Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by George Colman, the elder]. "The ground-work was the apologies received from the great actors, who all preferred their suburban shades to the temperature of the Haymarket...The prompter enters to apologize to the audience and return the money, but his plea is rendered nugatory by certain oratorical and mimetic personages stationed in the pit and boxes, who not at first being recognized by the house as professional people, a great confusion was produced. When Mrs Webb arose to address the audience, the joke became apparent, and a prodigious interest was excited' (Boaden, Siddons, 1,208). [In 2nd piece the playbill lists Baddeley, but "Previous to the beginning of the Play, Palmer came forward...and acquainted [the audience] that Baddeley then lay speechless [as the result of a stroke], and Hitchcock, the prompter, would, with their permission, read Baddeley's Part" (London Chronicle, 31 May). The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Public Advertiser, 6 July 1780: This Day is published The Manager in Distress (1s.)

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first performance is not certain, but the evidence points toward this day. On Thursday 19 Nov. 1696, Robert Jennens reported that the two pieces had been acted four or five days together. If that day saw the fifth performance, the premiere probably occurred on 14 Nov. 1696. The Single Songs and Dialogue in Mars and Venus, set by John Eccles (Acts I and II) and Godfrey Finger (Act III), was published separately in 1697. The pieces for whom a performer is indicated are as follows: Prologue. The first Song Sung by Mrs Hudson, set by Finger: Come all, with moving songs [it is reproduced opposite page 300 in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues]. Love alone can here alarm me, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. Scorn tho' Beauty frowns to tremble, sung by Mrs Hudson. To double the sports, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. To treble the pleasures with regular measures, sung by Mrs Ayloffe. To meet her, May, the Queen of Love comes here, set by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hudson. See Vulcan, Jealousie, Jealousie appears, set by Finger and sung by Mrs Hudson. Yield, no, no, sung by Mrs Bracegirdle and Bowman. Gildon, English Dramatick Poets, p. 115: This Play met with extraordinary Success having the Advantage of the excellent Musick of The Loves of Mars and Venus perform'd with it. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 44-45: The Anatomist, or Sham Doctor, had prosperous Success, and remains a living Play to this Day; 'twas done by Mr Ravenscroft. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20: I remember the success of that was owing to the Musick

Event Comment: LLondon Evening Post, 1 Jan. 1737: Last Night the Beggar's Opera (about the Playing of which, as much Noise has been made, as about several of our Modern Treaties) was perform'd...to a crowded Audience; the House being full by Four. There was a prodigious uproar, with Clappin, Hissing, Catcalls, &c. Mrs Clive, who play'd the Part of Polly, when she came forward, address'd herself to the House, saying, Gentlemen, I am very sorry it should be thought I have in any Manner been the Occasion of the least Disturbance; and then cry'd in so moving a Manner, that even Butchers wept. The she told them, She was almost ready with the Part of Lucy, and at all Times shou'd be willing to play such Parts as the Town should direct, and desir's to know if they were willing she should go on with the Part of Polly; she behaving in so humble a Manner, the House approv'd of her Behavious by a general Clap. [For Occasional Prompter XI, see Daily Journal, 31 Dec.

Event Comment: A New Comedy Written by Mrs Sheridan. This play was well Acted, but the subject seem'd to displease. The three first Acts pass'd off tolerably; in 4 Act they begun to hiss, & continued it to the End of the play. When Mr Havard went forward & Address'd the Audience &c. as follows Ladies & Gentn as Some passages in the play had given offence, they should be omitted the Next Night. Much hissing, & many Cry'd out No more! no more &c. (Hopkins). Much Hiss'd (Cross Diary). A new Comedy (The Dupe) wrote by Mrs Sheridan.--This play was very well acted,--but the subject much displeased.--in 4th act much hissing, and so on to the end. When Mr Havard told the audience as some passages in the play had given offence, they should be omitted the next night, much hissing and many cried out, "No more, No more." (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Receipts: #167 18s. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: [This New Comedy (by Mrs Elizabeth Griffith) seems not to have been performed this night, according to the author's Preface to her Edition of 1772. Shuter had been unattentive and absent from many rehearsals]: At length though late [in the season] a day was appointed for the representation, and on that morning Mr Shuter appeared at rehearsal, pretty much in the same state as before, and confessed himself incapable of performing his part, that night. Upon which the play was oblig'd to be further postponed, and handbills were sent about at noon, to advertise town of the disappointment....A further final day was afterwards determined on, but the audience being out of humour at their former disappointment, called Mr Shuter to account for it, on his first appearance; which threw him into such confusion, that he was not able to get the better of it, throughtout the whole performance...in the hurry of his spirits the actor not only forgot his part, the deficiency of which he endeavoured to supply with his own dialect, but also seemed to lose all idea of the character he was to perform; and made the Governor appear in a light which the author never intended: that of a mean, ridiculous buffoon. [Mrs Griffith concluded her preface by relating how her friends stood by the piece, but two or three in the gallery, when it was given out again objected and threw an apple at the chandeliers, which so perturbed the management that the play was withdrawn. She therefore published it by subscription, prefixing the names of about 440 subscribers, persons of the first quality, including James Boswell, Edmund Burke, Col. Burgoyne, the Duke of Devonshire, David Garrick, Mrs Montague, William Richardson, and a host of writers, players, and people of fashion. This list provides a pretty good roster of those who filled the boxes and part of the pit of both theatres at the time.] Paid Younger #2 2s. for the license for A Wife in the Right (Account Book). Receipts: #218 12s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Mrs Peachum to Mrs Webb, but on the Kemble playbill her name is deleted and a MS annotation substitutes Mrs Davenett's.] Receipts: #157 19s. 6d. (156/10/6; 1/9/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, based partly on Die Indianer in England, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue, Epilogue by the author (see text)]: Written by the Author of The Castle-Spectre [Matthew Gregory Lewis]. Receipts: #706 5s. 6d. (350.16.6; 42.4.0; odd and after-money: 7.4.6; tickets: 306.0.6) (charge: free)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but it had been acted by the time the January 1692@3 issue of the Gentleman's Journal appeared in March (on page 1 of that issue, the editor states that We are now in March): Mr Southerne's New Comedy, call'd, The Maid's last Prayer, or Any rather than fail, was acted the 3d time this evening, and is to be acted again to morrow. It discovers much knowledge of the Town in its Author; and its Wit and purity of Diction are particularly commended (p. 28). The first song in the play, Tho you make no return to my passion, composed by Henry Purcell, was sung, according to the printed play, by Mrs Hodgson; by Mrs Dyer, according to Thesaurus Musicus, First Book, 1693. The second song, composed by Samuel? Akeroyd, was sung by Mrs Ayliff (Thesaurus Musicus, The First Book, 1693). Another song, No, no, no, no, resistance is but vain, written by Anthony Henley, composed by Henry Purcell, and sung by Mrs Ayliff and Mrs Hodgson, Act IV, is in Purcell's Works, Purcell Society, XX (1916), xiv-xv. A song, Tell me no more I am deceiv'd, written by William Congreve, set by Henry Purcell, and sung by Mrs Ayliff, is in Works, XX (1916), xv-xvi. According to the London Gazette, No. 2852, 9-13 March 1692@3, the play was published "this day" (13 March 1692@3)

Event Comment: Account-Book: Paid Mrs Booth, washing bill, #1 14s. 7d. Receipts: #283 3s. (188.19; 94.1; 0.3)

Event Comment: Boswell (Restoration Court Stage, pp. 180-81) believes that a performance occurred on this day, as well as on 16 Feb. 1674@5, Shrove Tuesday, the date often specified in advance statements. For previous notices, see 2 Feb. 1674@5, 15 and 22 Dec. 1674. Edition of 1675:....followed at innumerable Rehearsals, and all the Representations by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality...at the 20th or 30th, for near so often it had been Rehearsed and Acted....And the Composer of all the Musick both Vocal and Instrumental Mr Staggins. Langbaine. (English Dramatick Poets, p. 92): a Masque at court, frequently presented there by Persons of great Quality, with the Prologue, and the Songs between the Acts: printed in quarto Lond. 1675....This Masque was writ at the Command of her present Majesty: and was rehearsed near Thirty times, all the Representations being follow'd by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality, and very often grac'd with their Majesties and Royal Highnesses Presence. John Evelyn (The Life of Mrs Godolphin): [Mrs Blagge] had on her that day near twenty thousand pounds value of Jewells, which were more sett off with her native beauty and luster then any they contributed of their own to hers; in a word, she seemed to me a Saint in Glory, abstracting her from the Stage. For I must tell you, that amidst all this pomp and serious impertinence, whilst the rest were acting, and that her part was sometymes to goe off, as the scenes required, into the tireing roome, where severall Ladyes her companions were railing with the Gallants trifleingly enough till they were called to reenter, she, under pretence of conning her next part, was retired into a Corner, reading a booke of devotion, without att all concerning herself or mingling with the young Company; as if she had no farther part to act, who was the principall person of the Comedy...[With] what a surprizeing and admirable aire she trode the Stage, and performed her Part, because she could doe nothing of this sort, or any thing else she undertooke, indifferently....Thus ended the Play, butt soe did not her affliction, for a disaster happened which extreamly concern'd her, and that was the loss of a Diamond of considerable vallue, which had been lent her by the Countess of Suffolke; the Stage was immediately swept, and dilligent search made to find it, butt without success, soe as probably it had been taken from her, as she was oft inviron'd with that infinite crowd which tis impossible to avoid upon such occasion. Butt the lost was soon repair'd, for his Royall Highness understanding the trouble she was in, generousely sent her the wherewithall to make my Lady Suffolke a present of soe good a Jewell. For the rest of that days triumph I have a particular account still by me of the rich Apparell she had on her, amounting, besides the Pearles and Pretious Stones, to above three hundred pounds (ed. Samuel Lord Bishop of Oxford [London, 1847], pp. 97-100). See also 15 Dec. 1674

Event Comment: Comedy by Mrs Griffith, never before acted. [Not well received the first night, but clarified and improved the second Victor, History of the Theatres, III, 59. Prologue and Epilogue printed in Public Advertiser, 28 Jan.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Comic Opera. The Music by Hooke, [text attributed to Thomas Bridges. Prologue spoken in the character of Flora by Mrs Gardner. At the conclusion Dido hangs herself in her own garters. She is cut down and gives her hand to Iarbas.