Event Comment: Robert Jennens to Thomas Coke, 19 Nov. 1696: There has been for four or five days together at the play house in Lincolns Inn Fields acted a new farce translated out of the French by Mr Monteux called the Shame Sham? Doctor or the Anatomist, with a great concert of music, representing the loves of Venus and Mars, well enough done and pleases the town extremely. The other house has no company at all, and unless a new play comes out on Saturday revives their reputation, they must break (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Part II, Cowper MSS., II, 367)

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. A playbill for this performance was once in the possession of Thomas Hailes Lacy (1809-73); Fitzgerald, A New History, I, 389, refers to it; the playbill seems no longer to be extant

Event Comment: Benefit Fieldhouse. [Afterpiece: By Thomas Walker. Premiere.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: [By Thomas Odell.] A new Farce of one Act. Benefit J. and Ch. Rich. Receipts: money #112 5s.; tickets #14 5s

Event Comment: Benefit the Author. Mainpiece: a New Play of Three Acts. [By Thomas Cooke.] At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Daniel Boyes and Thomas Lascells, who have been for many Years under Confinement for Debt

Event Comment: Benefit Thomas Worley, Teacher of the Mathematics

Event Comment: We hear that the Lord Chamberlain has refus'd granting a License to the seceding players to act in the Theatre in the Haymarket. (Daily Advertiser) To the Author of the London Daily Post, Sir: As I have engag'd myself for this winter to perform in Dublin, by an Invitation of Several Persons of Distinction in Ireland, I think it my duty before I leave London, by your paper, to return my sincere and hearty thanks to the Town for the many favours I have receiv'd during the Time of my Performing in Publick, which I hope they will Candidly accept from their most of Oblig'd, humble Servants, Thomas Lowe

Event Comment: [The following letter appeared in the General Advertiser]: To Mr Ryan, Sir: As the Author whom you have judiciously, I think, call'd in to your Assistance on your Benefit Night is little known; his Name not having appeared upon the Stage in our Days; and from whence some may be apt to think it scarce worth while to produce him now;--it was thought advisable by many of your Friends, of which Number I profess myself, to draw up the following Account of him and his Dramatic Works, that such as are Strangers to him may have some further Inducement to favour you with their Company. Mr Thomas Randolph lived in the Reign of King Charles I, was Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge; but died young. He was a Man of pregnant Wit, gay Humour and of excellent Learning; which gain'd him the Esteem of the Polite Part of the Town, and particularly recommended him to the Favour of Ben Johnson, who adopted him one of his Sons, and held him in equal Esteem with the ingenious Mr Cartwright, another of the Laureat's adopted Sons:--The Plays he wrote were: [he lists 5 plays, commenting from Cokayne and Rich of Christ's Church College, Oxon, and West on the ethical quality of the last one, The Muses' Looking Glass]. In short, Sir, I doubt not but his old nervous Wit will still please, and join'd with the New Masque you have added, excite Curiousity enough to answer your Design; since by your Steadiness it was absoluteley necessary you should hava Novelty, as well as Interest, to procure half so good a House, as we all wish you, and especially, Your Humble Servant, I. M. [See 14 March afterpiece.

Event Comment: Benefit of Cross jun and Miss Thomas. Box 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. To begin at 6 p.m

Event Comment: Receipts: #103 18s. [The following Renters came in at 1 share each: Antony Henry Bousing, Mrs Antony Henry Bousing, Robert Jennings Esq, Thomas Repley (Account Book).

Event Comment: Benefit for Sparks. Receipts: #83 2s. 6d. plus Tickets #184 12s. (boxes 335; pit 551; gallery 182). Advanced Mrs Bellamy on her salary #105. Two new Renters came in at 1 share each: Sir Thomas Robinson and Robert Hassell (Account Book). Mr Smith takes this earliest opportunity to return thanks the Ladies and Gentlemen who honoured him with their presence at his Benefit on Tuesday Night, and is very sorry for any interruption that might happen in the performance. The indulgence of his friends that night far exceeded his most sanguine exceptations; otherwise he should have provided proper accomodations for them on the stage (Public Advertiser). [See Theatrical Review, 1757 and Beginning of 1758, for contemporary comment on mainpiece: "It is not paying it a very great, much less an underserved compliment to give it the preference over all the dramatic pieces that have been presented at either house these six or seven years...Tears were the first praises I gave it...no play except Lear ever make such a strong constant impression on my feelings."

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Vernon, who humbly hopes her friends will excuse the change of the farce, as it proceeds from an unforeseen Accident, the indisposition of Mr Mattocks. [She had scheduled Thomas and Sally.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Smith. The Farce was much hiss'd (Hopkins Diary). The overture and Songs in it entirely new, composed by Theodore Smith. The farce by Thomas Hull. Paid 1!2 years Poor's rate to Xmas last #32 9s. 6d. Receipts: #98 6s. Charges: #70 6s. Profits to Mrs Smith: #28 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years [acted 6 May 1776]. With Accompaniments to the Airs composed by Thomas? Linley Sen?.. Public Advertiser, 10 Nov.: "Jenny Diver forgot her song...and continued inflexibly silent till a Wag behind the Scenes assumed her Voice, and sung the Song for her"; ibid, 15 Nov., identifies this wag as Bannister, who sang "in a feigned voice." [Webster was from the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin.] Receipts: #192 6s. 6d. (167.2.0; 24.16.0; 0.8.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Accompaniments to the Airs composed by Thomas Linley? Sen.. Receipts: #191 10s. (190.1; 1.9)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With accompaniments to the Airs composed by Thomas? Linley? Sen. [Miss Wright's 1st appearance, as an actress, was at this theatre on 7 May 1779.] Afterpiece: With Alterations and Additions; To conclude with a Grand View of Greenwich Hospital, designed by DeLoutherbourg. Paid Land Tax 3rd & 4th Qtrs. to Lady Day #41 16s. Receipts: #187 3s. 6d. (151.3.0; 35.15.6; 0.5.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With accompaniments to the Airs composed by Thomas? Linley? Sen. Receipts: #77 1s. (53.18; 22.11; 0.12)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Accompaniments to the Airs composed by [Thomas] Linley [Sen.]. Receipts: #147 13s. 6d. (107/15/0; 39/18/6; 0/0/0)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. [Authors and speakers of Prologues and Epilogue unknown; they are printed in Public Advertiser, 30 Nov. Ryder was not Thomas Ryder, who at this time was acting at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.] The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:00

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Phillips. Gazetteer, 5 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Miss Phillips, at Swift's, bookseller, Charles-street, St. James's-square. Mainpiece: With Accompaniments to the Airs composed by [Thomas] Linley [Sen.]. Receipts: #230 10s. (110/15/0; 30/11/6; 0/5/6; tickets: 88/18/0) (charge: #108 9s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Accompaniments to the Airs composed by [Thomas] Linley [Sen.]. Paid Properties #1 7s. 6d.; Lampmen #3 18s.; Billstickers #5 8s.; Supernumeraries #5 12s. 6d.; Tailor #7 18s. 7d. Receipts: #179 15s. 6d. (132/5/0; 47/3/6; 0/7/0)

Event Comment: [Mrs Edwards is identified in European Magazine, July 1786, p. 60. Address by Thomas Busby (ibid.}.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never acted at this Theatre. By Beaumont and Fletcher, with Alterations [by Thomas Harris (Boaden, Kemble, I, 378)]. Public Advertiser, 15 Jan.: The alterations consisted of many curtailments, the last scene of Act IV being entirely omitted. [Prologue by Henry Sampson Woodfall Jun. (European Magazine, Dec. 1787, p. 503; Feb. 1788, p. 105).] Receipts: #150 2s. (146.18; 3.4)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull. [Monologue by Thomas Hull (Moral Tales, 1797, I, 5-12).] Receipts: #164 5s. (82.9; 9.1; tickets: 72.15)