Event Comment: Benefit for Mad Auretti. Pit and Boxes together & Amphitheatre on stage. Tickets and Places to be had of Mad Auretti at her house in Leicester Fields; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre. Receipts: #220 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Dexter. Last time of performing the Mainpiece this season. Tickets to be had of Dexter at his lodgings at Mr Gibson's in James Street, Covent Garden; at the Grecian Coffee House, in Deveraux Court; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre where Places may be taken. Receipts. #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. Last time of performing Mainpiece this season. Tickets to be had of Mrs Ward, next door to the Chapel in Little Wild-Street, near Drury Lane; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bencraft and Mrs Vincent. Mainpiece: Containing the Memorable Battle of Agincourtv; with the total overthrow of the French Armyv; and many other historical passages. Tickets to be had of Mrs Vincent at the Cock and Turk's Head, in Bedford St., Covent Garden; of Bencraft at the corner of the Piazzas; and of Mr Page at the Stage Door of the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Palmer. Tickets at his lodgings, at Mr Watson's Linnen Draper, Corner Charles St., Covent Garden; and at Stage Door of Theatre. [Ray inserted a long plea for benefit support on the General Advertiser, saying that Mr William Barton, who keeps the Black Swan Tavern on Bartholomew Lane, will do his visiting and deliver his tickets for him since he, Ray, is so ill.] Receipts: #78 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Leviez. No Building on stage. Tickets at his, the lowest House on the Right-Hand in Beaufort Buildings in the Strand; and at Stage Door of Theatre. Receipts: #125 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pritchard, Treasurer. Tickets his house next the Chapel in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields. This day publish'd at 1s.A Poetical Epistle from Shakespear in Elysium, to Mr Garrick at Drury Lane Theatre. Printed for J. Newberry (General Advertiser). Old Jack Ray, dy'd (Cross). Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Scrase, Costollo, and Wilder. Tickets and places to be had at the Stage Door of the theatre. Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: noise still (Cross). [See 6 Nov.] Mainpiece: It appears that Mr Garrick is solicitous to banish vice from the theatre, by his having first omitted to exhibit that scandalous piece the London Cuckolds on the evening of the Lord Mayor's Day [9 Nov.] contray to immemorial custom, and the practice of the other house. He has also made a vigorous attempt to exclude folly but the friends of folly appeared to be so numerous, that he could not effect his purpose (Gentleman's Magazine, Nov. 1752, p. 535). Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Widow & Children (Cross), who are fallen into great distress (Winston MS 8). Tickets to be had at Mr Gladman's, a Trunk-maker, Charing Cross; at the Amsterdam Coffee House, behind the Exchange; at the Rainbow and Janeways in Cornhill; at Anderton's and the Temple-Exchange, in Fleet St.; at George's, Temple Bar; Somerset Coffee House, Strand and at Stage Door of the Theatre. Receipts: #97 (Cross)

Event Comment: [Benefit] (Toll) for Goodfellow who play'd Hamlet (Cross). Tickets to be had at the Ship Tavern, at Ratcliff-Cross; the Swan in Ratcliff-Highway; the Black Lyon, in Russel St. Covent Garden, and at the Stage Door of the Theatre. Receipts: #140 (Cross)

Event Comment: [The afterpiece] An Arabian Night's Entertainment produc'd in two parts with New Scenes, Habits, Music & Decorations. Full Prices. Went off with great applause (Cross). It is hop'd no Gentlemen will take it ill that they cannot possibly be admitted behind the Scenes or into the Orchestra, the Entertainment depending chiefly upon the Machinery and Music. [Repeated on all Genii Bills this season.] This new entertainment...hath fully decided the controversy and fix'd the superiority of Pantomime to Drury Lane Theatre, as it had before had of almost everything else;...for beauty of scenery, elegance of dress, propriety of music, and regularity of designs, it exceeds all the boasted grandeur of Harlequin Sorcerer, or of any I have seen either separate or collective. The last scene beggars all description; the most romantic Eastern account of sumptuous palaces are but faint to this display of beauty, this glow of light, this profusion of glittering gems, which adorn the whole, and much exceeds all expectations. I rejoice and congratulate myself that I am not of that modern way of thinking (or rather seeming to think) that nothing can deserve the epithet good from their superior taste, but while I am pleased will own it, and not endeavor to gain the character of a critick, ar the expense of violation of my senses (Scourge No. 14, quoted in the Gentleman's Magazine, Dec. 1752, p. 582). Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Any Person of whatever Party, Perswasion, Countenance, or Country, who is able to entertain the Publick in a singular and agreeable Manner, may enter into present Pay and good Quarters, with Mrs Midnight's Band of Originals, by applying to her at the Theatre in the Haymarket, any evening at five 'oclock. [Notice repeated.] Sixteenth Day

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [See 10 Feb. 1750.] We have advice that the John (Capt Smith) from Leith, which was supposed to be lost, got into Gottenburgh on the first of this month. The vessel had several passengers on board, among others Mr Gibson belonqing to Covent Garden Theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece: An Interlude. Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd this day, at the office in Covent Garden theatre at half a guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half an hour after Four O'clock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at half an hour after Si(

Event Comment: We hear that Mr Handel will play a Concerto on the organ in Alexander's Feast, Wednesday next at Covent Garden Theatre

Event Comment: As a principal performer was taken ill after the play last night, the New tragedy is oblig'd to be deferred till Thursday. [Printed: The British Theatre, containing Lives of the British Dramatic poets with an account of all their plays. Also The Present state of the Stage, in Great Britain and Ireland, and the theatrical characters of the principal Performers in both kingdoms.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Lord Chamberlain to the Manager of the Theatre in Covent Garden...These are strictly to charge and command you not to act any Plays, Oratorios, or any other Theatrical Performance in Passion Week for the Future on any Pretence whatsoever (Deutsch, Handel, p. 740, from Public Record Office: L.C. 5@162, pp. 2 ff.). [Deutsch cites similar ones for dl, king's and hay.

Event Comment: Towards a fund for ye Support of a publick Charity-(ye Lock Hospl.). King Lear & Duke & no Duke given out for Wed., 23 & bills put up, but not play'd on account of Mr Havard's illness, at 12 at noon, bills were dispers'd saying--the Play of King Lear, design'd for to Night is oblig'd to be defer'd on Account of Mr Havard's sudden illness. N.B--It was a very hot day (Cross). Tickets to be had at the following Coffee Houses: The St James, in St James's St.; The Mount, in Grosvenor St.; George's the upper end of the Haymarket; the Bedford and Tom's in Covent Garden; Garraway's in Cornhill; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre. Tickets deliver'd out for 16 April will be taken. [Cross lists no Receipts.

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken at the stage door of the theatre. [Customary notice repeated for each bill this season.

Event Comment: SShuter play'd the Miser for his 1st appearance at this theatre. Great Applause (Cross)

Event Comment: MMrs Cowper did Sylvia, for her first appearance here (she came from Bath, Richmond &c.)-Toll. Afterpiece as originally perform'd (Cross) [i.e., without the burlesque scenes of The Fair (see 6 Nov. 1752).] This piece [Harlequin Ranger] was now acted as originally written. It is surprising that Mr Garrick should be the first to introduce Pantomime Entertainments (this season) especially as his own universal talents are seconded by a good company of performers. We suppose he does it to gratify the taste of the town; but such Smithfield exhibitions should certainly be banish'd from all regular theatres; and as Mr Woodward is an excellent comedian, it would be more eligible in him if he chuses to wear the motley dress any more to appear in the character of a speaking Harlequin, after the manner of the Italian Comedy; and indeed it is not a little surprising that nothing of this kind has yet been admitted upon our stage (Gentleman's Magazine, Oct., p. 493, from Grays' Inn Journal, 13 Oct. 1753.). Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMacklin has built two magnificent Rooms, ground floor [one] for Coffee, the other a [meeting] Room (Winston MS 8). [The Tuner pub. at 1s. by Dr Hiffernan. Fifty-three pages touching on theatre in general but particularly on Boadicia. There is no plot in the play...Boadicia is a monster well deserving what she suffers; therefore is neither an object of Terror or Compassion: but of Detestation. Sh deserts us in the third act...Tender-hearted Venusia is introduc'd to be whined to death...There is scarce any sentiment throughout; no moral to be deduced...the Diction...favors more of the level, languid, and underepic, than of the vigorous marrowy, tragic style...Never was Author more oblig'd to Performers, they acted to the full amount of his meaning; the Matter often fail'd Mr Garrick's continued and vigorous exertion."] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: This day publish'd at 3s. Printed on Five sheets of superfine paper, Five Principal Scenes in Romeo and Juliet, designed, drawn, and engraved by Mr Ant. Walker. Printed and sold by John Tinney, at the Golden Lion in Fleet St. The drawing and Engraving of the three following Plays of Shakespeare are in great forwardness, and the scenes of each play will be sold at a time: 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV, Merry Wives. These plates will serve for Mr Pope's edition of Shakespeare in quarto, Sir Thomas Hanmer's edn. 6 Vol. quarto, or for any of the Folio editions. And may be framed and glazed for furniture. There will be a few sets neatly coloured for Gentlemen and Ladies who chuse them so (Public Advertiser). [A set of these prints is available in the Folger Shakespeare Library. The Five Principal Scenes were: The scene in Capulet's Housev where Romeo kisses Juliet 's hand; the Balcony Scenev ; the scene in which Friar Lawrence hurries the young couple off to be married; the Apothecary scenev ; and the death scenev . If, as may be, these scenes were taken from--as they were certainly stimulated by--the Barry-Nossiter production, they may present a good likness of Maria Isabella Nossiter, who so captivated London that season. If, also, they were taken from the theatre production, they give evidence that Barry used a balcony, not only a window.