Event Comment: This day is publish'd Much Ado About Nothing. Price 1s. Written by William Shakespear. Printed for J. and P. Knapton, &c. [14 printers]. Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: [[No General Advertiser for this day. Information from the Winston MS 7.

Event Comment: This day is publish'd a Guide to the Stage; or Select Instructions and Precedents from the best Authorities towards forming a polite Audience; with some account of the Players, &c. Printed and sold by D. Job, at the Spread Eagle in King St. [An ironical post-Addisonian quip at theatrical behavior]: I boldly enter the lists as the first champion for theatric decorum. The next thing to be consider'd is disapprobation, which I think may be sufficiently shewn, by an attention to something else, by loud discourse, profuse laughter, and the like. I cannot help thinking it a little out of character, for a polite audience to distort their features by a hiss: however for the sake of some ambitious youths, who thus love to signalize themselves, I shall leave a new play to their mercy. They then are at liberty to exercise their several talents whether they hiss or groan most successfully, or have a greater genius for the cat-call. If you desire to know when you are to shew your dislike, my answer is, when anything displeases you, or in fine when you will provided you have a strong party to second you; for the best hiss or groan in the universe may be drown'd in a general applause. [Never laugh at what passes on stage save it be an error, blunder, or accident. In tragic scenes avoid being visibly moved by humming a tune, regarding the audience, engaging in conservation, or turning your back to the stage. When a female social rival calls attention to herself and away from the stage, let fall your handkerchief into the pit, or call out to an acquaintance in the opposite box, or burst into loud and unexpected laughter. You'll know when to applaud, for the actors will tell you.] On these occasions Cato looks more than unusually big, Hamlet stares with great emphasis, Othello has a most languishing aspect, Monimia is all sighs and softness, Beatrice will bridle, and pretty Peggy Wildair leers you into a clap. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Publish'd this day A Guide to the Stage, (2nd Edition, with additions) at 6d. [See 10 Dec.] Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMrs Pritchard and Mr Havard continuing ill the plays which were lately bespoke and designed to be acted at Drury Lane are oblig'd to be deferr'd for some days. Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: A New Pastoral Opera. Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no Persons to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this Day at the said Office, at Half a Guinea each. Gallery Five Shillings. No person whatsoever to be admitted behind the Scenes. To begin at 6 p.m. [Repeated in all bills.

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the office in Covent Garden theatre at Half a Guinea each; 1st Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. The Galleries will be open'd at half an hour after Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: A new tragedy, call'd the Earl of Essex, which has sometime been in rehearsal at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, will be performed in a Few Days

Event Comment: The Play of Othello, which was performed last night at Drury Lane theatre, by some gentlemen and ladies to the most numerous and polite Audience that could be assembled, went off throughout with great approbation and applause (General Advertiser). [See A Satirical Dialogue between a Sea Captain and his friend in Town: Humble submitted to the Gentlemen who deformed the Play of Othello on Th-rs-y M- the 7th....To which is added a Prologue and Epilogue much more suitable to the occasion than their own. (London [n.d.], BM 11,795, K 31, 8pp): @'Good manners oblig'd them sometimes to applaud@Tho' they little deserv'd it...'@ The author laments the fact that the expenditure (#1,500) was not put out to charitable purposes, rather than for such entertainment.] This day is publish'd at 1s. 6d., beautifully printed, Alfred, a Masque, acting at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, by Mr Mallet. Printed for A. Miller, opposite Catherine St in the Strand, where may be had Alfred, a Masque, represented before their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at Cliefden, on the first of August 1740. Written by Mr Thomson and Mr Mallet

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By particular desire. Last time of performing this season (General Advertiser). Mr Garrick set out for Paris next Day (Cross). Receipts: #80 (Cross)

Event Comment: At the Great Tiled Booth, Bowling Green, Southwark, A Diverting Droll, By a Company of Comedians. To begin each day at 12 and end at 10 at Night during the time of the Fair

Event Comment: A New Musical Entertainment, call'd the Shepherd's Lottery is now in rehearsal, at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will be perform'd there in a few days. The music is composed by Dr Boyce. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Garrick did Richard (Cross). This day is publish'd, Dedicated to the Right Honorable John, Earl of Orrery, Sejanus a Tragedy, as it was intended for the stage, with a Preface; wherein the Manager's reasons for refusing it are set forth. By Mr Gentleman. Printed for R. Manby and H. S. Cox on Ludgate Hill. [Garrick turned it down and Gentleman accepted his judgment without animosity.] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: This day is publish'd Every Man in His Humour, a Comedy written by Ben Johnson, with Alterations and Additions (as it was performed at Drury Lane). Printed for J. and R. Tonson in the Strand. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Norton Amber, formerly a Patentee, & Banker, now Pit Doorkeeper (Cross), late of the Strand (Winston MS 7). Tickets to be had at Mr Pierce's at the Castle Tavern, Corner of Henrietta Street, in Bedford Street, Covent Garden; Mr Frye's a Hosier, the Corner of James Street, Long Acre; King Street Coffee House, near Guild Hall; Batson's Coffee House, Cornhill; and at the Theatre. Places will be taken at the Stage Door of the theatre. This Day publish'd, Young Scarron, at 2s. 6d. sew'd, 3s. bound. Dedicated to the managers of both theatres. "The Stage reproves the follies of the age. For once we'll laugh at Follies of the Stage." Anon. Printed for T. Tyre, near Gray's Inn Holborn and W. Reeve in Fleet St. (General Advertiser). A comical and satirical account of summer strolling players: "When the time draws near that the Theatres Royal disband their troops, or rather grant their furloses till the next Campaign, each private Man becomes an Officer; and they who for nine months before submitted to Monarchical Government, now form themselves into several republicks for the remaining three. Then each Hero takes the path of his own ambition...The various whimsical disputes that arise from this kind of Emulation, are, in part the subject of the following sheets" (173 pp. Written by Thomas Mozeen, Biographia Dramatica). Receipts: #220 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. [Dancing by Mad Auretti had been forecast in the bill for 29 Jan., but is mentioned on the bill of the day.] Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: TThe Sorcerer, a Pantomime Entertainment, originally performed at the Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, is preparing, with alterations, at Covent Garden (The scenes painted by Mr Lambert) and will be performed one day next week. [Another letter appeared in the General Advertiser on innocent entertainment for the lower classes (see 29 Jan. 1752), but severely criticized the existence of Prize fights, Cock-pits, and Gambling houses as the real nuisances and nurseries of theft and disorder."] It is whispered that the Townwill shortly be entertained with a phenomenon of the Monosyllable Fun,--the match between Sir Alexander Drawcansir, Kent. and their Lownesses of Grub Street, being certainly to be decided on the Stage; great bets depending on this Battle, it is thought the Knowing ones will be taken in (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Suppos'd Garrick's Benefit (Cross). This day publish'd at 1s. Every Man in his Humour, a Comedy written by Ben Johnson [sic] with alterations and additions, as it was perform'd at Drury Lane (General Advertiser). [Inspector No 298 comments on a blemish in the performance of Richard III, where the character of the Lord Mayor has Buffoonry in the handling." Taswell frequently acts it thus, but perhaps is not to blame, the decision as to the manner of the part probably having been made by the Manager (Daily Advertiser and Literary Gazette, 13 Feb.)] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Ninth Day. By the Command of several Noble Personnages, at the Castle Tavern, Paternoster Row

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 7 p.m. [Repeated in subsequent bills.] At the particular Desire of Several Persons of Quality. Benefit for Benjamin Hallet, a child of nine Years of age. The Tenth Day. By Gentlemen masked after the manner of Grecian and Roman Comedy. [Not repeated in subsequent bill after this date.] The House to be made very warm and illuminated with wax candles

Event Comment: RRichd 3d (by Mossop) & Anatomist was put up but: Mossop being taken ill, after many Messages it was resolv'd to do ye Con. Lovers & Harl. Ranger. Small bills were printed & deliver'd at ye Doors to signify the Change & all went well. Mr Rich's Ent: of ye Sorcerer came out this day (Cross). Receipts: #120 (Cross). [The small bill referred to by Cross read as follows:] @Theatre Royal in Drury Lane@This night being the@11th of February@Richard the Third@(On Account of the Indisposition of a Principal Performer)@Is Oblig'd to be Chang'd to@The Conscious Lovers@and@Harlequin Ranger@with Dancing@By Mad Auretti@

Event Comment: The Eleventh Day at the Castle Tavern, Paternoster Row, By Particular Desire

Event Comment: The Twelfth Day. At the Particular Desire of Several Persons of Quality. Boxes 4s. Pit 2s. 6d. Gallery 2s. [Repeated in bills for this theatre.

Event Comment: At the Desire of Several Persons of Distinction. The Thirteenth Day. The Ladies are particularly desired to come early. Yesterday Orders were sent from the Lord Mayor to the Managers of the Entertainment last Night, exhibited at the Castle Tavern, Paternoster Row, to discontinue that part of it call'd The Old Woman's Oratory, the above being an unlicensed Place (Daily Advertiser, 19 Feb.)