Event Comment: MMrs Pendarves, 27 Nov.: They [The king's] have Farinelli, Merighi, with no sound in her voice, but thundering action-a beauty with no other merit; and one Chimenti, a tolerable good woman with a pretty voice, and Montagnana, who roars as usual! With this band of singers, and dull Italian operas, such as you almost fall asleep at, they presume to rival Handel-who has Strada, that sings better than ever she did; Gizziello, who is much improved since last year; and Annabali, who has the best part of Senesino's voice and Caristini's, with a prodigious fine taste and good action! We have had Alcina, and Atalanta, which is acted tonight for the last night with the fireworks....Mrs Porter acts three times a week; I have made a party to go next week; she is the only support of the stage, the house is crammed whenever she acts.-Delany, Autobiography, I, 5578-79

Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser, 8 March: We hear that the Great Mogul has acceeded to the Treaty of the Hay-Market, which causes various Speculations. Our best Advices assure us, that the Town will be entertain'd there Tomorrow, by a Gentleman who never wrote for the Stage, with a new Performance call'd a Rehearsal of Kings: which will be immediately succeeded by a Dramatick Piece call'd The Historical Register, for the Year 1736, written by the Author of Pasquin. We hear this has given great Alarm to all the Pantomimical Houses in London, Southwark, Rag Fair, &c

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. Egmont, Diary, III, 23: In the evening I went to...Mustapha...the language of it is lofty but not bombast, the sentiments fine and justly expressed, the characters kept up to, and the principles of honour and virtue inculcated; in a word, to one of our best modern tragedies

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Garrick to Peter Garrick (Dec. 1741): You perhaps would be glad to know what parts I have play'd, King Richd-+Jack Smatter in Pamela-Clody fop's fortune-Lothario fair Penitent-Chamont Orphan-Ghost Hamlet-& Shall soon be ready in Bays in ye Rehearsal-and in ye part of Othello-Both of which I believe will do Me and best-$Old Cibber">Giffard great Service-I have had great Success in all, & 'tis not yet determin'd whether I play Trajedy or Comedy best-$Old Cibber has spoke with ye Greatest Commendation of my Acting, as to playing a Harlequin 'tis quite false-Yates last Season was taken very ill & was not able to begin ye Entertainment so I put on ye Dress & did 2 or three Scenes for him, but Nobody knew it but him & Giffard; I know it has been Said I play'd Harlequin at Covent Garden but it is quite false.-Little, Pineapples, pp. 28-29

Event Comment: [W$William Hint sent another letter to the Daily Gazetteer on the excluded actors concluding that the Town is deprived by some mismanagement or other of some of the best in their walks. Discusses raised prices, the Manager's Cartel, and Macklin's exclusion from both houses.

Event Comment: Benefit Widow and Child of James Miller, the author. As the Play of to-night is entirely for mine and my children's Benefit, and was allotted (by the Manager) for that purpose a considerable time ago, has since been advertis'd in the Publick papers upwards of ten days, and the Boxes chiefly been taken by Ladies of Quality and Distinction, I humbly hope, as Charity and Humanity are my advocates, the Performance will be permitted without interruption. D. Miller.--General Advertiser. To Those who remained in the Pit in Drury Lane Playhouse on Thursday Evening, and were refus'd their money: GENTLEMEN: If you are sensible of the Insults that we receiv'd from the servants of the Manager (after we had remain'd orderly in the House expecting our money for the best part of an hour) being expos'd to the danger of our lives from several sticks, &c being thrown at us from the stage, and from the attack of Soldiers jumping into the Pit with their bayonets fix'd, you'll meet tomorrow several Gentlemen equally injur'd, at the Fountain Tavern in Catherine Street in the Strand, at two o'clock, as well as, Your most humble Servant, J. Johnston.--Daily Advertiser. [Daily Gazetteer contained a letter by Anti-Mimus on the manager's publication of reasons for his late extraordinary measures.

Event Comment: WWalpole to Sir Horace Mann: We have operas but no company at them; the Prince and Lord Middlesex Impresarii. Plays only are in fashion; at one house the best company that perhaps ever were together, Quin, Garrick, Mrs Pritchard, Mrs Cibber: at the other Barry, a favorite young actor and the Violette, whose dancing our friends don't like: I scold them, but all the answer is "Lord! you are so English."-Horace Walpole's Correspondence with Sir Horace Mann, II, 42

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. [A full column, front-page letter to the Author of the General Advertiser from one purporting to live many miles from London, but whose curiosity about the New Tragedy Irene brought him to see it, details his experience in the theatre the night of Tues. 14 Feb. Seems to be an illconcealed "puff." The writer listens to three critics in the pit decry the performance, then after seeing it himself concludes: "It was receiv'd with universal approbation...Upon the whole I dare affirm that the Judgment of Posterity will concur with me in distinguishing Irene as the best tragedy which this age has produced, for Sublimity of thought, Harmony of numbers, strength of expression, a scrupulous observation of Dramatic Rules, the sudden Turn of events, the tender and generous distress, the unexpected catastrophe, and the extensive and important moral." He inquires why the play has not been so favorably received as others, and concludes it is too finely and artistically conceived to please the masses. He closes by complimenting the Ladies of Great Britain for he "scarce ever saw so shining an assembly in the Boxes. Their early approbation of a Tragedy in which not only the words but the ideas are entirely chaste; a tragedy filled with noble sentiment and poetic beauty is at once a proof of their delicacy and penetration."] Receipts. #100 (Cross); #101 (Powel)

Event Comment: The seventh and last time that these orations will be delivered at the Castle Tavern, Paternoster Row, new matter being provided for the next night. The Ladies are desired to come early, that they may be accommodated with the best Seats, and not be crowded as they were the last two nights. [Advice repeated in subsequent bills.

Event Comment: long letter appeared in the General Advertiser favoring support of places of public entertainment for the lower classes: That Spectacles such as Rope Dancing, Tumbling and Feats of Activity, are the most harmless and best accommodated to the Genius of the Common people of any which are exhibited, will be evident on considering that they neither harden the heart, pervert or inflame the Inclinations, nor corrupt the principles, but simply gratify the curiosity, the only means by which the populace can receive pleasure from objects of this kind."

Event Comment: [Performance of mainpiece highly praised in Gray's Inn Journal 3 Nov. It is no wonder that in some scenes the Emotions of the Audien ce run so extremely high, as they were acted upon by the two best Tragedians in the world." Garrick and Mossop. Also praises Foote's Fondlewife in previous performances of the Old Batchelor.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: [M$Murphy in caustic comment in the Gray's Inn Journal this date laid out a set of rules for actor decorum for both Managers, but apparently directed it mostly towards Rich]: I. That no player shall during the performance stand with a vacant face, making a tour with his eyes around the House, or ogling the ladies in the Green Boxes, but that he shall to the best of this power, be attentive to the business of the scene in which he is engag'd. II. That no player shall come on imperfect in his part, or take liberties to insert his own jokes and witticisms in the Productions of those Geniuses, for whom he should have the proper respect due to the superiority of their parts. III. That no one shall mistake bawling for Expression; strutting and swaggering for deportment; twisting the body and looking cunning for sprightliness; pinching of hats and standing on tiptoe for graceful attitude; wry faces for Humour, &c., but that each player who cannot arrive at excellence, shall at least pay some regard to decency. IV. That Murder shall always be committed on stage without being comical

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard (Cross). Mainpiece: Not acted these 30 years. This day publish'd. Price 1s. Reflections upon Theatrical Expression in Tragedy. [By Roger Pickering. This is a defense of the theatrical profession, "which in all countries is considered low and contemptible." Author's thesis: "A master of theatrical expression in all its extensive significancy must be possess'd of such accomplishments, as to set the profession above all contempt." Garrick is mentioned as best example. True tragic expression "requires Genius, Education, Reading, Experience...and a solidity of thought which never accompanies abject morals" (p. 11). Includes an interesting treatise on acting-sections on figure, voice, ear, memory, management of feet and legs. Comments on costume: "Taste in dress demands that an actor be conversant in the mode of dress ancient and modern, in other countries as well as in our own...Alexander and Cato were not masters of the snuff box, nor Greek women of French heels." The appendix asks why all our plays are not dressed in character in point of time and place, and why they do not contain at least one "scene" proper to the country. The author (p. 61) sees need for variety in acting same role, especially when a play has a continuous run of several nights. He calls (p. 77) for creation of appropriate mood for the play by selection of proper music between the acts. Wants a softening of the prompter's bell. Concludes by damning contemporary audience manners, especially those of the stage loungers (pp. 79-81).] Receipts: #314 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Passerini. Pit and Boxes half a Guinea. Gallery 5s. The Overture and some songs composed by his Majesty the King of Prussia. The Remaining songs by the best masters as Quantz, Nichelman, Benda. The Duet and chorus-Graun, chief composer of the court, poetry-Villati. The afterpiece "an Italian Pastoral.

Event Comment: The Entertainment...continues to be performed every Night with the usual Applause; and though the Weather has been bad, generally to a numerous and polite Company. Sga Seratina and Reinhold, greatly excel in performing their Parts, and notwithstanding it is translated from the Italian...it is so well adapted to the Musick that is it by the best judges reckoned to be extremely soft and harmonious. [It is not listed in the Public Advertiser for Monday 31 or Tuesday 1 Aug.

Event Comment: MMr Taswell dy'd -an excellent Actor, the best in that Way since Johnson (Cross). Receipts: #160 (Cross); #165 16s. 6d. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: [Sga Mattei announced her undertaking direction of Italian Serious Operas and Burlettas for the ensuing winter, promised the performance of them for the best advantage of the public, and listed the members of the company she had engaged: For Serious Operas: herself, Philippo Elisi (the first singer in Italy), Gaetano Quilice (tenor), Angiola Calori (second woman), Giovanni Sorbelloni (second man), and a new singer for the lowest character. For the Burlettas: Sga Paganini (the first female character and the foremost in Italy), Gaetano Quilice (the first man), Sga Eleardi (second woman), Paganini (second man), Signor N. N. (third man), Angiola Calori and Sorbelloni (to perform the serious parts in the Burlettas). Dancers: Mlle Asselin (first woman dancer), Gheradi (first dancer of the men, and ballet master), famed both in the serious and comic as well as for his invention as for exercises in dancing. There will also be other comic dancers, and figures both for the serious operas and burlettas.

Event Comment: Not acted in 5 years. [See 4 Feb. 1758.] The Drummer was revived at this period at both theatres...to take advantage of the reigning weakness of the people, who went in crowds many days and nights to an Haunted House, by what was called the Cock-Lane Ghost-a delusion set on foot, and very ingeniously carried on by a girl of 12 years of age, daughter of a clerk of St Sepulchre's Church, who resided in Cock Lane near Smithfield. [The Ghost was supposed to be that of one Fanny, a gentleman's mistress buried in the church. By knockings and scratchings she supposedly haunted the girl intimating foul practices concerning her death.] It would be incredible to relate the numbers of persons of distinction that attended this delusion! many of whom treated it as a serious and most important affair...at last the girl's father and three or four others were tried in the King's Bench, found guilty' Pillioried and imprisoned. This most effectively laid the Ghost; and is the best and properest cure for every ghost that may arise hereafter. (Victor, History of the Theatres, III, 18 ff). [The theme exploited again by Garrick in The Farmer's Return from London, dl 20 March.

Event Comment: [R$Ross this month wrote to Colman (Harvard Theatre Collection A.L.S.) inquiring about an intended new theatre at Bath, and opened his heart as follows: "My present situation is most irksome to me and must be to any gentleman or man of merit in his profession to have such an ignorant and now ill-bred fellow as Beard? presume to conduct the business of a theatre Royal, of which he is totally ignorant, and oblig'd to apply to the great Gibson, who naturally wishes to lower every man to his own standard, while the other despises every degree of merit that is not compris'd in Sol fa and wishes the theatre only to substitute as an Opera house." Ross wanted to be nominated for the manager's postition in the new theatre at Bath. N.B. He had already acted 23 times this season in his best parts.