: For only time this season. Pit and Boxes to be laid together. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock and to prevent disappointments come early themselves. Tickets to be had of Miss Macklin at the Golden Fan in Leicester Fields and of Mr Sarjant at the Stage-Door. Charges #64 12s. [Profit to Miss Macklin #90 2s. 6d., plus #165 from tickets (Box and Pit 648; Gallery 30).] (Account Book). Receipts: #154 14s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Part of Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Come as early as possible to avoid confusion. Charges #64 10s. Balance to Miss Macklin #79 18s., plus #146 from Tickets (584 Box & Pit at one price of 5s. each); Paid Mr Monk #2 12s. 6d. for mending the Owl & a new Spring (Account Book). [The bonus value of the benefit to an actor or member of the company staff may be seen when one considers that Miss Macklin's regular salary was #7 per week, or about #28 per month. On this one benefit performance she made a profit in book value equal to her previous eight month's salary. Book value because the Account Book records, for the tickets which she delivered, only the face value of 5s. each. It is probable that many a wealthy theatre-goer gave her on this occasion, by way of appreciation for the pleasure of her performances, much more than the face value of the ticket.] Receipts: #144 8s

Event Comment: Both pieces By Command of his Majesty. The Comedy Love for Love design'd to be perform'd this day, is deferr'd till further notice. Present His Majesty and Princess of Wales, Lady Augusta, Princess Louisa, Prince William and Prince Frederick. Boxes #94 7s. 6d. [about 384 persons, nearly the capacity of the Boxes, which was about 560]. Paid Macklin one fifth part of #179 being the surplus after #63 allow'd for the charge as per agreement...#35 16s. Gave the Yeomen of the King and Princess's Guard #2 2s., and the King's Footmen and Chairmen #1 1s. (Account Book). Receipts: #242 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Part of Pit will be laid into Boxes. Send servants by 4 o'clock. Afterpiece: For the only time this season. Charges #64 5s. Balance to Miss Macklin #77 7s. 6d. plus #115 15s. from tickets (Box 463). Paid Mr Reed for the balance of his 3 nights for Tom Jones #297 3s. Receipts: #141 12s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Send servants by 4 o'clock. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6. [Macklin's first appearance here since his dismissal on 18 Nov. 1773.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Charles Macklin, a re-writing of his The True-Born Scotsman, based partly on Nanine, by Voltaire, 1st acted at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 10 July 1764. Author of prologue unknown. Epilogue by Frederick Pilon (Public Advertiser, 28 May 1781). Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin, 1785]: The Characters new dressed. Receipts: #173 14s. 6d. (172.12.0; 1.2.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 24 May 1759.] Part of Pit will be rail'd into Boxes. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets deliver'd out for the Constant Couple will be taken this night. Receipts: #47 5s. plus #73 17s. from tickets (Box 235; Pit 84; Gallery 75) (Account Book). Charges: #63 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. No Building on stage. Afterpiece: Only time of performing it this season

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Afterpiece: For the only time this season. Part of Pit will be laid into boxes. Tickets deliver'd for the Tender Husband will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Afterpiece: For the only time this season. Ladies send servants by 3 O'clock, and to prevent disappointments such Ladies as have taken places in the Pit part (part of pit will be railed into the boxes) are requested to come early themselves

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Afterpiece: For the only time this season. Pit and Boxes laid together. Servants are desired to be at the Stage Door by 4 o'clock. Ladies desired to come as early as possible to prevent Confusion in getting to their Seats. [See repetition of afterpiece 27 April.

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Lord Lumbcrcourt to Wilson, but "Lee Lewes was the substitute for Wilson, and far indeed better than the man he appeared for" (Public Advertiser, 31 Jan.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'KeerFe]: The Music composed by Shield. The Scenery designed by Richards and Carver, and executed by them, Hodgins, and others. The 1st Part of this Pantomime is an Alteration of the Last New One [Friar Bacon (see 23 Dec. 1783)], and the 2nd Part entirely new and never before exhibited. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "If Macklin once loses the Catch Word he is gone irretrievably." At the end of the 3rd act, at half price, some apprentices coming into the pit talked so loudly that "Macklin stopped; he lost himself. ... He came to the Side of the Stage, and stooping down to the Talkers, said, 'Gentlemen, I must beg you to be silent; my Hearing and Recollection are not so perfect as they were; I cannot proceed for your Talking'" (Public Advertiser, 5 Feb.). Receipts: #286 14s. (282/15; 3/19)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Afterpiece: Only time this season. Send serv'ts by 3. None admitted behind Scenes. [Public Advertiser assigns Mordecai to Cushing.

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Ladies send servants by 4 O'clock

Event Comment: London Chronicle, 17 Oct.: In Act IV Macklin 'very properly declined the orator, but pleaded from his feelings and the predetermined purpose of his heart.' [Mrs Barry, as Mrs Dancer, had 1st acted Portia at Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 9 Dec. 1761, and at dl, 24 Mar. 1768.] Receipts: #205 8s. (204.19.6; 0.8.6)

Event Comment: Paid Macklin for 2 Nights Performance #63. Receipts: #205 15s. (203/1552/0)

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber to Garrick, late Jan.: It is surprising that dl goes on acting; one night with another, to be sure, they have not received above 40 pounds; the actors are paid only three nights a week; though they play every night. But the top stroke of all was Macklin's play! It was entirely new-dressed, and no expense saved in the clothes. I shall say nothing of the piece, because you may read it; but be as vain as you will about your playing Bayes, you never made an audience laugh more than Henry VII has done. There for the first time I saw your rival, Mr Goodfellow; I should have said the rival Mr Lacy wants to make you; do not be quite dispirited about it, for Perkin Warbeck is much below anything I ever yet saw. Here I must ask Mr Stevens's pardon, to whom I have done injustice, for I think he may dispute the pass downstairs with Perkin, and as his head seems to be the heaviest of the two, I think he has the best right to it.--Boaden, Private Correspondence of Garrick, I, 49

Event Comment: [Macklin dismissed after this night. See the account in The Genuine Arguments of the Council, with the Opinion of the Court of the King's Bench, &c., By a Citizen of the World, (London, 1774). Extracts in E. R. Page, George Colman, the Elder (New York, 1935). See notes for 23 and 30 Oct. and the subsequent action in note for 20 Nov. He did not return until 18 May 1775. This night was aparently, except for #4 5s. which was not recorded on the books of the theatre until 18 June well after the season closed. Macklin's suit in court against the rioters was judged 24 Feb. 1775. A column and a half account of the trial appeared in the Public Advertiser, Saturday 13 May 1775, giving the testimony of the witnesses accused of starting the riot, the lawyers, and the judge. The accused were Leigh, Miles, James, Aldus, and Clarke. The first four were convicted of a conspiracy and a riot, the last of a riot only. During the Course of the Business Lord Mansfield took Occasion to observe, that the Right of Hissing, and Applauding in a theatre was an unalterable Right, but there was a wide Distinction between expressing the natural Sensations of the Mind as they arose on what was seen and heard, and executing a pre-concerted Desagn, not only to hiss an Actor when he was playing a Part in which he was universally allowed to be excellent, but also to drive him from the theatre, and effect his utter ruin." See also William W. Appleton, Charles Macklin, An Actors Life (Cambridge, Mass., 1960), Chapter X.

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber to Garrick, 26 Feb. 1746: I despise your vanity when you imagine my danger was as great from Mrs Copin, as yours from Perkin Warbeck; my rival met with disgrace the first night of her appearance; and my not naming her when I writ you about Perkin Jan. 1746] was a piece of generosity scarcely to be met with in the female sex, for my rival was then dismissed the house.--Boaden, Private Correspondence of Garrick, I, 39

Event Comment: MMrs Glen did Lady Townly for her own Benefit, tho' not advertis'd so--Inspid (Cross). Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMrs Macklin dy'd (Cross). The Rout deferred by indisposition of a principal performer. Receipts: #140 (Cross); #132 15s. 6d. (Winston MS 8)