Event Comment: The King's Company. An edition appearing in 1661 lists no cast, no prologue, no epilogue. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, where I saw The Virgin Martyr, a good but too sober a play for the company

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The British Museum copy of the 1653 copy of this play has, in an old hand: Deflores by Betterton. Pepys, Diary: Then by water to Whitefriars to the Play-house, and there saw The Changeling, the first time it hath been acted these twenty years, and it takes exceedingly. Besides, I see the gallants do begin to be tyred with the vanity and pride of the theatre actors who are indeed grown very proud and rich

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I went to the Theatre, where I found so few people (which is strange, and the reason I did not know) that I went out again

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: And so to Salisbury Court, where the house as full as could be; and it seems it was a new play, The Queen's Maske, wherein there are some good humours: among others, a good jeer to the old story of the Siege of Troy, making it to be a common country tale. But above all it was strange to see so little a boy as that was to act Cupid, which is one of the greatest parts in it

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: After dinner I went to the theatre, and there saw Love's Mistress done by them, which I do not like it some things so well as their acting in Salsbury Court. [Although Pepys saw this play on 2 March 1660@1 at Salisbury Court, done by the Duke's Company, here he appears to indicate a rival performance of it by the King's Company in Vere St.]

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre and there saw King and no King, well acted

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To Whitefriars and saw The Spanish Curate, in which I had no great content

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: And then out to the red bull (where I had not been since plays come up again)...where I was led by a seaman that knew me, but is here as a servant, up to the tireing-room, where strange the confusion and disorder that there is among them in fitting themselves, especially here, where the clothes are very poor, and the actors but common fellows. At last into the pitt, where I think there was not above ten more than myself, and not one hundred in the whole house. And the play, which is called All's lost by Lust, poorly done; and with so much disorder, among others, that in the musique-room the boy that was to sing a song, not singing it right, his master fell about his ears and beat him so, that it put the whole house in an uprore. Nicoll (Restoration Drama, p. 309) argues that George Jolly probably occupied the red bull in St John's Street, Clerkenwell. When Richard Walden saw the red bull players at Oxford in July 1661, Anne Gibbs acted Dionysia in All's Lost by Lust. It is possible that she played that role on this day. See Walden's Io Ruminans, 1662

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. See 2 March 1661. Pepys, Diary: I and Captain Ferrers to Salisbury Court, by water, and saw part of the Queen's Maske

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Then to Whitefryars, and there saw part of Rule a wife have a wife, which I never saw before, but do not like it

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. An edition dated 1661 lists no cast, no prologue, and epilogue. Pepys, Diary: And so to White-fryars and saw The Little Thiefe, which is a very merry and pretty play, and the little boy do very well

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Then by water, Creed and I, to Salisbury Court and there saw Love's Quarrell acted the first time, but I do not like the design or words

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, and there saw the latter end of The Mayd's Tragedy, which I never saw before, and me thinks it is too sad and melancholy

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, wher I saw a piece of The Silent Woman, which pleased me

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, and saw Harry the 4th, a good play

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I went to the Theatre and there saw Bartholomew Faire, the first time it was acted now-a-days. It is a most admirable play and well acted, but too much prophane and abusive

Event Comment: According to the diary of the Reverend John Ward, ed. Charles Severn (London, 1839), Ward saw The Alchymist at this time. The Folger MS V.a. 292, of Ward's journal, gives it as performed between 1 and 25 Sept. 1662. See Shakespeare Quarterly, XI (1961), 336. See also Dec. 1660

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, The Alchymist, which is a most incomparable play

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: With my Lady Batten, Mrs Rebecca Allen, Mrs Thompson, &c., two coaches of us, we went and saw Bartholomew Fayre, acted very well

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To Sir William Davenant's Opera; this being the fourth day that it hath begun, and the first that I have seen it. To-day was acted the second part of The Siege of Rhodes. We staid a very great while for the King and the Queen of Bohemia. And by the breaking of a board over our heads, we had a great deal of dust fell into the ladies' necks and the men's hair, which made good sport. The King being come, the scene opened; which indeed is very fine and magnificent, and well acted, all but the Eunuch, who was so much out tha he was hissed off the stage

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: I went to the Theatre, and there I saw Claracilla (the first time I ever saw it), well acted. But strange to see this house, that used to be so thronged, now empty since the Opera begun; and so will continue for a while, I believe

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, and saw Brenoralt, I never saw before. It seemed a good play, but ill acted; only I sat before Mrs Palmer, the King's mistress, and filled my eyes with her, which much pleased me

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, and saw The Jovial Crew, the first time I saw it, and indeed it is as merry and the most innocent play that ever I saw, and well performed

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre, and there I saw The Tamer Tamed well done

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre,...The Merry Devill of Edmunton, which is a very merry play, the first time I ever saw it, which pleased me well