Event Comment: Alter'd from Shakespear by the late Mr Betterton

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Alter'd from Shakespear by the late Mr Betterton. [In Daily Post, 8 Sept., The Spanish Fryar had been announced for this day.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear, by the late Mr Betterton. Afterpiece: Composed by Mons Roger

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Shireburn and Miss Brett. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear by Mr Betterton

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear by Mr Betterton

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear, by Mr Betterton

Event Comment: For the Entertainment of the Grand Master of the Antient and Hon. Society of Free and Accepted Masons. Alter'd from Shakespear by Mr Betterton

Event Comment: [Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear by the late Mr Betterton

Event Comment: Benefit Wright. For the Entertainment [as 24 April]. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear by the late Mr Betterton

Event Comment: [Written by Shakespear. With new Scenes and Cloaths. At the Desire of several Persons of Distinction the Pit and Boxes will be put together at 3s. Boxes on the Stage 4s. Gallery 1s. [The Prologue is in The Comedian, No. VII, October 1732, with a long essay on the major theatres of the present season.] Daily Advertiser, 4 Oct.: A very splendid and crowded Audience...testify'd their Approbation both of the Decorations and Performance. The principal Embellishments are as follows: On a large Oval over the Pit is represented the Figure of His Majesty, attended by Peace, Liberty, and Justice, trampling Tyranny and Oppression under his Feet; round it are the Heads of Shakespear, Dryden, Congreve, and Betterton. On the Coving on the Left Hand is painted the Scene of Cato pointing at the dead Body of his Son Marcus; in the Middle, that of Julius Caesar stabb'd in the Senate-House; and on the Right, that of Marc Anthony and Octavia, where the Children are introduc'd in All for Love. On the Sounding-Board over the Stage is an handsome Piece of Painting of Apollo and the Nine Muses. [See also Daily Post, 4 Oct. and Gentleman's Magazine, II (October 1732), 1028.

Event Comment: [Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear by Mr Betterton. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Charke. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear by Mrs Betterton. Afterpiece: a new Pastoral of two Acts. [Apparently not printed. Nicoll, Early Eighteenth Century Drama, p. 369, states that it was ascribed to T. Cibber.

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Alter'd from Shakespeare by the late Mr Betterton

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Alter'd from Shakespeare by the late Mr Betterton

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Distinction. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear by the late Mr Betterton. [For essays on the stage, see Universal Spectator, 8 Dec, and Weekly Miscellany, 8 Dec]

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespeare by the late Mr Betterton. Afterpiece: Written by the late Barton Booth, Esq; Set to Musick by Mr Arne

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not Acted these Fifty Years. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Written by Shakespear. N.B. The above Play of King Henry IV is the Genuine Play of Shakespear, and not that alter'd by Mr Betterton, and so frequently acted at the other Theatre

Event Comment: On Tuesday next will be presented The Relapse, or Virtue in Danger, the part of Lord Foppington to be perform'd by Mrs. Cibber. [This day appeared in the papers an account of the salaries of present-day actors compared with those in the time of Wilkes and Betterton, suggesting great overpayment of Garrick, Macklin, &c. This, according to Mrs Clive (Case, p. 8) was a false account.

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: [The Public Advertiser published a long New Historical Epilogue, intended by the Author as a proper sequel to the Tragedy of the Brothers. It speaks of the authentic history in the play, and of the effective moral lesson, closing: @As public woes a Prince's crimes pursue,@So public blessings are his Virtues' due.@Shout Britons, shout!--auspicious Fortune Bless!@And cry, Long live--OUR title to success!@ This was followed by a Letter from Mr Booth in the Shades to Dr Young, on his Tragedy call'd the Brothers (an elaborate puff). In it Booth forgives Young for withdrawing the play from rehearsal thirty years earlier, and thus precluding his playing the part of Demetrius: "And I the more readily pardon you, as you have not disgraced me by giving the part to any of my successors, till this Garrick appeared, whose reputation, I can assure you, is by no means confined to your world, and who, I am told, hath more than supply'd my place, hath rendered the loss even of Betterton himself very supportable." He then lets Young in on a secret that there will be a performance of his play in the shades by all the old actors as soon as Curll can steal a copy of it for them.] We are assured that on Thursday the 22nd instant will be publish'd a Comedy in 2 acts, call'd The Rehearsal; or, Bayes in Petticoats, witten by Mrs Clive, and to be performed that evening, after the Mourning Bride, for her Benefit at Drury Lane. Mr Yates's Benefit will be on Thursday the 5th of April, when the tragedy of the Gamester will be played, being the twelfth day. A new farce will be added to it, the preparing of which has oblig'd Yates to defer his Benefit till the above day. Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Publish'd at 3s. The Actor, in One Pocket Volume. A treatise on the art of playing, interspersed with Observations on the performances of Garrick, Quin, Barry, Berry, Macklin, Ryan, Havard, Woodward, Foote, &c; Mrs Cibber, Mrs Pritchard, Mrs Woffington, Mrs Ward, Mrs Elmy, Mrs Green, Mrs Clive, Miss Bellamy, &c. Also some anecdotes of Betterton, Booth and Wilkes and other celebrated performers; together with occasional remarks upon managers and audiences, and upon the principal Tragedies, Comedies, Masques and Farces. Printed for R. Griffiths in Paul's Church-yard. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: At Bence's Room, Swan Yard, West Smithfield. The Scenes Cloaths, Machinery and other Decorations entirely New. To begin each day at 12 Noon. Pit 2s. 3d. First Gallery 1s. Upper Gallery 6d. There is a back door in Hosier Lane for the Conveniency of those Gentlemen and Ladies who don't chuse to be crouded. Mainpiece: A new Dramatic Piece. [Really the subplot of Betterton's Amorous Widow, 1670.] Afterpiece: A New Pantomime Entertainment

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. Afterpiece: Taken from Moliere and Betterton. Receipts: #186 19s. 6d. (146/9/6; tickets: 40/10/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 116. This was the King's Company (under Killigrew), split off from the United Company. According to Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 2) the roster included: Theophilus Bird, Hart, Mohun, Lacy, Burt, Cartwright, Clun, Baxter, Robert Shatterel, William Shatterrel, Duke [Marmaduke Watson], Hancock, Kynaston, Wintersel, Bateman, Blagden. (But see also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 295.) According to the articles of agreement, 5 Nov. 1660 (Herbert, Dramatic Records, pp. 96-100), the Duke's Company (under Davenant) included Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, Robert Noakes, James Noakes, Thomas Lovell, John Moseley, Cave Underhill, Robert Turner, Thomas Lilleston

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for The Literary Fund. [In this performance the male parts were acted chiefly by amateurs; the female parts were acted by professionals. Prologue and Epilogue by Thomas Morris (Morning Herald, 17 Apr.).] The Committee for the Management of the Literary Fund respectfully inform the Public that affecting instabces of Merit in distress exceed their power of relief by the ordinary Subscription; and that they wish to have recourse to every honourable expedient to increase that power. The Admission will be by Tickets, at the Opera Prices. Boxes and Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. 2nd Gallery 3s. No more Company will be admitted than the House will hold with perfect convenience; and when the proper number of Tickets is issued, no means of admission can be obtained. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 precisely. Registers: Thomas Dale, M. D.; Mr Deputy Nichols. Treasurers: Thomas Morris, Esq.; Mr E. Brooke. "In the course of the play we observed several restorations of Shakespeare's text, with some interpolations. The boldest of the latter was the introduction of Richard's son to him in the tent, the night befiredthedbefore the Battle of Bosworth field. This scene was borrowed, as we believe, from Thomas? Hull's Legendary Tale of Richard Plantagenet. It was well written, and produced a considerable degree of effect. The Ghosts were banished, and the start and stagger of Richard, heretofore the theatrical trick of the scene, necessarily omitted" (Diary, 17 Apr.)