Event Comment: The King's Company, presumably. For a version of this play, see R. G. Howarth, "A Manuscript of James Shirley's Court Secret," Review of English Studies, VII (1931), 302-13. The manuscript is in the Worcester College Library (Plays 9. 21). Pepys, Diary: My wife going to-day to dine with Mrs Pierce, and thence with her and Mrs Clerke to see a new play, The Court Secret. [The play had not been acted before the Restoration.

Event Comment: [By James Miller.] All the Characters new drest

Event Comment: [Written by James Thomson.] With New Habits

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Acted before. [By James Sterling.] Afterpiece: a Ballad Opera. [Author unknown. Apparently not published.]

Event Comment: [By James Miller. An adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Afterpiece: a new Dramatick Piece: Intermix'd with Songs in Character. [By James Miller.

Event Comment: Never Acted before. [By James Thomson.

Event Comment: By Desire. Afterpiece: a Dramatic Fable. [By James Miller.] Edition of 1739: The Musick by Mr Arne. Sung by Mrs Clive

Event Comment: Never perform'd before. All the Characters new dressed. [By James Dance, adapted from Richardson's novel.

Event Comment: The farce never acted before [by James Ralph]. Two acts taken from The Spanish Curate, by Beaumont and Fletcher. Macklin's Reply to Garrick's Answer published

Event Comment: Never acted before. After the manner of Ben Johnson [by James Ralph]. The Receipts...upon the First Night were but Twenty-One Pounds...and...when the Manager had the Generosity to Risque a Second...he was oblig'd to shut up his Doors for want of an Audience [from Preface to printed edition]

Event Comment: Afterpiece an Operetta never perform'd before. The Words by Mr Ayre [James Ayres], and the Musick by Mr Lampe. Benefit Sullivan

Event Comment: Never acted before...From the French of Voltaire [By James Miller]

Event Comment: Afterpiece by James Miller

Event Comment: Tragedy never acted. By James Thomson. Characters New Dress'd. But as it is rather more fashionable to run mad about Mr Thomsons's play, I will change my theme and talk to you of Tancred. I want much to know how you like it, at this distance I would lay any wager you do not like it so well as your sister does, who certainly cannot be your sister and not have been to see it long ago. Everybody agrees that no play was ever so much improved in acting, at least since the Booths and Bettertons. That first scene expecially, where Siffredi discovers to Tancred who he is, pleased me almost beyond anything I ever saw, indeed even before I saw it, that scene was my favourite. But what do you think of the story, and what of the style?-A Series of Letters between Mrs Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot, I, 60 (dated strangely 2 March). [On 26 April, the Daily Post published a letter by Bellario on Tancred and Sigismunda, discussing the kind of support it received]: A very remarkable new Lord of the Treasury was proud of appearing its Foster Father, and attended at the public rehearsals; the first night of the performance this celebrated person and his friends in the Box with him (all very lately most flaming Patriots) were seen clapping their hands at the following remarkable speech: First of You All...To Quit Mistakes. [The letter also discussed political aspects of the play, then the poetry of the lines. The author heard that three hundred lines were cut out after the first performance, and was of opinion that double that amount would have been beneficial.

Event Comment: Mainpece: By Desire. [An article appeared in the St James Chronicle; or, British Evening Post proposing reserved seats for the theatre, and suggesting a method by which to operate the system.

Event Comment: letter in the St James Chronicle; or, British Evening Post suggests a one@way street for entrance to Drury Lane Theatre, because of the great confusion caused by carriages approaching from both directions.

Event Comment: MMrs Clive taken extremely ill, The Clandestine Marriage deferred (Winston MS 9). [The St James Chronicle; or, British Evening Post, this day contained four epigrams on Foote's accident.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pitt, Booth & L'Estrange. Morning Chronicle, 7 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pitt, James-street; of Booth, No. 35, Brownlow-street, Long-acre; of L'Estrange, Bolton-street, Long-acre. Tickets delivered for Elfrida will be taken. Receipts: #161 15s. 6d. (45.8.6; tickets: 116.7.0) (charge: #91 10s.)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Recruiting Officer, announced on playbill of 12 Oct.] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2(?), by James Messink. Not in Larpent MS; synopsis of action in London Chronicle, 15 Oct.]: The Scenes partly new and partly compiled from Rich's Pantomimes [i.e. The Rape of Proserpine, Perseus and Andromeda, Apollo and Daphne, all three written by Lewis Theobald (Morning Chronicle, 15 Oct.)]. The new Music by Dibdin. The new Scenes painted by Carver

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2 (?), by Charles Dibdin and James Messink; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 30 Dec.]: To conclude with a Procession of the principal Grand Masters, from the Creation to the present Century, dressed in the Habits of their respective Ages and Countries. With new Music [by Charles Dibdin], Scenes, Dresses, Pageants, and Decorations. The paintings executed by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, and assistants. Books of the Songs, with an Explanation of the Pageants, to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under full Price will be taken. "To give magnificence a meaning, and unite antiquarian knowledge with polite entertainment, was a task hitherto unattempted by the contrivers of our Pantomime exhibitions. Such praise, however, the acting manager of Covent Garden theatre may justly claim, on the score of Harlequin Free-Mason, which is now representing before greater crowds than perhaps were ever attracted by Perseus and Andromeda [in 1730], the Rape of Proserpine [in 1727], or the celebrated Sorcerer [i.e. The Magician, in 1721]. The beauty of the first scene, in which a setting sun is admirably contrived, the Dutch winter piece, with numberless skate[r]s moving in the most natural attitudes, and, above all, the imperfect building, finished in a moment at the command of Harlequin, can be exceeded only by the pomp of the historic procession which closes the whole, and offers the richest and most intelligent spectacle that ever yet appeared on an English stage" (Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1781, pp. 58-59, which also prints a detailed description of the pageant). Account-Book, 1 Feb.: Paid Dibdin for music of Harlequin Free-Mason #70. Receipts: #236 2s. (230.3; 5.19)

Event Comment: [Miss Cleland, who was from the Edinburgh theatre, is identified in Lysons, Collectanea. Cleland was a stage name; her real name was Buttery.] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by James Messink]: To conclude with an exact Representation of the Procession at an Eastern Marriage [based on sketches made in India by Tilly Kettle, the portrait painter (Theatre Notebook, VIII, 6)]. The Scenery by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Cipriani, Catton and others. The Music composed by [Michael] Arne. The Pantomime by Messink. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. Public Advertiser, 12 Jan. 1782: The Openings between every Scene and all internal parts of the Theatre are now so crouded by people absolutely necessary in one character or another that were they not judiciously arranged and marshalled, they would stand in each other's way, and create inextricable confusion. All that appears before an Audience as moving with the ease, regularity and promptitude of clock-work is the result of much Contrivance and many exertions of bodily Labour. Ibid, 16 Feb. 1782: This Day is published The Choice of Harlequin (1s.). Receipts: #270 19s. (265/15; 5/4)

Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Stewart. Mainpiece: In its original state, as it was written by Allen Ramsay, in 1724 [recte 1725]. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2 (?)]: Taken [probably by the author] from The Students [by James Stewart. MS not in Larpent; not published]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. 'Tis hoped that none of Stewart's friends will expect to be admitted behind the scenes, as the audience will, and not without great reason, be much displeased at any such proceedings, nor will it upon any pretence whatever be complied with. No money returned after the curtain is drawn up. Ladies are requested to send their servants by Five to keep places. Tickets to be had at Walker's, the Globe, Pall-mall; the Edinburgh and Jamaica Coffee-houses, Cornhill; the St. Andrew, Wapping; of Denham, bookseller, No. 366, Hermitage Bridge, Wapping; at the Bouncing B Printing Office, Ratcliff Highway; at Stewart's china shop, No. 201, Ratcliff Highway, and at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bulkley. 2nd piece [1st time; c 2, by James Brown Williamson. MS: Larpent 630; not published. Prologue probably by the author; Epilogue by the author; speakers' names (Public Advertiser, 3 Sept.)]