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: 3rd piece [1st time; past 2, by Matthew Feilde. MS: Larpent 585; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 22 Feb.]: With New Overture and Music, composed by [Michael] Arne. New Dresses, Scenes and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #247 12s. (243/19/6; 3/12/6)

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Lampe and Miss Young. Mainpiece: At the Particular desire of several Ladies of Quality. Afterpiece: By Desire. [Margery; or, A Worse Plague than the Dragon, by H. Carey, a sequel to Dragon of Wantley.] Tickets at stage door and at Mrs Lampe's and Miss Young's Lodgings, at the Golden Ball, in Brownlow St. Tickets deliver'd out for She Wou'd and She wou'd not will be taken for this play

Event Comment: Written on a plan of Shakespear by Colley Cibber. The characters new Dress'd. With New Scenes and Decorations. No persons admitted behind the scenes

Event Comment: Tragedy never acted. By James Thomson. Characters New Dress'd. But as it is rather more fashionable to run mad about Mr Thomsons's play, I will change my theme and talk to you of Tancred. I want much to know how you like it, at this distance I would lay any wager you do not like it so well as your sister does, who certainly cannot be your sister and not have been to see it long ago. Everybody agrees that no play was ever so much improved in acting, at least since the Booths and Bettertons. That first scene expecially, where Siffredi discovers to Tancred who he is, pleased me almost beyond anything I ever saw, indeed even before I saw it, that scene was my favourite. But what do you think of the story, and what of the style?-A Series of Letters between Mrs Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot, I, 60 (dated strangely 2 March). [On 26 April, the Daily Post published a letter by Bellario on Tancred and Sigismunda, discussing the kind of support it received]: A very remarkable new Lord of the Treasury was proud of appearing its Foster Father, and attended at the public rehearsals; the first night of the performance this celebrated person and his friends in the Box with him (all very lately most flaming Patriots) were seen clapping their hands at the following remarkable speech: First of You All...To Quit Mistakes. [The letter also discussed political aspects of the play, then the poetry of the lines. The author heard that three hundred lines were cut out after the first performance, and was of opinion that double that amount would have been beneficial.

Event Comment: At the New Theatre, Bowling Green. Benefit for Mrs Phillips. A Concert. Prices: 2s. 6d., 1s. 6d., 1s., 6d. (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: [Performances] went off better. N.B. Mrs Clive spoke the Epilogue (tho' left out ye bills after ye 6th Night) every Night since ye first except those mark'd X [i.e., Oct. 24, 26, 30] it being call'd for by ye Audience (Cross). We hear M Devisse (the first dancer from the Opera at Paris) will in a few days perform at Drury Lane wiht Mlle Auretti, in a new Comic Dance, and the celebrated Dance of Pigmalion. Receipts: #70 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs duRuel. [In Daily Courant, 18 Feb., The Man of Mode had been announced for this day.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Manina Fletcher. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Receipts: money #18 3s. 6d. and tickets #24 14s

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Baker. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Written by Beaumont and Fletcher

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Chambers. Receipts: money #31 12s.; tickets #77 19s. Probable attendance: boxes, 39 by money and 175 by tickets; stage, 5 by money; pit, 57 by money and 208 by tickets; slips, 11 by money; first gallery, 22 by money and 30 by tickets; second gallery, 50 by money

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Chambers. Receipts: money #27 1s. 6d.; tickets #90 18s. Probable attendance: boxes, 32 by money and 226 by tickets; stage, 6 by money; pit, 44 by money and 202 by tickets; slips, 4 by money; first gallery, 32 by money and 62 by tickets; second gallery, 68 by money

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Mrs Davies Miss Tittup--La! La! King sent a letter to $Sheridan desiring to be off his Engagement--all made up at night. Mattocks came and told me that Lacy had sold Half his Share of the Patent to Mr Langford (The Auctioneer) and Captain Thomson (Authour of the Syrens &c.). I acquainted Sheridan of it--he had not heard it before (Hopkins Diary). Receipts: #267 6s

Event Comment: Paid Lampmen #3 18s.; Tailors #11 2s. 10d.; Mantua Makers #3 14s. 6d.; Carpenters #16 15s. 6d.; Printer [of playbills] #19 5s. 6d. The Hypocrite and Christmas Tale in three Acts was advertised for to-morrow. This Morning at Rehearsal Lacy came and told Sheridan that he could not be off from his Agreement with Mr Langford and Captain Thomson. Sheridan told him, if he did agree, that he would withdraw himself from the Management of the Theatre--accordingly at eight this Evening he sent me with a Letter to Lacy confirming what he told him, and ordered me to receive my orders from Mr L and that he withdrew the Christmas Tale, as he had altered, for a Farce, it was his Property. This put us all into confusion--Sent to Mrs Abington to know if she would play in the Hypocrite, as it was advertised--Her answer was, that she had made her Agreement with Sheridan only, and would play under no other Manager. About twelve at night we got Richard the third settled, and sent Bills accordingly (Hopkins Diary). [For further remarks concerning this situation see 15 Oct.] Receipts: #173 6s

Event Comment: In which there will be seen (for once only) the New Scene design'd for a New Opera. Admission as 26 Oct

Event Comment: Benefit Gwinn, Mrs Clarke, Mrs Palin. Written by Shakespear. Receipts: money #5 10s.; tickets #145 17s. Probable attendance: boxes, 3 by money and 225 by tickets; stage, 5 by money; pit, 9 by money and 355 by tickets; first gallery, 4 by money and 355 by tickets; second gallery, 16 by money

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Farce written by Mrs Clive not acted in 9 years. [See 19 April 1755.] Now with Alterations and Additional Scenes in which will be introduc'd Part of an Italian Burletta. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Send servants by 3 o'clock

Event Comment: A New Serenata by the most eminent Masters

Event Comment: Benefit Sig Victoria and the Doctor. By His Majesty's Command. Mainpiece: Being a particular Fatigue of Argentina, with her Comical Affectation of her New Title; wherein the Doctor will perform by the Name of Tabarin , a New Character, very Comical and Jocose, never yet seen on the Stage, which has been reserved for that Day, and may be continued hereafter, if he has the Happiness of pleasing his most Noble Spectators better than by his former

Event Comment: A New Opera. With New Decorations

Event Comment: Benefit for Elisi. With Several alterations of new and favourite songs. This Opera will be one half an hour shorter than when it first came out, which renders the former books unserviceable. Sg Elisi has therefore ordered new books to be printed

Event Comment: A new comic opera. Music entirley new by Guglielmi