Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the premiere is not certain, but reference to it in the Gentleman's Journal, May 1693 (issued in June 1693), suggests that it appeared in May: We have had since my last a new Comedy called, The Female Vertuosos, something in it was borrowed from Moliere's Femmes Savantes, and as it hath Wit and Humour, it cannot but please in the perusal, as in the representation (p. 168). One song, Love thou art best of human joys, to words by Anne, Countess of Winchelsea, was set by Henry Purcell

Event Comment: Rich's Company. Lady Morley attended this performance: Lady Morley and one in the Box at the Grove an Opera. 10s. See Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Drama, p. 378. It is not known whether this performance was the premiere, but the publication of this work on 16 March 1699@1700 (Post Man, 14-16 March 1699@1700) suggests that if the usual month between premiere and publication intervened for this work, the premiere may have been in mid-February. On the other hand, a letter-see 20 Jan. 1699@1700-may refer to this work. The music was composed by Daniel Purcell. In Songs in the New Opera Called The Grove or Love's Paradice (1700) the following singers are listed: Mrs Irwin, Freeman, The Boy, Hughes, Mrs Lindsey, Pate, and Mrs Shaw. The Preface implies that the opera was a failure: As for the Persons who were not so generous...who thought the Catastrophe was not enough prepar'd, and that the discovery in the last Act was huddled and in confusion, they will now see if what he had writ had been spoken, every thing would have appear's clear and natural, which, to shorten the Entertainment had been before broken and disorder'd

Event Comment: Afterpiece: [By John Hughes.] A New Musical Masque, perform'd all in English. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Sir Richard Steele

Event Comment: [By T. Killigrew.] Never Acted before. All the Characters new dress'd. Original Weekly Journal, 21 Feb.: The House was so crowded, that several hundred could not find admittance. Some Disorder happen'd in one of the side Boxes, occasion'd by a Gentleman drawing his Sword on a Footman, who was keeping Places; and some Blows were exchang'd between the Gentleman and the Footman, which, however, ended without any bad Consequences

Event Comment: Mainpiece: As it was alter'd by the late Duke of Buckingham. Afterpiece: A new Dramatick Entertainment of Dancing in Grotesque Characters

Event Comment: [By Philip Frowde.] All the Characters new Dress'd. Receipts: #148 3s. Probable attendance: boxes, 198 paid and 17 orders; balcony, 1 paid; pit, 283 paid and 3 orders; first gallery, 409 paid and 1 orders; slips, 64 paid; second gallery, 82 paid

Event Comment: [By Thomas Walker.] With Rich New Habits

Event Comment: [By William Hatchett.] With New Habits

Event Comment: Benefit Roger, the Pierrot. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: A New Pantomime Entertainment. Composed by Monsieur Roger

Event Comment: All the Characters New Drest. Receipts: #131 9s. 6d

Event Comment: A New Comedy. [By Matthew Draper.

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: With new Habits, Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations. No Money under the full Price to be taken during the Time of Performance. The Additional Money to be return'd (if desired) to those who go out before the Overture of the Entertainment begins. Admission: 5s., 3s., 2s., 1s

Event Comment: A New Tragedy. [By William Havard.] Boxes 3s. Boxes and Balconies on the Stage 4s. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Distinction. All the Characters entirely new dress'd

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In it The Pleasures of the Town. With great Additions. Afterpiece: a new Farce of two Acts. [By Henry Fielding.]

Event Comment: A New Comedy. Written by the Author of The Miser [Henry Fielding]. Tickets for the Author's Night at DL will be taken here every Night of the Performance. Boxes 4s. Pit is. Gallery 1s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit the Author of the opera. Afterpiece: A new Serio-Comi-Farcical-Elysian Ballad Opera of Two Acts. [Author unknown. Apparently not printed.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy [By Francis Lynch]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh. Afterpiece: With Additional Scenes, particularly a new one for the Conclusion

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Never acted before [authorship unknown]. Benefit of the Authoress [of the new Farce]. 2s., 1s. 6d., 1s

Event Comment: TThe Suspicious Husband deferr'd by Garrick's Indisposition [repeated in the bills]. From The Museum, or Literary and Historical Register, No 25, 28 Feb. 1747, p. 382: On the Present State of the Theatre: I remember when you and I were last in Town together, some years ago, we were eternally repining at the wretched condition of the stage. Quin was then at the head of the Fraternity; but a very different man from what he is at present, and merely a bad copy of Booth; with all his mouthing and pageantry, but without his musical elocution, or his dignity. Whether Time or Emulation has had the greatest hand in Improving him, I know not; but certain it is, that he is improved, beyond what you will really imagine. He has got much more variety, and much more Spirit. He was always a tolerably just speaker; but then he has hardly anything more; he recited rather than acted....However, Rich has...got Quin, Garrick, Mrs Cibber and Mrs Pritchard to the new house. The consequence has been, that the stage was never, in my memory, so fashionable; not even in the Time of Mrs Oldfield's highest fame. A good taste both of acting and of plays themselves, is much more general than I ever expected to have seen it; and those who are skilled in such matters, tell me, that Rich will be a greater gainer this season than has been known for these many years. Receipts: #108 1s. 6d