Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Cross, Mrs Bridges, Miss Young. The General Advertiser included the following Puff: Sir, As I am continually searching for latent Curiosities, out of a sincere regard for the Public Satisfaction, I think it my Duty (lest among the Multitude of Diversions now flourishing, some other might engross the attention of the Curious) to inform the world, that the Farce which will be perform'd this Evening at Drury Lane theatre, call'd May Day, or the Merry Milkmaids of Islington, was written by the particular desire of King Charles II who had it first performed at Newmarket; how agreeably that jovial Monarch was entertained, every person, who thinks it worth his while to see it, according to his abilities, will be a competent judge, Yours, &c A. Virtuoso. [Part of the Multitude of Diversions referred to included announcement in the same paper for a Rehearsal of the whole Band of Music at Ruckholt House, the following Monday; a paragraph Puff on the diversions at Sadler's Wells in consequence of the late happy Victory of the Duke of Cumberland over the Rebels, with special notice of a New Interlude of Music call'd Strephon's Return, or the British Hero, perform'd this night with many advantages of Dress and Decoration, and a new Ballet by Matthews; and further notice of the Representation of the Battle near Culloden House which had met with universal applause, and which would continue to be repeated at the New Wells in Goodman's Fields. The Farce at Drury Lane this evening was advertised as not having been played for 20 years. It was taken from Thomas Nabbes' Totenham Court Road, by the Compiler of the Muse of Newmarket, 1680. The MS Occasional Prologue praising Cumberland is in the Larpent Collection.

Event Comment: Benefit for Delagarde, Mrs Hippisley [sic], Mrs Gondou. Tickets deliver'd out by Rawlings and Mrs Dumont will by taken

Event Comment: Being the last time of acting the Mainpiece this season. Mrs Cibber Sick. Mrs Pritchard play'd Sullen (Cross). Receipts. #180 (Cross); #149 2s. (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Green. Tickets of Mrs Green in Broad Court, Bow St., Covent Garden, and at the stage Door. Tickets deliver'd out for the Provok'd Wife will be taken. Paid Blandford (Tallow Chandler) #12 15s. 9d. Cash rec'd #77 2s., plus #79 8s. from tickets. Total #156 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #170 (Cross); charges, #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: OOccasional Prologue call'd for. Mr Griffith (Son of Griffith an Actor in Ireland) play'd Barnwell: Toll: [erable] (Cross). This day at Noon will be publish'd and sold by the proprietor and the print shops, two portraits of those celebrated Comedians, Mr Woodward and Mrs Clive, in the characters of the Fine Gentleman and Lady in Lethe (as they are to perform them tonight, at Drury Lane) curiously engraved (in Miniature) from Original drawings of the same size. By J. Brooks, Engraver of Silver and Copper plate. N.B. The above prints may be had together or separate (General Advertiser).Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: Three Brothers of ye Delavals play'd ye Eldest Othello, ye next Iago, ye next Cassio--+Brabantio & Lodovico Mr Pine Roderigo-Mrs Quan">Cap. Stevens and Wife Emelia $Mrs Quan did Desdemona, the performance was very decent & met with great applause the Audience from ye Boxes to the upper Gallery were fill'd with people of ye first rank & make a most brilliant appearance. & ye greatest Crowd at ye Doors I ever saw. their Agreement for ye House was a receipt of one of the Alfred Houses upon an Averidge. they had all new cloaths, & very nicely ornamented with Diamonds (Cross). [See eulogy and criticism in some detail concerning the acting, by John Hill, Inspector No 3.] All Gentlemen and Ladies who intend going in coaches this evening to Drury Lane Theatre, are desired to order their coachmen to drive thro' Covent Garden, and stop at Bridges St. Door, and as soon as they have set down the company to drive off directly towards the Strand.--Those who go in chairs, are requested to order the men to the New Door in Russel St., and to prevent the avenues being stopt up no person will be admitted to either passage without first showing their tickets at the outward door (General Advertiser). Tickets Lost. If any person has found three tickets (numbers forgot) for the private play this night at Drury Lane, and will be so kind as to bring them to the Bar of the Rainbow Coffee House, Ironmonger Lane, shall receive 15s. for the whole, or in proportion for one or two of them (General Advertiser). Tomorrow Morning at 8 o'clock will be published' (price 6d.) by Thomas Carnan, at Mr Newberry's, at the Bible and Sun in St Paul's Churchyard; An Occasional Prologue and Epilogue to Othello, as it will this night be acted at the theatre-Royal in Drury Lane, by Persons of distinction, for their diversion. Written by Christopher Smart, A.M., Fellow of Pembroke Hall in the University of Cambridge. To be had at the place above mentioned, and at the pamphlet shops at the Royal Exchange and Charing Cross. This Prologue and Epilogue will be entered in the Hall Book of the Company of Stationers, and whoever presumes to pyrate them, or any part of them, will be persecuted as the Law directs (General Advertiser). [Both pieces by Christopher Smart, according to the Daily Advertiser. See two exceedingly favorable critical comments and one derogatory reprinted in the Gentleman's Magazine, March 1751 (pp. 119-22): "The greatest part of the play was much better performed than it ever was on any stage before. In the whole, there was a face of nature that no theatrical piece, acted by common players ever came up to." Macklin was Delaval's dramatic coach, according to one of these articles.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. Tickets to be had of Mrs Ward, next door to the Chapel, in Little Wild St., and of Hobson at the stage door. Tickets deliver'd out for Jane Shore will be taken. A Pamphlet having lately appeared in Ridicule of the late performance of Othello at Drury Lane, to which was subjoined an Advertisement in my name,from whence Occasion has been taken to assert, that I was the publisher, the Publick may be assured that advertisement was inserted without my knowledge or consent, that I am entirely ignorant of the Author, nor am the least concerned in that mean invidious affair. F. Stamper (General Advertiser). [Stamper possibly refers to A satirical Dialogue Humbly address'd to the Gentlemen who deformed the play of Othello; with a Prologue and Epilogue, much more suitable to the occasion than their own. London: River, 1751, listed in the Register of Books, Gentleman's Magazine, March 1751, p. 142. Stamper may also be alluding in some way to a Modern Character introduced in the Scenes of Vanbrugh's Aesop as it was acted at a late private representation of King Henry IV, performed gratis at the Little Opera House in the Haymarket, 3rd edn. 1751, written by F. Stamper. It was published because the farce was hissed off the stage. The Character is a Spouter who tries to instruct Aesop in heroics.] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Driscol, Banks, Barnard, Miss Davis, and Trott (Lobby Doorkeeper). Tickets deliver'd by Mlle Huette, Mrs Hanmeuze, Mrs Griffith will be taken. Tomorrow the Fair Penitent and on Friday Romeo and Juliet, being the last time of the Company's performing this season

Event Comment: A Concert, &c. To be concluded by Mrs Mary Midnight and her Family. The Concert to begin at Twelve. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. [Repeated in subsequent bills.] Second time of performing

Event Comment: Places for Boxes to be taken at the stage door of the theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [Customary notices repeated throughout the season.] Mr W. Giffard and Mrs Bland from the Theatre in Dublin, are arrived in London, and will shortly make their appearance at Covent Garden (General Advertiser 14 Sept.)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Widow in Distress, with Four Children (Public Advertiser). Benefit for Mrs Calvert. Receipts: #57 7s. Income from tickets #112 13s. (boxes 113; pit 318; gallery 361). Charges #84 (Account Book). [The Account Book shows a profit again of #31 9s. 6d.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Jones ye author of the play. A Gift Night. Mrs Pritchard ill, Mrs? Bennet read ye Queen . So ended the Season. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Part of Pit will be laid into Boxes and Amphitheatre on Stage. Receipts: #230 (Cross ); Charges #60 (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Yates. Garrick's first appearance in Chamont in 4 years. Mrs Yates in Monimia for first time. Mrs Cibber's illness has oblig'd Mrs Yates to change her Play from Jane Shore to The Orphan. The Afterpiece (for one night only): A Burlesque Opera of two acts

Event Comment: Benefit for Gaudry and Mrs Midnight. To begin at seven. Prices: Box 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Mr Gaudry humbly hopes to have the favour of the company of the Ladies and Gentlemen, as he has been deprived of the Benefit at Marybone Gardens; and Mrs Midnight hopes the Ladies will favour her

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Part of Pit [made into] Amphitheatre. Ladies are desired to send their servants by three o'clock

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: Benefit for Gardner, Mrs Burden, Mrs Stephens, Miss Helm. Tickets deliver'd by Dumay, Hussey, Mrs Viviez, Miss Twist, Miss Daw, and others will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. This play was got up with a very Grand Procession-Alexander by Mr Powell (ranted too much) (Hopkins). Part of Pit laid into Boxes. No Building on Stage. [No Building for any Bt. this season.] Mr Powell very wild in Alexander, and took his voice too high (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Not acted in 20 Years. [See 26 Dec. 1743.] Charges: #76 4s

Event Comment: Benefit for Duquesney, Mrs Stephens, Miss Helme

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Baker, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Jones. Mainpiece: By Partiuclar Desire. Afterpiece: For the last time this season. None admitted behind scenes. [Public Advertiser assigns two parts (Bridget and Dame Kitely) to Mrs Baker. Questionable.

Event Comment: MMrs Fitzhenry [formerly Mrs Gregory] engaged from Ireland to curb Mrs Yates, whose friends suspected as much and treated her cruelly (Genest, V, 87)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Rec'd stopages #1 8s.; from John Palmer in part of his bond #70; Paid 5 days salary list #367 13s. 4d. Receipts: #173 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to the 2 shilling Gallery to see the new tragedy, with its musical entertainment The Cunning Man, a sort of translation of Rousseau's Devin du Village. Holland, Powell and Bensley played Warwick, Edward and Pembroke very well. Mrs Yates did great justice to Queen Margaret. Mrs Palmer did Elizabeth. The Prologue was spoken by Bensley, the Epilogue by Mrs Yates. The characters were very richly dressed in the dresses of the time. The improper use of ridiculous modern dresses on the stage often offends me (Diary of Sylas Neville, unpublished MS portion)

Event Comment: [R+Rich's Register lists The English Merchant.] Paid Blandford (tallow chandler) #49 8s. 10d. Paid George Garrick for use of the managers #15 15s.; Paid French on account #20; Advanced to Granier on note #4 2s. 10d.; to Keen on note #4 4s. Rec'd stopages 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Sylas Neville (Neville MS Diary): With difficulty got into the Pit at Drury Lane, where I stood at the side so jambed up that I could not read the newspaper I carried: But I saw the play very well. It was Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, with the Farce of the Devil to Pay. Duke by Havard, Cacafago by Love, very well. Copper Capt. by Palmer, pretty well. Old woman pretty well by Mrs Baddeley, Astifania by Mrs Pritchard excellently, tho she is too old for the first part of this character. Leon inimitably by Garrick. I think he shows a good deal of Abel drugger, [both published and unpublished portions of the Neville Diary.] Receipts: #261 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Read ye parts of Varanes and Athenais before I went into ye Pit to see ye Play of Theodosius. Barry and Mrs Dancer are excellent in Varanes and Athenais. Young Barry did Theodosius, and Sowdon Marcian, who, tho' ugly, has a pretty good person and is a tolerably good player. Liontine by Bannister