Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. 1st piece: Not acted these 10 years. [3rd piece in place of The Irish Mimick, advertised on playbill of 3 May.] True Briton, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house, No. 5, Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #398 12s. 6d. (237.14.6; 10.15.6; tickets: 150.2.6)

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. This performance is known by a letter of John Dryden to Mrs Steward, 7 Nov. 1699: There is this day to be acted a New tragedy, made by Mr Hopkins, & as I believe in rhime. He has formerly written a play in verse calld Boadicea, which you fair Ladyes likd: & is a poet who writes good verse without knowing how, or why; I mean he writes naturally well, without art or learning, or good sence (The Letters of John Dryden, p. 124). The Dedication to the play is dated 1 Nov. 1699, but the play was not advertised until, apparently, in the Post Man, 17-20 Feb. 1699@1700

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. Benefit for Mr Jefferson, Mr Chamnes & Mrs Vernon. Y. Poitier Danc'd (Cross). [No receipts listed.

Event Comment: By Desire of the Most Noble Grand of the Honorable Order of Select Albions. For the Benefit of their Brother Hurst, and Mr Rooker. N.B. The Grand of the Albion Lodge desires his officers to meet him at the Rose Tavern in Bridges St., at 5 o'clock, to proceed from thence to the front boxes, in procession, with the Ensigns of their Order. The company of any other of the Brethren will be esteemed a favour, to join the Grand and Officers--Care will be taken to preserve Places in the Boxes for the Ladies belonging to the members of this Society (playbill)

Event Comment: SSquire Richard-Hopkins">Mr Obrien ($Hopkins). Benefit for King. Receipts: #250 (MacMillan); charges: #64 4s. [Profit to King: #185 16s.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: The 21st night [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. Account-Book, 21 Nov.: Paid Sheridan Net Rect. of Scl. for Scandal 22d Oct. last #280 11s. Receipts: #280 11s. (274.10.0; 5.8.6; 0.12.6)

Event Comment: [Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, 10,239).] Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s.] The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. On 24 May Colman inserted the following in Public Advertiser: The Theatre Royal in the Haymarket will open next Saturday. In order to avoid unnecessary' Repetitions during the Season, the Public are desired, once for all, to take Notice that every Performance at this Theatre will be exhibited to most brilliant, crouded and OVERFLOWING audiences; and received with loud and universal Bursts of most UNBOUNDED and UNCOMMON Applause

Event Comment: Afterpiece: 54th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season, when it had been acted 52 times]. Account-Book; Paid Music #8 17s. 4d.; Properties 5s.; Chorus Singers #1 10s. [apiece]; Wardrobe #6 1s. 9d.; Supernumeraries #5 1s.; Sloper for Scenemen #28 11s. 6d.; Hodgins and apprentice #6 5s.; Walmsley #5 5s.; Phillips #2 12s. 6d.; Dick for making Clothes to 19th Inst. #7 1s. Receipts: #312 7s. (304.14; 7.13)

Event Comment: MMrs Glen did Lady Townly for her own Benefit, tho' not advertis'd so--Inspid (Cross). Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: [G$Goldsmith's comment in The Bee (1759, p. 14) the following season seems to have glanced at Mrs Pritchard's performance of Jane Shore, since Mrs Pritchard was growing quite stout at this time: In his remarks of "casting" he is distressed at "an actress that might act the Wapping Landlady without a bolster, pining in the character of Jane Shore, and while unwieldy with fat endeavoring to convince the audience that she is dying from hunger." The part at Drury Lane for the next eight years went to Mrs Yates, Mrs Pritchard playing it only once again "for that night only" at her daughter's benefit, 7 April 1766.] Receipts: #140 (Cross); #138 18s. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: No building on Stage. Part of pit laid into boxes. Benefit for Mrs Clive. Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years. Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Receipts: #242 6s.; charges: #61 4s. (MacMillan).[Profit to Mrs Clive #181 2s.

Event Comment: [The Young Gentleman identified as Owenson by Hopkins MS Notes. Confirmed by Sir Nicholas Nipclose, in The Theatres (2nd. ed. London, 1722, p. 51) speaking of Inchbald's introduction to the London stage with advertisement of "first appearance" though he had been many years an itinerant actor, "this is a trick to gain, from curiosity, what may pay by one night the whole season's pitiful salary of such actors; several mushrooms have vegetated thus; but none more worthless or short lived, than Mr Owenson; brought forward modestly in Tamerlane, some weeks since; without even the requistes of a grown-up school-boy."] Receipts: #180 6s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. The Diary of Mary Countess Cowper, p. 153: At Night at the French Play with the Duchess of Shrewsbury. Everybody took Notice of the Scene of the Drawing-room

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Her confusion was so great, that seeing her gave me pain. On this occasion Foote gave us a stroke of humour; When the Blackamoor Lady had retired, he asked Snarl what character he thought she should play first. Snarl said in Imoinda. Foote replied "Don't you think Callista would do better? for it would have a good effect in the Bills--The Fair Penitent by a Black Lady.

Event Comment: "Although [Mrs Esten] is rather under-hung, her face may fairly be pronounced pretty, and her figure engaging. Her voice, in the pathetic tones, resembles that of Mrs Siddons, but is more clear and articulate' (Diary, 21 Oct.). Receipts: #182 14s. 6d. (180.12.0; 2.2.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: not acted these two years. [See 23 May 1773.] [Young Lady identified by Hopkins MS Note.

Event Comment: For the Author of the Cunning Man. House charges #84. [Profit to author #92 2s.] Paid chorus singers 2 nights #5 1s. (Treasprer's Book). Receipts: #176 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Paid Pointer's 2 Bills #16 14s. (Treasurer's Book). [This year were published The Theatrical Campaign (44 pp.), an examen of productions this season; The Stage the High Road to Hell (43 pp.); Theatrical Entertainments Consistent with Society, Morality and Religion: or, A Letter to the Author of the "Stage the High Road to Hell," shewing that writer's arguments to be fallacious, his principals enthusiastic, and his authorities (particularly from the ancients) misconstrued and perverted.] Receipts: #176 4s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [Usual note about servants and sale of Books of performance.] Paid Bensley's Balance (Account Book). Charges: #35

Event Comment: At the New Theatre. [This phrasing now used for the rest of the season.] Benefit Goodfellow. At the Particular Desire of several Persons of Distinction. Note, It will be Moonlight. Prices 3s., 2s., 1s

Event Comment: N.B. Harlequins Invasion is now ready whenever the Managers will please to give it out (Hopkins). Receipts: #100 17s. 6d. (MacMillan)