Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Tragedy [by John Moncrieff] never acted before. [The Biographia Dramatica states it was brought on by Moncrieff's friend Sheridan, who altered it to suit his purposes and lopped off the whole fifth act.

Event Comment: Boswell (Restoration Court Stage, pp. 180-81) believes that a performance occurred on this day, as well as on 16 Feb. 1674@5, Shrove Tuesday, the date often specified in advance statements. For previous notices, see 2 Feb. 1674@5, 15 and 22 Dec. 1674. Edition of 1675:....followed at innumerable Rehearsals, and all the Representations by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality...at the 20th or 30th, for near so often it had been Rehearsed and Acted....And the Composer of all the Musick both Vocal and Instrumental Mr Staggins. Langbaine. (English Dramatick Poets, p. 92): a Masque at court, frequently presented there by Persons of great Quality, with the Prologue, and the Songs between the Acts: printed in quarto Lond. 1675....This Masque was writ at the Command of her present Majesty: and was rehearsed near Thirty times, all the Representations being follow'd by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality, and very often grac'd with their Majesties and Royal Highnesses Presence. John Evelyn (The Life of Mrs Godolphin): [Mrs Blagge] had on her that day near twenty thousand pounds value of Jewells, which were more sett off with her native beauty and luster then any they contributed of their own to hers; in a word, she seemed to me a Saint in Glory, abstracting her from the Stage. For I must tell you, that amidst all this pomp and serious impertinence, whilst the rest were acting, and that her part was sometymes to goe off, as the scenes required, into the tireing roome, where severall Ladyes her companions were railing with the Gallants trifleingly enough till they were called to reenter, she, under pretence of conning her next part, was retired into a Corner, reading a booke of devotion, without att all concerning herself or mingling with the young Company; as if she had no farther part to act, who was the principall person of the Comedy...[With] what a surprizeing and admirable aire she trode the Stage, and performed her Part, because she could doe nothing of this sort, or any thing else she undertooke, indifferently....Thus ended the Play, butt soe did not her affliction, for a disaster happened which extreamly concern'd her, and that was the loss of a Diamond of considerable vallue, which had been lent her by the Countess of Suffolke; the Stage was immediately swept, and dilligent search made to find it, butt without success, soe as probably it had been taken from her, as she was oft inviron'd with that infinite crowd which tis impossible to avoid upon such occasion. Butt the lost was soon repair'd, for his Royall Highness understanding the trouble she was in, generousely sent her the wherewithall to make my Lady Suffolke a present of soe good a Jewell. For the rest of that days triumph I have a particular account still by me of the rich Apparell she had on her, amounting, besides the Pearles and Pretious Stones, to above three hundred pounds (ed. Samuel Lord Bishop of Oxford [London, 1847], pp. 97-100). See also 15 Dec. 1674

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by John Delap, based on the Suppliants, by Aeschylus, and the Haraclidae, by Euripides. Prologue by Hester Lynch Thrale (Thraliana, I, 484-85). Epilogue by Arthur Murphy (Murphy, Works, 1786, VII, 57)]: With New Dresses and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 1 Mar. 1781: This Day is published The Royal Suppliants (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #181 10s. 6d. (158.0.0; 22.2.0; 1.8.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by John Delap. Prologue and Epilogue by Thomas Vaughan (see text)]. Morning Chronicle, 22 Mar. 1786: This Day is published The Captives (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #222 1s. (204/17; 14/16; 2/8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Smith. The Farce was much hiss'd (Hopkins Diary). The overture and Songs in it entirely new, composed by Theodore Smith. The farce by Thomas Hull. Paid 1!2 years Poor's rate to Xmas last #32 9s. 6d. Receipts: #98 6s. Charges: #70 6s. Profits to Mrs Smith: #28 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known. The Dedication to the play, written in Rome, is dated 20 Aug. 1695 N.S., and advertisement of the play in the London Gazette, No 3200, 9-13 July 1696, represent the limits on its production. In a letter, dated (probably) November 1695, Dryden refers to the forthcoming appearance of his son's play, and on 26 May 1696 he negotiates with Tonson for its publication (Letters of John Dryden, pp. 79, 82). Probably the play appeared early in 1696, and certainly not much later than April 1696. John Barnard, The Dates of Six Dryden Letters, Philological Quarterly, XLII (1963), 400-401, believes that Dryden's letter was written ca. 26 May 1695 and that the play was probably acted in late 1695

Event Comment: Benefit Kennedy and Miss Smith. [Prices 3s., 2s., 1s.] Tickets at Kennedy's, No. 2 Lambeth St.; at Miss Smith's, next door but One to the Old Playhouse in Ayliffe St.; King Harry's Head, Red Lyon St., and at the Taphouse of the Wells

Event Comment: Benefit for Marten, Anderson, R. Smith. Receipts: #27 2s. plus income from tickets: Marten #83 7s. (Box 59; Pit 326; Gallery 197); Anderson #64 3s. (Box 14; Pit 343; Gallery 92); Richard Smith #50 3s. (Box 13; Pit 206; Gallery 160) (Account Book). Charges: #63 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Smith. Mainpiece: Not acted these 10 years. [See 15 May 1765.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 6 April 1771.] Part of Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Ladies send servants by 4 o'clock. Charges #67 6s. 6d. Profit to Smith #51 9s. 6d. plus #153 2s. from tickets (Box 427; Pit 205; Gallery 106) (Account Book). Receipts: #118 16s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but according to the Gentleman's Journal, May 1694, it followed Have at All: the other call'd The married Beau, or the Curious Impertinent, by Mr Crown, already acted many times (p. 134). The manuscript of a song composed by John Eccles and sung by Doggett is in Bodleian, School of Music Collection, c. 95, f 102. One by Henry Purcell, See, where repenting Celia lyes, sung by Mrs Ayliff, is in Thesaurus Musicus, 1695. See also Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XX (1916), xvii-xviii

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not certain, but the evidence points toward this day. On Thursday 19 Nov. 1696, Robert Jennens reported that the two pieces had been acted four or five days together. If that day saw the fifth performance, the premiere probably occurred on 14 Nov. 1696. The Single Songs and Dialogue in Mars and Venus, set by John Eccles (Acts I and II) and Godfrey Finger (Act III), was published separately in 1697. The pieces for whom a performer is indicated are as follows: Prologue. The first Song Sung by Mrs Hudson, set by Finger: Come all, with moving songs [it is reproduced opposite page 300 in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues]. Love alone can here alarm me, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. Scorn tho' Beauty frowns to tremble, sung by Mrs Hudson. To double the sports, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. To treble the pleasures with regular measures, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. To meet her, May, the Queen of Love comes here, set by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hudson. See Vulcan, Jealousie, Jealousie appears, set by Finger and sung by Mrs Hudson. Yield, no, no, sung by Mrs Bracegirdle and Bowman. Gildon, English Dramatick Poets, p. 115: This Play met with extraordinary Success having the Advantage of the excellent Musick of The Loves of Mars and Venus perform'd with it. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 44-45: The Anatomist, or Sham Doctor, had prosperous Success, and remains a living Play to this Day; 'twas done by Mr Ravenscroft. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20: I remember the success of that was owing to the Musick

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but it very probably occurred not later than May 1691, as the play was advertised in the London Gazette, 4-8 June 1691. For discussions of it, see E. W. White, Early Performances of Purcell's Operas, Theatre Notebook, XIII (1958-59), 44-45, and R. E. Moore, Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre, Chapter III. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 42: King Arthur an Opera, wrote by Mr Dryden: it was Excellently Adorn'd with Scenes and Machines: The Musical Part set by Famous Mr Henry Purcel; and Dances made by Mr Jo. Priest: The Play and Musick pleas'd the Court and City, and being well perform'd, twas very Gainful to the Company. Roger North: I remember in Purcell's excellent opera of King Arthur, when Mrs Butler, in the person of Cupid, was to call up Genius, she had the liberty to turne her face to the scean, and ner back to the theater. She was in no concerne for her face, but sang a recitativo of calling towards the place where Genius was to rise, and performed it admirably, even beyond any thing I ever heard upon the English stage....And I could ascribe it to nothing so much as the liberty she had of concealing her face, which she could not endure should be so contorted as is necessary to sound well, before her gallants, or at least her envious sex. There was so much of admirable musick in that opera, that it's no wonder it's lost; for the English have no care of what's good, and therefore deserve it not (Roger North on Music, ed. John Wilson [London, 1959], p. 217-18)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but the Preface suggests that it was given first in the summer; the fact that part of the Duke's Company was at Oxford in July makes June a probable time. Preface: It had the misfortune to be brought into the world in a time, when the Dog-star was near his Reign, and my Judges sat in a hot Bath, rather than a Theatre, and were doubly persecuted by the heat of the weather, and the Impertinence of the Poet; and which was the worst mishap, when the most candid, as well as the most Illustrious Judges (I mean the Court) were absent. A song, Lo behold a sea of tears, with music by John Bannister, for this play, is Choice Ayres and Songs, The First Book, 1673

Event Comment: [By John Dennis.] Never Acted before

Event Comment: [By John Gay.] Never Acted before. Receipts: #169 12s. Probable attendance: boxes, 247 paid and 3 orders; stage, 8 paid; balcony, 7 paid; pit, 301 paid and 1 order; slips, 56 paid and 5 orders; first gallery, 437 paid and 7 orders; second gallery, 191 paid. For the first night, see Schultz, pp. 1-5

Event Comment: Benefit for Anderson; R. Smith, Widow Marten. None admitted behind scenes

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bellamy. Mainpiece: Reviv'd Tragedy [John Banks]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. Afterpiece: Never acted there before. Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Mrs Ward having been defrauded of a number of Tickets for the above play, those sold at the door will not be admitted. [Afterpiece is John Lee's alteration of Wycherley's play into two acts. See dl 26 April 1765.] @Receipts #74 2s. 6d.@House charges #63@Candles #1 5s.@Extra: Kettle drum 5s.@Side Drum 2s.@Wardrobe #1 9s.@Total #66 1s.@Balance due Mrs Ward #8 1s. 6d.@Tickets 115 129 179 #66@Money #74 2s. 6d.@Total value of House #140 2s. 6d. (Account Book). [Mrs Ward seems to have profited only to the extent of #74 1s. 6d.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by John Home. Prologue by the author (London Chronicle, 16 Feb.). Epilogue by David Garrick (ibid.)]: New Scenes, Dresses, &c. Account-Book, 26 Jan.: Paid Wild for [obtaining] license for Alfred #2 2s. Public Advertiser, 14 Feb. 1778: This Day is published Alfred (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #246 (241.17.6; 4.2.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe. Altered by the author the following season as The Wicklow Mountains. Dross not listed in Airs, but it is the only other character in Larpent MS 1117]: With new Scenery, Music, and Dresses. The Music partly compiled, and the Overture, new Music, and the Accompanyments to the National Airs, composed by Shield.The Union Pipes and the Harp to be played by Topham and Weippert. The Scenes painted by Richards, Hodgins, Phillips, Hollogan, Blackmore and assistants. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. Receipts: #215 (210.18; 4.2)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2 (?), by John Cartwright Cross]: With new Music, Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, &c. The Overture and new Music by Reeve. The Scenery painted by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, and Blackmore. The Machinery by Cresswell, Sloper, Goostree, &c. The Dresses by Dick, Mrs Egan, &c. Receipts: #314 15s. (303.1; 11.14)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; F 1, by John Rose; in Town and Country Magazine, Aug. 1788, p. 374, said to be translated from a French farce]. "Edwin was too ill to sing, but went through the part [in Peeping Tom; see 16 Aug.]" (Public Advertiser, 4 Aug.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Joseph Richardson, based on The Coxcomb, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Prologue by Richard Tickell. Epilogue by John Burgoyne (see text)]: With new Dresses, Decorations, &c. Morning Herald, 1 May 1792: This Day is published The Fugitive (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #315 7s. 6d. (275.0.0; 39.2.0; 1.5.6)