Event Comment: The
King's Company. The exact date of this performance is not known, but the Prologue refers to "After a four Months Fast," suggesting that the theatre did not reopen until the end of the Long Vacation (24 Oct. 1681 is the beginning of
Michaelmas Term). The Epilogue also seems to refer to events at
Bartholomew Fair, and the Prologue to the
King's visit to
Newmarket, from which the
King did not return until 12 Oct. 1681. Furthermore,
The Impartial Protestant Mercury, No. 54, 28 Oct. 1681, reports: A Revised Play was some days since Acted on an Eminent Publick Theatre, and the
Prologue is extreamly talked of. [The periodical reprints some of the lines (which are essentially those in the printed version).]
The Loyal Protestant, No. 70, 29 Oct. 1681, refers to the same performance and reprints part of the
Epilogue (which also is essentially that of the separately printed Epilogue). All of these elements point to a performance in mid-October. Both the Prologue and the Epilogue were printed separately, and have been reprinted by
Wiley,
Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 43-45. Broadside copies of the Prologue and Epilogue in the
Huntington Library bear
Luttrell's manuscript notations that both were written by
Dryden. Luttrell's date of acquisition is 13 Feb. 1681@2, an instance in which Luttrell's date of purchase does not apparently correspond closely to a date of performance
Performances
Mainpiece Title: Mithridates, King Of Pontus
Performance Comment: For a previous cast, see February 1677@8. A Prologue spoken at Mithridates King of Pontus, the First Play Acted at the Theatre Royal this Year, 1681. Written by John Dryden. Epilogue written by Dryden and spoken by Goodman and Mrs Cox.