Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Gambarini. At the Great Concert Room, Dean St., Soho Tickets: Pit, half a guinea. Gallery 5s. Composed by Geminiani, who being lately returned to England, has lent the aforementioned composition in favour of this Benefit. Also a new Ode The Argument Britannia rising from the waves like the morning sun, pointing out her young Monarch, and predicts? the glory and felicity of his reign. The music composed by Sga Gambarini

Event Comment: Farce in two acts never performed before. Full prices. [See advertisement to Reed's 1761 edition where he accuses Foote of taking the character of Mrs Cole in the Minor from Mrs Snarewell.] A new farce wrote by one Reed, a ropemaker, brought out by Mr Foote--went off tolerable--hissed a little at the end (Hopkins MS Notes). [See advertisement for the Universal Register Office General Advertiser 18 Oct. 1750: This Office being much approv'd and encouraged especially by Ladies and Gentlemen in the Country, we have daily enquiries by those who are just come to town, and many letters from those in the country to procure houses and lodgings, both furnished and unfurnished, for single Gentlemen, Ladies, and Families for the winter; and also boarding houses as well in French Families as in English Families." Announces its books open to any who wish to register there. The afterpiece met with trouble from the Licenser. Larpent MS 189 and 196, indicate the exceptionable passages to be those using profanity, and those of Mrs Snarewell's capable of double entendre, principally about the comfort she received from Mr Watchlight who was called twice out of bed to pray-"so ernest in his ejaculations, &c."

Event Comment: Benefit for Tindal. No Building on Stage. Receipts: #38 12s. plus #113 18s. from tickets (Box 102; Pit 442; Gallery 221). Paid Mr Hursfall, barber, a bill for work done for Mr Sodi's New Dance #2 1s. 6d. (Account Book). [See Hungarian Gambols, 9 March.] Charges: #84 (Account Book)

Event Comment: On Monday next there will be a general practice of the new Comic Opera Le Pescatrici at noon on the Stage (Public Advertiser)

Event Comment: First performance in England. A new comic Opera. Music-Bertoni, author of the favourite song Ah se un Cuor Barbaro, in Demetrio. [Libretto by Goldoni (Loewenberg, Annals of Opera, p. 110.)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire a Minuet (for the first time)-Noverre, Miss Mowatt. Benefit for Miss Mowatt. Mainpiece: Acted but once these 5 years. No Building on stage. Tickets and places to be had of Miss Mowatt, Upper End of New Bond St., and of Mr Varney at the Stage Door

Event Comment: [This day Horace Walpole wrote as follows to George Montagu, forshadowing an event to take place on 27 July: "If you will stay with me a fortnight or three weeks, perhaps I may be able to carry you to a play of Mr Bentley's--you stare--but I am in earnest--nay, and de par le roy. In short, here is the history of it. You know the passion he always had for the Italian comedy. About two years ago he writ one, intending to get it offered to Rich--but without his name--he would have died to be supposed an author, and writing [I, 372] for gain. I kept this a most inviolable secret. Judge then of my surprise when about a fortnight or three weeks ago I found my Lord Melcomb reading this very Bentleiad in a circle at my Lady Hervey's. Cumberland had carried it to him, with a recommendatory copy of verses, containing more incense to the King and my Lord Bute, than the Magi brought in their portmanteaus to Jerusalem. The idols were propitious, and to do them justice, there is a great deal of wit in the piece, which is called The Wishes or Harlequin's Mouth Opened. A bank note of #200 was sent from the Treasury to the author, and the play ordered to be performed by the summer company. Foote was summoned to Lord Melcomb's, where Parnassus was composed of the peer himself, who, like Apollo as I am going to tell you, was dozing, the two Chief Justices and Lord Bute. Bubo read the play himself, with handkerchief and orange by his side. But the curious part is a prologue which I never saw. It represents the god of verse fast asleep by the side of Helicon. The race of modern bards try to wake him, but the more they repeat of their works, the louder he snores. At last "Ruin seize thee ruthless King" is heard, and the god starts from his trance. This is a good thought, but will offend the bards so much, that I think Dr Bentley's son will be abused at least as much as his father was. The prologue concludes with young Augustus, and how much he excels the ancient one, by the choice of his friend. Foote refused to act this prologue, and said it was too strong. 'Indeed,' said Augustus's friend, 'I think it is.' They have softened it a little, and I suppose it will be performed. You may depend upon the truth of all this; but what is much more credible, is that the comely young author appears every night in the Mall in a milkwhite coat with a blue cape, disclaims any benefit, and says he has done with the play now it is out of his own hands, and that Mrs Hannah Clio alias Bentley writ the best scenes in it. He is going to write a tragedy, and she, I suppose, is going--to court."--Horace Walpole's Correspondence with George Montagu. Ed. W. S. Lewis and Ralph S. Brown Jr (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941), I, 372-73. [IX, 372-373.

Event Comment: With Alterations and the addition of a new character. To begin at 7:30 p.m. (Public Advertiser)

Event Comment: A new English Comic Burletta from the Italian. Music by John Adolf? Hasse. To begin at half after seven

Event Comment: A new English Comic Burletta from the Italian. Music by Galuppi

Event Comment: Income from Boxes #70 13s. 6d. Paid Performers' salary [50]-#181 5s. 10d.; Servants [50] #20 14s. 6d. [Six new actors were entered.] Paid scenemen #10 17s. this night, and for incidentals #8 6s. 3d., and to Richards for painting a scene #5 5s. [Detailed pay scale listed by Winston.] Receipts: #153 17s. (Winston Theatrical Record)

Event Comment: Full Prices. There will not be room behind the Scenes for more than the persons acting in the coronation, [Others] cannot possibly be admitted. The coronation of their Majesties was followed by a stage representation of it at both houses...Garrick knew that Rich would spare no expense in the presentation of his show; he knew too that he had a taste in the ordering, dressing, and setting out these pompous processions, superior to his own; he therefore was contented with the old dresses which had been occasionally used from 1721-1761. This show he repeated for near forty nights successively, sometimes at the end of a play, and at other times after a farce. The exhibition was the meanest, and the most unworthy of a theatre, I ever saw. The stage was...opened into Drury Lane; and a new and unexpected sight surprised the audience, of a real bonfire, and the populace huzzaing and drinking porter to the health of Queen Anne Bullen. The Stage in the meantime, amidst the parading of Dukes, duchesses, archbishops, peeresses, heralds &c. was covered with a thick fog from the smoke of the fire, which served to hide the tawdry dresses of the processionalists. During this idle piece of mockery, the actors, being exposed to the suffocations of smoke, and the raw air from the open street, were seized with colds, rheumatisms, and swelled faces. At length the indignation of the audience delivered the comedians from this wretched badge of nightly slavery, which gained nothing to the managers but disgrace and empty benches. Tired with the repeated insult of a show which had nothing to support it but gilt copper and old rags, they fairly drove the exhibitors of it from the stage by hooting and hissing, to the great joy of the whole theatre....Rich...fully satisfied [the publick's] warmest imaginations (Davies, Life of Garrick, I, 365 ff.)

Event Comment: A new serious Opera...The Music by several celebrated Composers. Pit and Boxes together half a Guinea, Gallery 5s. To begin 6:30 p.m. No Persons whatsoever to be admitted behind the Scenes, nor into the Orchestra. Vivat Rex et Regina. [Repeated in the bills.

Event Comment: Alteration of Shakespeare's Play by Garrick. New Scenes and Habits. Full Prices

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. The Play of Cymbeline, and the New Tragedy Hecuba deferr'd till after the Holidays, on account of Miss Bride's Indispositon

Event Comment: On Friday morning at nine o'clock will be a general practice of the new Opera Tolomeo

Event Comment: Afterpiece: An Arabian Night's Entertainment reviv'd in 2 Parts, with Alterations, New Scenes and Habits. Full Prices

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties.-A New Comic Opera Music by Ciampi

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never acted. Comedy [by Foote] in 3 acts. Characters new Dress'd