Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Gentleman who performs the Part of Zanga [in THE REVENGE], and Mr and Mrs Simpson. Mainpiece: Written by the celebrated Dr Young, Author of the Night Thoughts, &c. Afterpiece: As an After-piece [i.e. reduced from 5 to 3 (?) acts]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Longman and Broderip, Cheapside and Haymarket; Pass, No. 53, High Holborn; Bland's Music Warehouse, No. 45, High Holborn; Strutt, Bookseller, No. 20, Little Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn Fields; Ellwick, Musical Instrument Maker, No. 55, Long Acre, comer of Phoenix O>urt; Padbury, Coal Merchant, No. 24, Henrietta-street, Covent Garden; Evan, Bookseller, No. 351, near the Pantheon, Oxford Road; and of Simpson, at No. 33, St. Martin's-street, Leicester-square

Event Comment: [Emery was from cg. Mainpiece: Epilogue by the younger George Colman.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin precisely at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. Printed by T. Woodfall, No. 1, Cross Court, Russel Court, Drury Lane

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by the younger George Colman]: To conclude with a View of the Camp near Windsorv. A Military Overture, and the New Musick composed by Dr Arnold. The Scenery painted by S. Whitmore. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [For Colman's borrowing of the character of Caleb Quotem, see 6 July 1798.

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales [who were present]. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of the Toy Shop. [For a letter on the disputes between the footmen and the gentlemen, see Grub St. Journal, 17 March.] [There is in the Bennett Collection, I, 93, in the Birmingham Library, an exceptionally curious advance notice for a performance to be given at Drury Lane soon after Easter of The Conscious Lovers and The Devil to Pay, with no cast for either play in the bill. The announcement appears to refer to the spring of 1737 and presumably appeared around the middle of March. It is intended for the benefit of a Widow under Misfortunes and the bill bears the heading: Gift and Pleasure. According to the announcement, the widow has been left Italian pictures, antiqees, jewels, and precious stones; and she intends, for the encouragement of her benefactors, to make a gift of all the objects, which will be placed in three hundred parcels. Tickets for the performance are advertised at five shillings, and no one is to be admitted without a ticket. The pit and boxes are to be put together at two tickets for each person, and the first and second galleries are placed together at one ticket for each spectator. The tickets are not to be left with the door-keepers as usual, but only shewn and kept. On the day following the benefit a raffle will be held, by Mr Foubert's Patent Mathematical Machine, at Hickford's Great Room in Brewers Street, Golden Square, and only holders of tickets will be admitted to the raffle, After this entry was set, an advertisement was found in the Daily Advertiser, 18 April 1738, announcing this performance for 13 May 1738. The Daily Advertiser on 5 May 1738, however, announced that the proposed performance had been cancelled.

Event Comment: [Extra night] Benefit for the Widow and three youngest Children of the late Dr Glover. [Dr William Frederick Glover, a surgeon, had died on 25 Feb. in straitened circumstances. A subscription--in behalf of which this Benefit was organized--had been set on foot for the relief of his family (see Gentleman's Magazine, Mar. 1787, p. 276). In the 1760's he was for some years an actor on the Dublin stage (see Tate Wilkinson, Memoirs, III, 198).] Tickets to be had at the Thatched-House Tavern, St. James's Street; at Free-Mason's Tavern, Great Queen Street; the Antigallican Coffee House, Royal Exchange; the Globe Tavern, Fleet Street; at Messrs Robinsons, booksellers, Paternoster Row; and of the Printer of the Morning Chronicle, Dorset Street, Salisbury Square. Received from Their Majesties for Box [for season] #70; from the Princess Royal for Box #35. Receipts: #127 11s. (125.5; 2.6; tickets: none listed)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. [See 24 Oct. 1770.] Miss P. Hopkins made her first appearance in Celia-great applause (+Hopkins Diary). [The Young Lady who played Celia indentified by Winston MS 11 as Miss Pricilla Hopkins who became Mrs Brereton, then was married a second time to John Kemble. She had acted Celia 19 April 1773 in As You Like It. The Young Lady who played Tragedy was Miss Sharp, later married to W. Palmer (Winston MS 11).] Paid Mr Neale for a laced Hat #1 15s. Receipts: #155 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit Denoyer. By Command of His Royal Highness. [Prince, Duke of Cumberland, three eldest Princesses, and Princess Mary present.

Event Comment: The Princess Royal's Marriage, being deferr'd, the Opera will be perform'd that Day as usual. Daily Courant, 14 Nov.: Last Night their Majesties, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and the three eldest Princesses . . . saw . . . Otho; but his Highness the Prince of Orange was not there

Event Comment: [The Young Gentleman who played Zaphna was Wroughton. "His real name was Rottan, but altered euphonia gratia. He was designed for a surgeon and served his apprenticeship at Bath. The following playbills show that he met with approbation on the stage. He remained with Covent Garden from this time till the end of the season 1785-86. He then played in Ireland one Winter, and was engag'd at Drury Lane Theatre in the beginning of the season 1787-88. This was the occasion of Mr Wroughton's leaving Covent Garden, I mean it was thus conjectured. Mr Lewis had been appointed manager of that theatre for Mr Harris. Mr Lewis and Mr Wroughton lived next door neighbors in Broad Court at the top of Bow Street, and were sworn friends:--they laughed together, lived together--In the season 1784-85 two new performers Mr Holman and Mr Pope, appeared on the Covent Garden Stage--these young men were great favorites with Mr Harris; Mr Holman, attracting at this time very crowded audiences, stood so particularly high in his regard, that his partiality made him guilty of some injustice to older and abler actors in the theatre. Mr Henderson had really cause to complain of neglect; and Mr Wroughton thought himself equally oppressed. At this time we had a Club and met every Wednesday fortnight during Lent at the Long Room in Hamstead at dinner. Our Club consisted of a certain number of us belonging indifferently to either theatre, and two or three other gentlemen who were not actors. Mr King, Mr Quick, Mr Farren, Mr Mattocks, myself, etc., etc. When the bottle had a little warmed Mr Wroughton he threw out some sarcasms on his Friend Mr Lewis's management; Mr Lewis retorted; Their tempers grew hot, their words grew aggravating; Mr Wroughton struck Mr Lewis; Mr Lewis returned the blow. They were parted; all the pleasures of the day were over, and the Club broke up in confusion. I was not present this day, but have related what Mr Siddons told me of this Quarrel, and I imagine that Mr Wroughton's attack on Mr Lewis sprang from a suspicion that he was too willing to execute Mr Harris's designs in favour of Mr Holman. Be this as it may, Mr Wroughton was discharged from cg at the expiration of his Articles with Mr Harris."--Hopkins MS Notes.] Receipts: #186 3s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit the Young Persons that perform the Play. Written by Mr Otway

Event Comment: Performance After the manner of an Oratorio Set by Mr Handel. Tickets will be deliver'd to subscribers on paying their subscription money, this day and every day following at Mr Handel's House in Brook Street, near Hanover Square, where attendance will be given from nine o'clock in the Morning till three in the afternoon. Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd at the Office in the theatre at Half a Guinea each, First Gallery 5s.; Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. [Customary notice which will not be repeated.] Gallery opened at Four o'clock, Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Six. Mrs Delany to Mrs Dewes: There is a four-part song that is delightfully pretty...there was no disturbance at the playhouse. -Delany, Autobiography, II, 262. [Libretto by Congreve.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: Taken from Mrs Centlivre's Sequel to the Busy Body. [Afterpiece is Woodward's adaptation (Crow St. Theatre, Dublin 1760) pruned to three acts (Biographia Dramatica).

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Beaumont and Fletcher, reviv'd. Afterpiece: Not acted these three years. [See 8 Aug. 1761.] Mr Powell made his first appearance this Night in Philaster. His Reception was very great, he play'd the part amazingly well, & Seems to have Requisites to make a very Capital Performer. N.B. Covent Garden Theater begun to play every Night (Hopkins). Philaster by Mr Powell. Prodigious applause (Cross Diary). This play [Philaster] was wrote by Beaumont and Fletcher, and is now altered by Mr Colman. Mr Powell, a young gentleman clerk to Sir Robert Ladbrook, made his first appearance in the character of Philaster.--A greater reception was never shown to anybody,--he was so very much frightened, he could not speak for some time, and, when he did, the tears ran fast down his cheeks,--but he soon recovered himself, and went through the part with a great deal of nature and feeling,--Continued claps and huzza of bravo! &c. &c. Upon the whole I think him possessed of every requisite necessary to make him an ornament to the stage.--N.B. Mr D. Garrick instructed him in this part--when I see him in another shall be able to judge better of his capabilities.--Miss Pope appeared this Night in the character of Maria in the Citizen,--by endeavoring to be very fine she overdid it,--and it was plain to see she wanted her master. N.B.--Covent Garden began to play of our nights--the first time they ever begin first since Mr Garrick was manager (Hopkins Diary--MacMillan). Receipts: #258 11s. 6d. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holland. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Afterpiece: Not acted these three years. [See 8 Oct. 1763.