Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve, London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 2 Oct.: Last Night in the Entertainment of Dr Faustus...when the Machine wherein were Harlequin, the Miller's Wife, the Miller and his the Miller's Man, was got up to the full Extent of its flying, one of the Wires which held up the hind part of the Car broke first, and then the other broke, and the Machine, and all the People in it fell down Upon the Stage; by which unhappy Accident the young Woman who personated the Miller's Wife had her Thigh broke, and her Kneepan shatter'd, and was otherways very much bruised, the Harlequin had his Head bruised, and his Wrist strained; the Miller broke his Arm; and the Miller's Man had his Scull so fractured that his Life in despaired of. Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole, 6 Oct.: Covent Garden has given me a sort of surfeit of Mr Rich and his cleverness, for I was at [cg] when the machine broke t'other night; the house was in amaze for above a minute, and I dare say a great many in the galleries thought it very desterously performed, and that they screamed as naturally as heart could wish, till they found it was no jest, by their calling for surgeons, of whom several luckily happened to be in the pit. I stayed to see the poor creatures brought out of the house, and pity poor Mrs Buchanan not a little, whom I saw put into a chair in such a fright that as she is big with child, I question whether it may not kill her.-Horace Walpole's Correspondence with Thomas Gray, I, 113-14

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Acted before. [By John Hewitt.] Preface to edition of 1737: This Comedy made it's Appearance under many Disadvantages:...It was read for the first Time to the Performers, Tuesday the 15th, and acted Monday the 21st. Mrs Giffard, who had been Ill the Whole Season, undertook the Character of Lady Betty Manly, but finding herself indisposed, returned the Part on Thursday Evening. It was then given to Mrs Hamilton, who on Saturday about one in the Afternoon declared she could not do it unless it was cut, which the Nature of that Part not admitting, there was a Necessity to ask the Favour of Miss Hughes to undertake it, who with a great deal of good Nature, studied and played it perfect, tho' at so short a Warning

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mrs Centlivre

Event Comment: Benefit J. Roberts, Yates, Mrs Mullart. Written by Mr Durfey. [Tickets for Mrs Marshall and Miss Ferguson also taken.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Giffard. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Part of the Stage will be formed into Side-Boxes. [Tickets at Giffard's Lodgings (Mr Bolney's) in Great Queen Street, near Lincoln's Inn Fields.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Mills. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality

Event Comment: Tickets deliver'd out by Richard Neale and the Widow Dupre will be taken. [Mrs Walter formerly Mrs Bellamy.

Event Comment: At the Great Theatrical Booth, Bowling Green. By Permission. Benefit Laguerre and Boaman. By a Company from the Theatres-Royal, for their Diversion, a Concert...gratis, etc. Boxes 3s. 6d. First Gallery 1s. 6d. Upper Gallery 1s. 6 p.m. Daily Advertiser lists Miss Hippisley for Miss Prue in mainpiece and for Kitty in afterpiece, and Mrs Yates for Melissa. In the London Daily Post and General Advertiser bill Mrs Dunstall doubles two roles

Event Comment: Benefit for Taswell, Mrs Bennett, Mrs Ridout

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Clive. Mainpiece alter'd from Dryden by Colley Cibber. Not acted these 30 years [see 27 April 1722]. Servants will be admitted to keep places on the stage, which will be inclos'd and form'd into Front and Side Boxes. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Clive, at her House in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; and of Hobson at the Stage Door

Event Comment: Paid Mrs Ewin for a Hoop Petty Coat for Mrs Granier 14s. Receipts: #166 12s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Bencraft and Mrs Hale. Afterpiece: By particular Desire and for that night only. Mainpiece: Written by Congreve

Event Comment: Nothing said abour ye prolog: (Cross). The Music of the Funeral Procession compos'd by Dr Boyce. [See "William Boyce's 'Solemn Dirge' in Garrick's Romeo and Juliet Production of 1750," by Charles Haywood, Shakespeare Quarterly, Spring, 1960.] This day is Publish'd at 1s. 6d. Romeo and Juliet a Tragedy, revised and alter'd from Shakespear by Theophilus Cibber, First revised in September 1744, at the Theatre in the Haymarket; now acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. To which is added a Serio-Comic Apology for Part of the Life of Mr Theophilus Cibber, Comedian, written by himself. Interspers'd with memoirs and anecdotes relating to the Stage Managements, Theatrical Resolutions, &c. also cursory Observations on principal Players: particularly Mr Quin, Mr Ryan, Mrs Woffington, Mrs Ward, and Miss Bellamy; Mr Garrick, Mr Barry, Mrs Cibber, Mrs Clive, Mrs Pritchard, &c. Likewise Original Letters that passed between the late Sir Thomas DeVeil and Mr Theophilus Cibber relating to the Stage Act, Concluding with a copy of Verses, call'd the Contrite Comedian's Confession. Printed for C. Corbett, the Publisher, at Addison's Head, facing St Dunstan's Church, Fleet St; G. Woodfall, at the King's Arms, the corner of Craig's Court, Charing Cross. [See 11 Oct.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: [The Gentlewoman who played Polly was probably Mrs Chambers. See 25 Nov.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Mainpiece: Written by Colley Cibber. [The Old Maid for 8 May 1756 reviewed this performance of Lethe, or possibly the one with the same cast on 30 April. The reviewer was 'particularly diverted with Mrs Clive's Italian Song, in which this truly humorous actress parodys the Air of the Opera, and takes off the action, of the present favorite female at the Hay-Market, with such exquisite ridicule, that the most zealous partisans of both, I think, must have applauded the comic genius of Mrs Clive, however they might be displeased with this application of it." The reviewer is lukewarm in praise of the "New Character"..."What is there new in a Lord's having Gout, loving a bottle, pretending to taste, or being follow'd by a flatterer?"] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Simson Their Son & Daughter (Cross). Receipts: #220 (Cross )

Event Comment: MMrs Clive Ly Wishfort -(bad) Fribble Garrick (Cross). Benefit for Mrs Clive. Part of Pit laid into Boxes Tickets of her in Henrietta St. and of Mr Varney at the Stage Door. Receipts: #310 (Cross)

Event Comment: Not performed for 12 years. [See 5 Nov. 1746.] Mossop, Palmer, Miss Macklin, Mrs Davies, Miss Pritchard played parts for first time. Receipts: #100 (Cross).; #114 10s (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bransby and Champness. Tickets deliver'd by Mrs Bradshaw, Miss Hippisley, Mrs Smith, and Mrs Rowe will be taken. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be taken. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hamilton. Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 years. Ladies send sevants by 3 o'clock. Mrs Hamilton is obliged to change her Farce on account of Miss Brent's indisposition. Receipts: #85 10s. 6d. in cash, plus #161 1s. from tickets (Boxes 230; Pit 481; Gallery 314). Total income #246 11s. 6d. Charges #64 5s. Paid Stede a bill for writing #10 13s. 6d. Paid Mr Long for 3 dozen drums #2 14s. [To the house charges this season Rich adds extras: candles (wax) #1 5s.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Dyer, Miss Helm, Mrs Viviez, Mrs Leppie. Tickets delvier'd out by Redman, Chapman, and others will be taken. Receipts #23 14s. 6d. plus 1!2 value of tickets. @Tickets Mrs Dyer Box 8@Pit 35@Gallery 29@Value #10 3s.@1!2 Value #5 1s. 6d.@Tickets Miss Helm Box 3@Pit 20 Gallery 20@Value #7 5s.@1!2 Value #3 12s. 6d.@Tickets Mrs Viviez Box 15@Pit 42@Gallery 71@Value #17 3s.@1!2 Value #8 11s. 6d.@Tickets Mrs Leppie Box 6@Pit 38@Gallery 34@Value #10 12s.@1!2 Value #5 6s.@Tickets Redman Box -@Pit 40@Gallery 44@Value #9 16s.@1!2 Value #4 18s.@Tickets Chapman Box 52@Pit 150@Gallery 79@Value 43 8s.@1!2 Value #21 14s.@Tickets Jarvis Box 3@Pit 77@Gallery 55@Value #18 8s.@1!2 Value #9 14s.@Tickets Cockayne Box 2@Pit 19@Gallery 7@Value #4 1s.@1!2 Value #2 6d.@Tickets Dumay Box 17@Pit 31@Gallery 36@Value #12 10s.@1!2 Value #6 5s.@Tickets Mrs Granier Box -@Pit 18@Gallery 16@Value #4 6s.@1!2 Value #2 3s.@Tickets Miss Davis Box 23@Pit 27@Gallery 13@Value #11 2s.@1!2 Value #5 11s. (Gratis)@Tickets Paddock Box 1@Pit 24@Gallery 26@Value #6 9s.@1!2 Value #3 4s. 6d.@Tickets Hitchcock Box 17@Pit 42@Gallery 3@Value #10 17s.@1!2 Value #5 8s. 6d. (Gratis)@Total Box 147@Pit 573@Gallery 433@Value #166@1!2 Value #83 Money #23 14s. 6d.@#106 14s. 6d. #9 12s.; Paid Blackmore a bill for the theatre, #71 12s. 6d.; A Bill for Rich #30 0s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hamilton. Mainpiece: Not acted in 10 years. [See 16 Jan. 1753.] Afterpiece: By Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock. Receipts: #56 16s. plus #154 13s. from tickets (Box 203; Pit 514; Gallery 268) (Account 8ook). Charges: #64 5s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: MMr Vernon-Macheath, 1st time; Mr Parsons-Filch, Mrs Parsons-Mrs Peachum (Cross Diary). Mr William Parsons came with Mr James Love from Edinburg, and Made his first appearance on the stage in London this evening; He died of an asthma on Tues. 3 February in the severe winter of 1795, and was buried in the churchyard of Lea-Church near Blackheath in Kent; he was in his 60th year (Macmillan [Hopkins MS Notes]). Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 19 Oct. 1759.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard

Event Comment: MMrs Love play'd Mrs Peachum very bad. Her fit seem'd a very Aukward Imitation of Mrs Pritchard in the Jealous Wife (Hopkins). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No money received at the Stage Door. None returned after the curtain is up. Play to begin exactly at 6 o'clock. Places may be had of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door. Vivat Rex et Regina. [Customary notice, which will not be repeated here, Sept. 15 David Garrick & his Lady set out for Italy from his house in Southampton St. Covent Garden (Winston MS 9). Winston also refers to a Sept. 9 Letter from T. Davies, cg, to the poet Charles Churchill begging he would not introduce so unimportant a person as himself in his Smithfield Rosciad.] Receipts: #248 9s. (Cross Diary)