Event Comment: The King's Company. This is a Friday in Lent, when frequently the playhouses did not act. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw a piece of Love in a Maze, a dull, silly play, I think: and after the play, home with W. Pen and his son Lowther, whom we met there

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: To the Nursery, where I was yesterday, and there saw them act a comedy, a pastorall, The Faythful Shepherd, having the curiosity to see whether they did a comedy better than a tragedy; but they do it both alike, in the meanest manner, that I was sick of it, but only for to satisfy myself once in seeing the manner of it, but I shall see them no more, I believe

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: [Creed] and I to the Duke of York's playhouse; and there coming late, he and I up to the balcony-box, where we find my Lady Castlemayne and several great ladies; and there we sat with them, and I saw The Impertinents once more, now three times, and the three only days it hath been acted. And to see the folly how the house do this day cry up the play more than yesterday! and I for that reason like it, I find, the better, too: by Sir Positive At-all, I understand, is meant Sir Robert Howard. My Lady [Castlemayne] pretty well pleased with it

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: [Creed] and I to the King's playhouse, and saw an act or two of the new play again, but like it not. Calling this day at Herringman's, he tells me Dryden do himself call it but a fifth-rate play

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, and there saw Cupid's Revenge, under the new name of Love Despised, that hath something very good in it, though I like not the whole body of it. This day the first time acted here

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Knepp's maid comes to me, to tell me that the women's day at the playhouse is to-day, and that therefore I must be there, to encrease their profit....I by coach toward the King's playhouse, and meeting W. Howe took him with me, and there saw The City Match; not acted these thirty years, and but a silly play: the King and Court there; the house, for the women's sake, mighty full

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my wife to the King's playhouse, and there saw The Joviall Crew; but ill acted to what it was heretofore, in Clun's time, and when Lacy could dance

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Carried The. and my wife to the Duke of York's house, to Macbeth,...and I to the Duke of York's house and saw the last two acts.... This day The. Turner shewed me at the play my Lady Portman, who has grown out of my knowledge

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw The Island Princesse, which I like mighty well, as an excellent play; and here we find Kinaston to be well enough to act again, which he do very well, after his beating by Sir Charles Sedley's appointment

Event Comment: Evelyn does not name the theatre or company, but previous offerings of Horace were given by the King's Company. Evelyn, Diary: I saw Mrs Philips's Horace acted againe

Event Comment: Evelyn, Diary: I saw the Italian Comedie act at the Court this afternoone

Event Comment: The United Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@147, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 350. Peregrine Bertie to the Countess of Rutland, 31 Dec. 1685: Yesterday was acted The Committee. The King and Queen were there and all the whole Court went to see it, but coming a little after it was begun [I] could not get any roome (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Rutland MSS., Part V, Vol. II, p. 100). Bridget Noel to the Countess of Rutland, ca. 6 Jan. 1685@6: [Last Wednesday] my Lady Exeter engaged us to goe to a play with her...which was a Commity. The King and Queen was at it, and the house as full as ever I saw it (ibid.)

Event Comment: Peregrine Bertie to the Countess of Rutland, 11 Feb. 1685@6: To-day was the French opera. The King and Queen were there, the musicke was indeed very fine, but all the dresses the most wretched I ever saw; 'twas acted by none but French. A Saturday the Court goes to another play, to take their leaves of those vanitys till after Lent (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Rutland MSS., Part V, Vol. II, p. 104). [This performance is on the L. C. list 5@147, p. 125: The King & Queene & a Box for ye Maydes of honor at ye French Opera [the charge for the royal box was increased from #20 to #25 on this occasion]. W. J. Lawrence conjectured that this French opera was Cadmus et Hermione and that Jacques Rousseau, a scene painter of Paris, provided the decor. See W. J. Lawrence, The French opera in London; A Riddle of 1686, TLS, 28 March 1936, p. 268

Event Comment: The United Company. Peregrine Bertie to the Countess of Rutland, 6 March 1685@6: To day is acted Jevarns' new farse; Thursday was the first day. I must confess it is the strangest thinge I ever saw; 'twas mighty full the last time, and to day there is noe getting in (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Rutland MSS., Part V, Vol. II, p. 106). [Since Friday 5 March was a Friday in Lent, it is possible that the farce was not given on that day.

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The evidence for this date as the premiere of The Relapse is Jennens' report on 19 Nov. 1696 that Drury Lane expected to produce a new play on this date, coupled with the fact that Lady Morley saw this play on 25 Nov. 1696. The play was advertised in the Post Boy, 26-29 Dec. 1696. Preface, Edition of 1697: One word more about the Bawdy, and I have done. I own the first Night this thing was acted, some indecencies had like to have happen'd, but 'twas not my Fault. The fine Gentleman of the Play, drinking his Mistress's Health in Nants Brandy, from six in the Morning, to the time he wadled upon the Stage in the Evening, had toasted himself up, to such a pitch of Vigor, I confess I once gave Amanda for gone, and am since (with all due Respect to Mrs Rogers) very sorry she scap'd; for I am confident a certain Lady (let no one take it to herself that is handsome) who highly blames the Play, for the barenness of the conclusion, wou'd then have allowed it, a very natural Close. Gildon, English Dramatick Poets, p. 145: This Play was received with mighty applause. Cibber, Apology, I, 216: This Play (the Relapse) from its new and easy Turn of Wit, had great Success, and gave me, as a Comedian, a second Flight of Reputation along with it

Event Comment: On this date the Czar of Muscovy attended an opera, but the title is not given. Lady Newton, Lyme Letter, 1660-1760, p. 209: On Saturday last the Czar of Muscovy, attended by the Marquis of Carmarthen, and some of his Bayers, was at the King's Playhouse in Drury Lane, and saw 3 acts of the Opera. Luttrell, A Brief Relation, IV, 343, 12 Feb. 1697@8: This evening the czar was at the playhouse in Drury Lane to see an opera

Event Comment: James Brydges, Diary: I went & din'd at ye fountain, after wch I went to ye Playhouse in Lincolns Inn fields, & saw my Cozen Hussys & Coz. Roberts there. I staid an act (Huntington MS St 26)

Event Comment: [By George Farquhar. Date of premiere unknown. Published 5 March.] Preface: As to the Success of it...the French were prepossess'd, and the charms of Gallick Heels were too hard for an English Brain....There were some Gentlemen in the Pit the first Night, that took the Hint from the Prologue to damn the Play; but they made such a noise in the execution, that the People took the outcry for a reprieve....There is a Gentleman of the first Understanding, and a very good Critick, who said of Mr Wilks, that in this Part he out-acted himself, and all Men that he ever saw

Event Comment: Gibson, ed., Blundell's Diary, p. 143: This being Bartholemew Fair I went to Smithfield and saw a Fars acted which was called Argulus and Parthenia and a Poppy Play called Earl of Essex

Event Comment: For the Relief of Mr Chetwood, late Prompter at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, and now a Prisoner in the King's Bench. Receipts: money #219; seals #15 (Account Book); #250 Rylands MS.). [William Shenstone saw Cibber act on 12, 13, or 14 Jan. See Letters of William Shenstone, pp. 14-15.

Event Comment: non.] to Mr Garrick, 4 Dec.: Sir, I saw you last night act Fondlewife, and could not help thinking it a good deal overacted, especially in that sort of feeble trot you seemed to affect so much. A part overacted makes the actor look foolish.-Boaden, Private Correspondence of Garrick, I, 27

Event Comment: PPublic Advertiser: As I saw in the papers that the tragedy of Phaedra is shortly to be acted at Covent Garden, I thought that the following lines, written upon Mrs Woffington's performance of the character in Ireland would not be unacceptable to you, or to your readers. They fell casually into my hands. If you think them worth inserting, they are at your service [a poem of 104 lines follows]: @Oft has the poet sweetly sung in vain@When tasteless actors chaunt the heavenly strain... Woffington seems reserved to play the part magnificently. The analysis, tho' fettered to the couplet, is more specific as to her gestures and expression, and tone, than most such commentaries

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: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Beard's Night. Charges. #64 5s., Balance to Beard #198 12s. (Account Book). Got but a bad place in the 2s. Gallery at Covent Garden where I saw Love in a Village with the Citizen...At the end of Act 2, we had the dance of the Female Archer, by Mad LaRiviere, Miss Wilford, &c. with Miss Pope of the other House. Ought to be particularly encouraged because she is virtuous. Mr Elliot has sold her to Cumberland (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #262 17s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter. Tickets to be had of Shuter at Number 2, in Martlet Court, Bow St. Covent Garden; and of Mr Sarjant, Book-Keeper. Charges: #65 2s. [Profits to Shuter #150 6d., plus #70 11s. from tickets (Box 233; Pit 82).] Paid Miss Elliott the balance of her two nights Jan. 13 and Feb. 18, #90 13s. 6d. and gave her as a present from the managers by deducting the charge of the Farce for her 2nd night, Feb. 18th, #21 (Account Book). Receipts: #215 2s. 6d. (Account Book). About 5 with great difficulty got into the Pit at Covent Garden to see...the benefit for Mr Shuter. Stood all night at the bottom of the Pit in a most disagreeable situation, though I saw very well and heard too, unless when prevented by the noise on occasion of which Shuter very smartly applied the Passage, But if we all speak together, how shall we hear one another," and again when a great noise was made about someone in the Gallery, he cried 'Give him a knock o' the head and make him quiet,' and another bawling Silence," he cried Silence, Silence why don't you be quiet.'At the end of Act II, the Cries of London', with additions by Shuter. In going off he shook his head on hearing it encored, but was oblig'd to comply by repeating the greater part. End of Opera Shuter entertained us with his Serious, Comic Post-Haste Observations in his Journey to Paris, to hear which was a principal reason of my not dining at Holliss's. The Barber in the Upholsterer inimitably played by Woodward (Neville MS Diary)