Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter

Event Comment: Benefit for Messrs Wignel and Stoppelaer. Neither Piece Acted This Season. The Prologue and Epilogue spoken By particular Desire by Master Wignell. Charges #72 15s. [of which Wignel bore #32 2s. 6d. and Stoppelaer bore #40 12s. 6d. Their deficit codered by income from tickets: Wignel #97 6s. (Box 82; Pit 362; Gallery 225); Stoppelaer #104 15s. (Bhx 118; Pit 377; Gallery 187).] Paid Edward Bamford for the Giant in the Dragon of Wantly #1 1s. (Account Book). With difficulty got into the Pit just before began (Neville MS Diary). [He comments favorably on the play and performers. Liked Shuter, especially, as Sharp in the afterpiece, and thought Miss Baker looked well in men's clothes.] Receipts: #48 7s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. [The BM Playbill lists Mercury-Bannister.] Half past six went into ye Pit to see $Barry do Hastings and Mrs Dancer Jane Shore. Before ye play began, ended reading ye parts of Hastings, Jane Shore and Dumont. When ye Gods called for ye Prologue, York beckoned to be quiet. What authority these fellows assume! T. Barry did Dumont, but he will never be equal to his father. The Entertainment was Lethe. Old Man and Lord Chalkstone by Shuter. Garrick, who sat near me, laughed at his understanding ye character of Lord Chalkstone so little, as to say--"She married for money, and I for a title." Drunken man pretty well by Weston (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Never performed there. Neville MS Diary: Shuter made ye house laugh by saying to the conjurer. Should be glad to see you at Court; there will a change in ye Ministry soon" and by desiring Jo to take care of his Toes

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 24 Jan. 1758.] Prologue written by Paul Whitehead. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage-Door. No persons can be admitted behind scenes, nor any Money returned after curtain is drawn up. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [Customary note in succeeding bills.] Receipps: #190 14s. (Account Book). @The New Occasional Prologue@As when the merchant to increase his store@For Dubious seas, advent'rous quits the shore;@Still anxious for his freight, he trembling sees@Rocks in each buoy, and tempest in each breeze@The curling wave to mountain billow swells,@And every cloud a fancied storm fortells:@Thus rashly launch'd on this Theatric main,@Our All on board, each phantom gives Us pain;@The Aatcall's note seems thunder in our ears,@And every Hiss a hurricane appears;@In Journal Squibs we lightning's blast espy,@And meteors blaze in every Critic's eye.@Spite of these terrors, still come hopes we view,@Hopes, ne'er can fail us--since they're plac'd--in you.@Your breath the gale, our voyage is secure,@And safe the venture which your smiles insure;@Though weak his skill, th' adventurer must succeed,@Where Candour takes th' endeavor for the deed.@For Brentford's state, two kings could once suffice;@In ours, behold! four kings of Brentford rise;@All smelling to one nosegay's od'rous savor@The balmy nosegay of--the Public favor.@From hence alone, our royal funds we draw,@Your pleasure our support, your will our law.@While such our government, we hope you'll own us;@But should we ever Tyrant prove--dethrone us.@Like Brother Monarchs, who, to coax the nation@Began their reign, with some fair proclamation,@We too should talk at least--of reformation;@Declare that during our imperial sway,@No bard shall mourn his long-neglected Play;@But then the play must have some wit, some spirit,@And We allow'd sole umpires of its merit.@For those deep sages of the judging Pit,@Whose taste is too refin'd for modern wit,@From Rome's great Theatre we'll cull the piece,@And plant on Britain's stage the flow'rs of Greece.@If some there are, our British Bards can please,@Who taste the ancient wit of ancient days,@Be our's to save, from Time's devouring womb,@Their works, and snatch their laurels from the tomb.@For you, ye Fair, who sprightlier scenes may chuse,@Where Music decks in all her airs the Muse,@Gay Opera shall all its charms dispense,@Yet boast no tuneful triumph over sense;@The nobler Bard shall still assert his right,@Nor Handel rob a Shakespear of his night,@To greet the mortal brethren of our skies [upper galleries]@Here all the Gods of Pantomime shall rise:@Yet midst the pomp and magic of machines,@Some plot may mark the meaning of our scenes;@Scenes which were held, in good King Rich's days,@By sages, no bad epilogues to plays.@If terms like these your suffrage can engage,@To fix our mimic empire of the stage;@Confirm our title in your fair opinions,@And crowd each night to people our dominions.@--(Poems and Miscelaneous Compositions, Ed. Capt. Edward Thompson, 1777) Covent Garden opened with the Rehearsal with alterations. I was in the Pit. Powell, from Drury Lane, one of the new managers who have bought the patent from Rich's heirs, spoke an occasional Prologue. Shuter did Bayes pretty much to my liking, adding many crochets of his own.... Entertainment The Mock Doctor,...Young Jasper pretty well by one Massey, being his first appearance on that stage (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never acted there. Neville MS Diary: Both theatres opened again with The English Merchant. Went into the Pit of cg. Shuter did Freeport pretty well, but had not that appearance of blunt honesty which Yates has in that character....I like Miss Pope better in Molly than Mrs Mattocks. Mrs Goodman by Mrs Ward, who is a very different figure now from what she was some years ago. Her daughter did Amelia pretty well, but has a stiffiness and an indifferent voice. End Act III, The Irish Lilt-The celebrated dancer Aldridge, Sga Manesiere. Entertainment Harlequin Dr Faustus. I hope this emulation between the 2 Houses will cause exertion. Receipts: #146 8s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [N$Neville was present in the pit, liked Macklin, Shuter, Miss Macklin, and Dyer well.] Receipts: #227 15s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [See note for 9 Jan. 1770 of a mild riot this night during best scene of The Orphan.] Afterpiece: A New Opera [by George Alexander Stevens] the Music composed by Mr Fisher. Books of the entertainment to be had at the theatre. Gave Duke of Glocester's Footmen #2 2s. (Account Book). [Afterpiece a roaring burlesque of Lee's Rival Queens. Larpent MS 302 includes Semi Chorus, Grand Chorus, and Perdiccas, not listed in the Playbill. The Court awakes with total hangover. Alexander orders a pot of coffee to clear his head. Thais begs him to leave the gout giving juice-Retire with me @ In my Chinese pavilion, drink some Tea." Afterpiece reviewed inthe Freeholder's Magazine for Jan.] Mr Shuter and Mrs Mattocks gave great satisfaction in their different characters; the words of the songs were written by Mr George Alexander Stephens, author of the celebrated Lecture upon Heads, and several other whimsical productions; and the airs which had Uncommon merit, were composed by Mr Fisher, a young genius, who has hitherto been but little known in the musical world. Receipts: #215 8s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewes and Morris. [Shuter played Richard By Particular Desire.] Charges #69 12s. Balance due actors #4 2s. 6d. apiece, plus income from tickets: LeLewes #96 6s. (Box 119; Pit 293; Gallery 226); Morris #99 19s. (Box 105; Pit 270; Gallery 332) Account Book. Receipts: #77 17s

Event Comment: [The play bill of the day noted that Baddeley from Drury Lane would play Polonius for Shuter who had sprained his ankle (Hogan).] Receipts: #207 6s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Piece in 2 Acts [by William O'Brien] never perform'd. [Genest, V, 363, assigns parts as follows: Grub-$Shuter; Consol-$Quick; Chapeau-$Lewes; George Bevil-$Wroughton; Robin-$Dyer; Mrs Grub-$Mrs Green; Emily-$Mrs Bulkley; Jenny-$Mrs Kniveton. See playbill 8 Oct. 1773. Plot given in detail in Town and Country Magazine for this month.